Fruit City on the Waal

The story of the fertile riverside landscape and fruit cultivation in the Betuwe, as well as fruit processing at the Jam Factory De Betuwe, is the third narrative told in the museum. The Romans introduced fruit cultivation to the Betuwe about 2000 years ago. The story showcases the entire process of fruit cultivation and processing, both then and now. Think of the orchards with high-stem and later low-stem trees, the tools such as baskets (Hoenderik), and sorting machines. It delves into the various entrepreneurs in the region, the establishment of the Jam Factory Maatschappij De Betuwe, and the marketing of this factory through the promotional character Flipje, the fruit mascot from Tiel.

We also reflect on the origin of the Fruitcorso (1960), which, together with the event Appelpop, marks the annual Harvest Festival in September.

Of course, Flipje belongs in the Flipje and Regional Museum in Tiel. Flipje originated as a promotional character for the Jam Factory ‘De Betuwe’. Over the years, Flipje has become the symbol of the fruit processing industry in Tiel and the Betuwe region. Booklets were created to tell Flipje’s adventures, Flipje appeared on labels of jam and other products, and there are many Flipje memorabilia on display in the museum.

On the special Flipje page on this site, you can read more about this raspberry character!