Jenny brings the Glaspaleis to life

Since the summer of 2022, Jenny has become a familiar face at SCHUNCK. She started as a guide during the Rooftop Project, in which the top floor of the Putgraaf parking garage was temporarily transformed into a green rooftop garden. “From up there, you had a stunning view of the city. I talked about the project, but could also dive straight into the story of Heerlen and the Glaspaleis. In a way, it was like a city tour from above.”

Hide and seek by the architect

Jenny enjoyed it so much that she decided to stay. Since then, she’s been regularly leading guided building tours of the Glaspaleis. In these tours, the building itself takes centre stage—along with everything that has happened in and around it: from its construction history to clever marketing, from striking architectural details to personal memories shared by participants. “People are always surprised when I show them that the supporting columns are different at the bottom than at the top. And when they hear that Peutz hid himself somewhere in the building, they suddenly start looking at it in a completely different way.”

Diving deeper into the subject matter went hand in hand with Jenny’s own development as a guide. “Of course, I already knew the Glaspaleis as a city guide, but for these tours I really started studying. About the Schunck family, the layout of the shop, the work of Frits Peutz… The more I learned, the more I realised how many stories are hidden here,” she says.

Etiquette in the department store

During her tours, Jenny uses a stack of old photographs to bring the stories to life. After all, who still remembers how lavishly the shop windows were once dressed? Or that there used to be a Pizza Hut in the building? Jenny: “Many people are curious about how the department store was laid out, and why the building is considered an architectural masterpiece. Quite often, participants join who used to work or shop at Schunck. Then you get to hear stories about etiquette: colleagues addressed each other as ‘Mr’ and ‘Miss,’ and everyone had to look impeccably groomed.”

In this way, history becomes personal, and the building briefly returns to being a vibrant department store. A highlight is often the top floor — the former residence of the Schunck family. “When that space is open, I show the view from up there. You look straight through the glass out onto the city, just like the family once did. That always leaves an impression.”

What began as a temporary job for Jenny has grown into a lasting passion. “The Glaspaleis is a building Heerlen can be proud of. I love being a small part of that story and having the chance to pass it on again and again.”