Elisabeth van der Giessen salon

Elisabeth van de Giessen was the wife of Berthold van Gendt, an important historical owner of Estate Loenen on the Waal. Although less is known about Elisabeth herself than about her husband, she presumably played an influential role as the lady of the house on the estate. In her time, the estate became a place of prestige and hospitality on the Waal. Elisabeth’s presence marks a period in which the Van Gendt family further developed the estate into a center of regional significance, both socially and economically.

Her name lives on in the history of Loenen, partly thanks to the stories and heirlooms connected to her within the estate. She symbolizes the women behind the scenes of noble families, who often played an indispensable role in managing the household, receiving guests, and preserving the family name.