Contraction Attirance

Although Aarle-Rixtel, Lieshout (together with Mariahout) and Beek en Donk had already been openly declaring their love for each other to go together as a new municipality for some years, it was not until early 1996 that the final decision was taken. On 1 January 1997, the villages would continue as Laarbeek. The attraction for each other was greater than the lure of large neighbour Helmond. Perhaps the aversion towards 'Helmond' was also the driving force behind the creation of the new municipality. In Aarle-Rixtel you even had the committee Ale Blie and it was seen as the driving force for the creation of Laarbeek. The attraction was translated into the image Attirance, the French term for attraction. Two women and a man helping each other to fly through a ring (the unification). As a symbol for the three municipalities (Mariahout was always part of Lieshout) that wanted to go into the future together. Strikingly enough, the statue, which was made by Jean and Marianne Bremmers from Helvoirt, was already placed in 1995. So far before it was official that the villages would actually form a new municipality together. The pedestal, donated by Peter Swaanen, of the statue, which weighs 200 kilograms, also bears the English term 'Contraction'.