Wielding the blunt axe

Violence in the neighborhood, violence with an axe, maybe even with multiple axes. These are the kind of themes you hear most often when you ask about the origins of the nickname "Hakbijlenbuurt". Whether it is two neighbors confronting each other with axes during a fight, or a (drunken) man waving around an axe, most residents state that the nickname originated from aggressive residents who allegedly walked around with axes. Stories about criminals in the neighborhood or heavy alcohol consumption among local residents strengthened these theories about the origin of the nickname.

Or can the explanation be even simpler? While talking to me, a small number of residents remarked that the infamous neighborhood was simply given a nickname to match its infamy. According to this theory, there was nothing more behind the nickname than that: the neighborhood was rough, and an axe sounds rough. But there aren’t many who support this theory: most people agree that something must have actually happened in the neighborhood that gave it its name. For instance, in one of the stories it is noted that the nickname came from the way bailiffs who came to enforce payments were "welcomed" by the neighborhood in the 1930s.

So rough theories abound. But, wait for it! An even more violent story is circulating....