A recently deceased 80-year-old Dutch woman has left €5 million in assets and property to the City of Bruges in her will, Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws reports on Saturday.
The woman, whose name has not been released, was part of a family active in the industrial sector. After the sale of the family business 30 years ago, the Dutch woman moved from the Netherlands to Switzerland, before settling in the centre of Bruges eight years ago.
It would appear that the historic Belgian city left an impression on the octogenarian, who officially designated the Flemish city as the beneficiary of her estate. This includes €3.3 million in cash in the bank, €945,000 in securities and other assets, and a home worth €700,000.
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Naturally, local authorities are both shocked and grateful. Bruges Alderman for Finances, Mercedes Van Volcem, said that she was “pleasantly surprised” at the donation, stating that this type of gesture was “very rare.”
Much of the inheritance laws on this donation will be reduced, due to the fact that donations to a city are viewed as a charitable cause under Belgian law. Undoubtedly, the city will be thanking the mysterious benefactor for many years to come.
