Alphen is a village in the municipality of
Alphen-Chaam, in the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
. It is located about 12 km southwest of
Tilburg
Tilburg () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, in the southern province of North Brabant. With a population of 222,601 (1 July 2021), it is the second-largest city or municipality in North Brabant after Eindhoven and the seventh-larg ...
.
History
Alphen was first mentioned in 709, when a nobleman named Engelbrecht sold "Alfheim" to Saint
Willibrord
Willibrord (; 658 – 7 November AD 739) was an Anglo-Saxon missionary and saint, known as the "Apostle to the Frisians" in the modern Netherlands. He became the first bishop of Utrecht and died at Echternach, Luxembourg.
Early life
His fathe ...
. In 739, it was sold on to the
Abbey of Echternach
The Abbey of Echternach is a Benedictine monastery in the town of Echternach, in eastern Luxembourg. The Abbey was founded in the 7th century by St Willibrord, the patron saint of Luxembourg. For three hundred years, it benefited from the pat ...
.
Alphen was originally a collection hamlets which started to concentrate around the church.
The Catholic St Willibrord Church was built in 1954 to replace a church from 1909-1910 which was destroyed in 1944. The earliest church dated from the 16th century and had a tower which was built around 1559. The emergency church which was built in 1945, it is still located next to the St Willibrord Church.
In 1542, Alphen was burned to the ground by the army of
Guelders
The Duchy of Guelders ( nl, Gelre, french: Gueldre, german: Geldern) is a historical duchy, previously county, of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the Low Countries.
Geography
The duchy was named after the town of Geldern (''Gelder'') in pr ...
under
Maarten van Rossum
Maarten van Rossum (c. 1478 – June 7, 1555) was a military tactician of the duchy of Guelders who became field marshal in the service of Charles, Duke of Guelders. He was greatly feared outside his home country for the ruthless manner in ...
, and in 1944, it suffered from destruction and looting as well.
Alphen includes the hamlets of
't Zand,
Alphen-Oosterwijk,
Druisdijk,
Looneind,
Boslust,
Hondseind,
Het Sas,
Terover,
Boshoven and
Kwaalburg.
Alphen was home to 431 people in 1840. Until 1997, Alphen was the main village of the municipality of
Alphen en Riel Alphen en Riel is a former municipality in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It covered the villages of Alphen and Riel. In 1997, the municipality was divided between the new municipality of Alphen-Chaam, and the municipality of Goirle
Goirle ...
.
Notable people
*
Jelle Klaassen
Gallery
File:Alphen Goedentijd 2010-0922-1257a.JPG, Former tannery
Tanning may refer to:
*Tanning (leather), treating animal skins to produce leather
*Sun tanning, using the sun to darken pale skin
**Indoor tanning, the use of artificial light in place of the sun
**Sunless tanning, application of a stain or dye t ...
File:De Kloostertuin Alphen P1140135.jpg, Monastery garden
File:Den Heuvel Alphen P1140137.jpg, Restaurant in Alphen
File:P1070695Gemeentekantoor.JPG, Town hall
References
{{Authority control
Populated places in North Brabant
Alphen-Chaam