Bergen () is a municipality and a town 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 ...
, in the province of
North Holland
North Holland ( nl, Noord-Holland, ) is a province of the Netherlands in the northwestern part of the country. It is located on the North Sea, north of South Holland and Utrecht, and west of Friesland and Flevoland. In November 2019, it had a ...
. Its
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
beaches and forests make it a popular destination for tourists. In 2001, the municipality was formed from a merger of the former municipalities of
Egmond,
Schoorl
Schoorl is a village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Bergen, North Holland, Bergen, and lies about 8 km northwest of Alkmaar. Until 2001, Schoorl was also a municipality of its own.
Sch ...
, and the smaller community of Bergen proper that had existed since 1811.
Since about 1900, Bergen has been the home of many painters, writers and architects. Some of the work of this "Bergen School" is on exhibit at Museum Kranenburgh. The neighbourhood of Park Meerwijk, constructed in 1915, is made up entirely of villas in
Amsterdam School
The Amsterdam School (Dutch: ''Amsterdamse School'') is a style of architecture that arose from 1910 through about 1930 in the Netherlands. The Amsterdam School movement is part of international Expressionist architecture, sometimes linked ...
style. There are regular art fairs in Bergen, as well as an annual music festival (the Holland Music Sessions in August) and arts festival (the Kunsttiendaagse in October).
North of the town of Bergen are the Schoorlse Duinen, a nature area with the highest and widest dunes of the Netherlands, which reach about 59m (195 ft) above sea level, and are more than wide in some places.
Other points of interest in the municipality include the aquarium in the seaside village of
Bergen aan Zee
Bergen aan Zee is a village and seaside resort on the North Sea coast in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Bergen, and lies about 9 km west of Alkmaar.
History
The village was first mentioned in 1848 a ...
, the Auto Union Museum in Bergen with a collection of
classic car
A classic car is an older car, typically 25 years or older, though definitions vary.While other languages, such as German and Dutch, may refer to classic cars as "oldtimers", this usage is unknown in English, where "old-timer" refers to an elder ...
s, and the historical museums Het Sterkenhuis (Bergen) and Museum van Egmond (
Egmond aan Zee
Egmond aan Zee () is a village on the North Sea coast in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Bergen, about 9 km west of Alkmaar.
Egmond aan Zee was a separate municipality until 1978, when it merged with E ...
).
The town of Bergen has been home to the
European School, Bergen
The European School, Bergen (in Dutch: ''Europese School Bergen,'' in French: ''École Européenne de Bergen,'' in German: ''Europäische Schule Bergen'') (or ''ESB'') is one of the thirteen European Schools. It is located in the town of Bergen ...
, since 1963. In July 2021, the decision was made to move the school to
Alkmaar
Alkmaar () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland, about 30 km north of Amsterdam. Alkmaar is well known for its traditional cheese market. For tourists, it is a popular cultural destination. The ...
.
Population centres
The municipality of Bergen consists of the following towns, villages and/or districts: Bergen,
Aagtdorp
Aagtdorp () is a hamlet in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Bergen
Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is rou ...
,
Bergen aan Zee
Bergen aan Zee is a village and seaside resort on the North Sea coast in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Bergen, and lies about 9 km west of Alkmaar.
History
The village was first mentioned in 1848 a ...
,
Bregtdorp
Bregtdorp is a hamlet in the municipality of Bergen, North Holland in the north-western Netherlands.
The village was first mentioned in 1843 as Bregdorp, and means "settlement of Bregt (person)". Bregtdorp has place name signs. The southern part ...
,
Camperduin
Camperduin (Kamperduin) is a hamlet in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Bergen, and lies about 12 km northwest of Alkmaar.
The hamlet was first mentioned between 918 and 948 Campthorpa. The current name m ...
,
Catrijp
Catrijp is a hamlet in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Bergen
Bergen (), historically Bjørgvin, is a city and municipality in Vestland county on the west coast of Norway. , its population is roughly ...
,
Egmond aan den Hoef
Egmond aan den Hoef () is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Bergen, and lies about west of Alkmaar. Until 2001, Egmond aan den Hoef was part of the municipality of Egmond.
The village was firs ...
,
Egmond aan Zee
Egmond aan Zee () is a village on the North Sea coast in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Bergen, about 9 km west of Alkmaar.
Egmond aan Zee was a separate municipality until 1978, when it merged with E ...
,
Egmond-Binnen
Egmond-Binnen () is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Bergen, and lies about southwest of Alkmaar.
History
The village was first mentioned in 922 as Ekmunde. The etymology is unknown. The m ...
,
Groet
Groet is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Bergen, and lies about 11 km northwest of Alkmaar.
History
The village was first mentioned between 1130 and 1161 as "in Grothen", and means "land ...
,
Hargen
Hargen is a hamlet in the municipality of Bergen], in the provinces of North Holland, the Netherlands.
The hamlet was first mentioned between 822 and 825 as in Horgana, and means "sacred place". Hargen has no place signs, but there is a direct ...
,
Rinnegom,
Schoorl
Schoorl is a village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Bergen, North Holland, Bergen, and lies about 8 km northwest of Alkmaar. Until 2001, Schoorl was also a municipality of its own.
Sch ...
,
Schoorldam
Schoorldam ( West Frisian: ''Skorledam'') is a hamlet in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is partially in the municipality of Bergen, and partially in the municipality of Schagen.
The hamlet was first mentioned in 1569 as Schoorldam, and m ...
(partly),
Wimmenum
Wimmenum is a hamlet in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is located in the municipality of Bergen, about 2 km north of Egmond aan den Hoef.
It was first mentioned in the late-11th century as Wymnam. The etymology is unknown.
Wimmenum ...
.
History
The
Egmond Abbey
Egmond Abbey or St. Adalbert's Abbey ( nl, Abdij van Egmond, ''Sint-Adelbertabdij'') is a Benedictine monastery of the Congregation of the Annunciation between Egmond aan den Hoef and Bakkum in Egmond-Binnen in the municipality of Bergen in the ...
, founded in the 10th century, became the most important cultural center of medieval Holland. The abbey was protected by the
House of Egmond
The House of Egmond or Egmont (French language, French: ''Maison d'Egmond'', Dutch language, Dutch: ''Huis Egmond'') is named after the Netherlands, Dutch town of Egmond aan den Hoef, Egmond, province of North Holland, and played an important role ...
, which eventually became a powerful noble family. The three towns of Egmond have been mentioned since the 10th century as well. Both the Egmond Abbey and
Egmond Castle
Egmond Castle ( nl, Kasteel Egmond), also called the ''Ruins of Egmond'' ( nl, Ruïne van Egmond), is a ruined medieval castle in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is located in Egmond aan den Hoef in the municipality of Bergen and lies ab ...
in
Egmond aan den Hoef
Egmond aan den Hoef () is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Bergen, and lies about west of Alkmaar. Until 2001, Egmond aan den Hoef was part of the municipality of Egmond.
The village was firs ...
were destroyed in 1573 on order of
William the Silent
William the Silent (24 April 153310 July 1584), also known as William the Taciturn (translated from nl, Willem de Zwijger), or, more commonly in the Netherlands, William of Orange ( nl, Willem van Oranje), was the main leader of the Dutch Re ...
during the
Dutch Revolt
The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) (Historiography of the Eighty Years' War#Name and periodisation, c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and t ...
.
The town of Bergen developed around a chapel and is mentioned as far back as the tenth century as well. An old local legend is the "Miracle of Bergen", which is said to have occurred during the
St. Elisabeth's Flood of 1421. The story goes that the ''schout'' (sheriff) of Bergen found a chest containing
hosts
A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it.
Host may also refer to:
Places
*Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County
People
*Jim Host (born 1937), American businessman
*Michel Host ( ...
(the thin wafers used in
Holy Communion
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was instituted ...
) from the church of
Petten
Petten is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Schagen, and lies about 15 km northwest of Alkmaar, on the North Sea. The population is ca. 1900.
Petten's economy is based on agriculture (bulb c ...
which had floated to Bergen during the flood. The seawater that penetrated the chest had turned into blood. There is also a second miracle story, thought to have occurred in 1422, whereby hosts turned into blood. On the site where the miracle of Bergen is said to have happened, a chapel was erected. Bergen became a place of pilgrimage, and
Roman-Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
processions were held at the site for centuries and are still ongoing today.
In the fifteenth century, the Ruïnekerk ("Ruined Church") was built on the site of the chapel and at the time was the largest of its kind in the province of North Holland. In 1574, during the
Eighty Years War
The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) ( c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Refo ...
against
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, the church was looted and burned down by Dutch Protestants, but was later rebuilt to its current state.
In 1797, the
Battle of Camperdown
The Battle of Camperdown (known in Dutch as the ''Zeeslag bij Kamperduin'') was a major naval action fought on 11 October 1797, between the British North Sea Fleet under Admiral Adam Duncan and a Batavian Navy (Dutch) fleet under Vice-Admiral ...
, a major naval action between the British and
Batavian (Dutch) fleets, was fought off the coast of
Camperduin
Camperduin (Kamperduin) is a hamlet in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Bergen, and lies about 12 km northwest of Alkmaar.
The hamlet was first mentioned between 918 and 948 Campthorpa. The current name m ...
, part of the municipality of Bergen. It was the most significant action between British and Dutch forces during the
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars (french: Guerres de la Révolution française) were a series of sweeping military conflicts lasting from 1792 until 1802 and resulting from the French Revolution. They pitted French First Republic, France against Ki ...
and resulted in a complete victory for the British, who captured 11 Dutch ships without losing any of their own. And in 1799, a British-Russian army invaded North-Holland. At Bergen, a battle with the
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
-Batavian armies took place on 19 September. The Russisch Monument in Bergen commemorates this
Battle of Bergen.
Bergen was one of the main stations on the narrow-gauge railway between
Alkmaar
Alkmaar () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland, about 30 km north of Amsterdam. Alkmaar is well known for its traditional cheese market. For tourists, it is a popular cultural destination. The ...
and Bergen aan Zee, which ran between 1905 and 1955. One of the locomotives which operated on this line, 'Bello' stood for many years in the town centre as a memorial, and is now preserved at the Museumstoomtram Hoorn - Medemblik.
Local government
The municipal council of Bergen consists of 23 seats, which are divided as follows:
*
VVD
The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy ( nl, Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie ; VVD) is a conservative-liberal Andeweg, R. and G. Irwin ''Politics and Governance in the Netherlands'', Basingstoke (Palgrave) p.49 political party in ...
- 3 seats
*
CDA - 3 seats
* Gem Bel B.E.S. - 3 seats
*
PvdA - 2 seats
*
D66 - 3 seats
*
GroenLinks
GroenLinks (, ) is a green political party in the Netherlands.
It was formed on 1 March 1989 from the merger of four left-wing parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, the Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and t ...
- 3 seats
* KIES Lokaal - 6 seats
Notable people
* Saint
Adalbert of Egmond
Saint Adalbert of Egmond (also called Æthelberht of Egmond) (died c. 710 in Egmond) was a Northumbrian Anglo-Saxon missionary. He was one of Saint Willibrord's companions in preaching the gospel in Holland and Frisia.
Biography
Adalbert (o ...
(died ca. 710 in Egmond), Northumbrian Anglo-Saxon missionary
*
Egmond family
The House of Egmond or Egmont ( French: ''Maison d'Egmond'', Dutch: ''Huis Egmond'') is named after the Dutch town of Egmond, province of North Holland, and played an important role in the Netherlands during the Middle Ages and the Early modern ...
(1310 - 1574), one of the principal noble families of the
County of Holland
The County of Holland was a State of the Holy Roman Empire and from 1433 part of the Burgundian Netherlands, from 1482 part of the Habsburg Netherlands and from 1581 onward the leading province of the Dutch Republic, of which it remained a part ...
*
Arnold, Duke of Guelders
Arnold of Egmond (14 July 1410 – 23 February 1473) was Duke of Guelders, Count of Zutphen.
Life
Arnold was born in Egmond-Binnen, North Holland, the son of John II of Egmond and Maria van Arkel.
On 11 July 1423, Arnold, still a boy, succ ...
(1410 in Egmond-Binnen – 1473),
Duke of Guelders
This article is about the rulers of the historical county and duchy of Guelders.
Counts House of Wassenberg
* before 1096–about 1129: Gerard I
* about 1129–about 1131: Gerard II, son of Gerard I
* about 1131–1182: Henry I, son of Gerar ...
and
Count of Zutphen
The title of Count of Zutphen historically belonged to the ruler of the Dutch province of Gelderland (Zutphen being one of the major cities in the province during the medieval period). The lordship was a vassal title before it eventually become a ...
*
Jan van Scorel
Jan van Scorel (1 August 1495 – 6 December 1562) was a Dutch painter, who played a leading role in introducing aspects of Italian Renaissance painting into Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting. He was one of the early painters of the Roma ...
(1495 in Schoorl – 1562), Dutch painter
*
Pierre Gole
Pierre Gole (''ca'' 1620, Bergen, North Holland – 27 November 1684) was an influential Parisian ''ébéniste'' (cabinet maker), of Dutch extraction.
Born at Bergen in the Dutch Republic, he moved to Paris at an early age. In 1645 he married ...
(1620 in Bergen - 1684), cabinetmaker and designer
*
Adriaan Roland Holst
Adriaan Roland Holst (Amsterdam, 23 May 1888 – Bergen, North Holland, 5 August 1976) was a Dutch writer, nicknamed the "Prince of Dutch Poets". He was the second winner, in 1948, of the Constantijn Huygens Prize.
He was nominated for t ...
(1888 – 1976 in Bergen), writer and poet, lived in Bergen from 1918
*
Charley Toorop
Charley Toorop (24 March 1891 – 5 November 1955) was a Dutch painter and lithographer. Her full name was Annie Caroline Pontifex Fernhout-Toorop.
Life
Charley Toorop was born in Katwijk. She was the daughter of Jan Toorop and Annie Hall. ...
(1891 – 1955 in Bergen), painter and lithographer, lived in Bergen from 1932
*
Edgar Fernhout
Edgar Richard Johannes Fernhout (August 17, 1912 - 4 November 1974) was a Dutch painter.
Life
Fernhout was born in Bergen, North Holland. He was the son of the artist Annie Caroline Pontifex "Charley" Toorop and the philosopher Henk Fernhout. ...
(1912 in Bergen - 1974), Dutch painter
*
Simeon ten Holt
Simeon ten Holt (24 January 1923 – 25 November 2012) was a Dutch contemporary classical composer.
Ten Holt was born in Bergen, North Holland, and studied with Jakob van Domselaer, eventually developing a highly personal style of minimal ...
(1923 in Bergen – 2012), Dutch contemporary classical composer
*
Saskia Weishut-Snapper (born 1938) a Dutch fiber artist, grew up in Bergen
*
Elly de Waard
Elly de Waard (born September 8, 1940) is a Dutch poet.
She was born in Bergen and was educated at the Murmellius Gymnasium and the University of Amsterdam. From 1965 to 1984, she was a rock music critic for the Dutch daily newspaper ''de Volkskr ...
(born 1940 in Bergen), poet and music reviewer
*
Adriaan van Dis
Adriaan van Dis (Bergen aan Zee, 16 December 1946) is a Dutch author. He debuted in 1983 with the novella ''Nathan Sid''. In 1995 his book ''Indische Duinen'' (''My Father's War''), which in its narrative is a follow up to his debut novella, wa ...
(born 1946 in Bergen aan Zee), Dutch author
*
Thé Lau
Matheus J. "Thé" Lau (17 July 1952 – 23 June 2015) was a Dutch musician and writer. Besides his solo career, he was the lead singer of the Dutch band ''The Scene''. He was born in Bergen, North Holland.
Music career
Lau played guitar in sev ...
(1952 in Bergen - 2015), Dutch musician and writer
*
Saskia Noort
Saskia Noort (born 13 April 1967 in Bergen, North Holland) is a Dutch crime-writer and freelance journalist.
She has written articles for the Dutch editions of Marie Claire and Playboy as well as publishing three novels, ''The Dinner Club'' publ ...
(born 1967 in Bergen), Dutch crime-writer and freelance journalist
*
Jan Roos (born 1977 in Bergen), journalist and politician
*
Jim Bakkum
Jimmy Johannes Bakkum (born 10 August 1987) is a Dutch singer, actor, stage actor and television personality. Rising to nationwide fame after becoming runner-up in the first season of Dutch singing competition series '' Idols'', he has released ...
(born 1987 in Egmond-Binnen), singer, actor, and TV personality
[ IMDb Database]
retrieved 28 March 2020
*
Maan de Steenwinkel
Maan de Steenwinkel (born 10 February 1997), also known as simply Maan, is a Dutch singer and actress. De Steenwinkel first came to prominence after winning season six of ''The Voice of Holland''. She has subsequently taken part in the Dutch te ...
(born 1997 in Bergen), singer, winner of ''
The Voice of Holland
''The Voice of Holland'', also known as ''TVOH'', is a Dutch reality TV singing competition, that became a near global TV format franchise, created by media tycoon John de Mol and musician Roel van Velzen, in the Netherlands airing on RTL 4.
...
''
Sport
*
Gerard du Prie (1937 in Egmond aan Zee – 2020), strongman and powerlifter
*
Marja Wokke
Marja Wokke (born 21 March 1957 in Bergen, North Holland) is a former marathon runner from the Netherlands, most active in the 1970s and 1980s.
Biography
Wokke won the inaugural Rotterdam Marathon on 23 May 1981, clocking in at 2:43:23. In 1980 ...
(born 1957 in Bergen), former marathon runner
*
Kees van Wonderen
Cornelis "Kees" Hendricus van Wonderen (; born 4 January 1969) is a Dutch professional football manager and former player, who is the current head coach of Eredivisie club Heerenveen. During his playing career, he was mostly utilised as a centre ...
(born 1969 in Bergen), retired Dutch footballer with 358 club caps
*
Teun de Nooijer
Teun Floris de Nooijer (born 22 March 1976) is a field hockey player from the Netherlands, who twice became Olympic champion with the Dutch national squad, in 1996 and in 2000, and was on the team in 2012. He curr ...
(born 1976 in Egmond aan den Hoef), field hockey play and multiple Olympic team medalist
*
Martina Wegman (born 1989 in Schoorl), Dutch slalom canoeist
Gallery
File:Egmond aan Zee, the Voorstraat, view to the Nederlands Hervormde Kerk.jpg, Egmond aan Zee, the Voorstraat, view to the Nederlands Hervormde Kerk
File:Egmond-Binnen - luchtfoto 20191024-02.jpg, Egmond-Binnen
File:Breelaan 132, Bergen 01.jpg, Breelaan 132, Bergen
File:The beach of Hargen aan Zee (25797391648).jpg, The beach of Hargen aan Zee
References
External links
*
*
Official website
{{Authority control
Municipalities of North Holland
Populated places in North Holland