Etten-Leur () is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
in the Dutch province
North Brabant
North Brabant ( nl, Noord-Brabant ; Brabantian: ; ), also unofficially called Brabant, is a province in the south of the Netherlands. It borders the provinces of South Holland and Gelderland to the north, Limburg to the east, Zeeland to the we ...
. Its name is a combination of the two villages from which the municipality originally acrose: Etten and Leur.
History
The villages were always part of one municipality, originally called "Etten c.a." (
cum annexis
Cum may refer to:
* a Latin preposition meaning "with"
* Antonio José de Sucre Airport, Venezuela, IATA airport code CUM
* Culham railway station, Oxfordshire, England, CUM, station code CUM
* "Cum", a song by Mykki Blanco from the 2012 EP '' ...
), this later to change to "Etten en Leur". The current name was adopted in 1968. By that time, the villages had grown into one.
Both villages, created in the Middle Ages, were relatively prosperous during the period of the
Dutch Republic
The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...
, the exception being the period of 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 ...
in which the area was a major battleground. This prosperity was caused by the fact that Etten was a centre for the production of
peat
Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficien ...
, and Leur was a local trading port, as it had a harbour.
Decline in economic importance marked both villages during the nineteenth century. In 1836
Arnold Damen left Leur in order to work as a missionary in the United States. The painter
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2 ...
briefly lived in Etten,
making him the most famous citizen in the history of Etten and Leur. During World War II, the two villages were freed from German occupation in late October 1944 by elements of the U.S.
104th Infantry Division.
The economic decline was halted when, in 1950, the Dutch government decided to encourage population growth and industrial development. As a result of this development, both towns have grown towards each other and merged into one: Etten-Leur.
Topography
![EttenLeur-plaats-OpenTopo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/EttenLeur-plaats-OpenTopo.jpg)
''Dutch topographic map of Etten-Leur (town), March 2014''
Education
*
Katholieke Scholengemeenschap Etten-Leur, a Catholic high school
*Munnikenheide College
Transportation
*
Etten-Leur railway station
Etten-Leur is a railway station located in Etten-Leur, Netherlands. The station was opened on 11 December 1854 and is located on the Roosendaal–Breda railway. The station is operated by Nederlandse Spoorwegen
Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS; ; ...
Notable people
*
Jan Jacob Rochussen
Jan Jacob Rochussen (; 23 October 1797 – 21 January 1871) was a Dutch politician. He served as Finance Minister from 1840 to 1843 and Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1845 to 1851. He served as Chairman of the Council of Ministers ...
(1797 in Etten – 1871) a Dutch politician; Finance Minister 1840/1843 and
Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
The governor-general of the Dutch East Indies ( nl, gouverneur-generaal van Nederlands Indië) represented Dutch rule in the Dutch East Indies between 1610 and Dutch recognition of the independence of Indonesia in 1949. Occupied by Japanese fo ...
1845/1851
*
Peter de Clercq
Peter de Clercq (born 1959, Etten-Leur) is a Dutch diplomat who currently is the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), where he also serves as United Nations Resident Co ...
(born 1959 in Etten-Leur) a Dutch diplomat, who currently works with the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
*
Stef Broks
Stef Broks (born 1 May 1981 in Etten-Leur, Netherlands) is a Dutch drummer best known for his work with Textures. He is known for playing rock and metal with a fusion touch and an extensive use of polyrhythms. He also had success with the fusio ...
(born 1981 in Etten-Leur) a Dutch drummer, played with
Textures
*
Danny van Trijp
Danny van Trijp (born 24 December 1996) is a Dutch darts player currently playing in Professional Darts Corporation events.
Career
He attended European Q-School in 2019, but never got farther than the last 16, missing out on a Tour Card. He did ...
(born 1996 in Etten-Leur) a Dutch Darts player, who currently plays in
PDC events
*
Vincent van Gogh
Vincent Willem van Gogh (; 30 March 185329 July 1890) was a Dutch Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter who posthumously became one of the most famous and influential figures in Western art history. In a decade, he created about 2 ...
opened his first art studio in Etten in 1881. His career as an artist began in Etten.
Gallery
File:Etten Leur, de Sint Lambertuskerk RM15407 foto4 2015-05-30 18.14.jpg, Church: de Sint Lambertuskerk
File:Etten Leur, de Leurse Haven foto9 2015-05-24 19.50.jpg, Port: de Leurse Haven
File:Etten- Leur, de Zwartenbergse molen RM15433 foto3 2015-05-24 19.26.jpg, Windmill: de Zwartenbergse molen
File:Etten Leur, molen in nieuwbouwwijk foto5 23015-05-24 19.44.jpg, Windmill in modern quarter
File:Etten Leur, Hill's Pet Nutrition Manufacturing BV langs de Mark foto4 2015-05-24 19.12.jpg, Factory (Hill's Pet Nutrition Manufacturing BV) at de Mark
References
Notes
Sources
*Information about the history of Etten-Leur has been retrieved from th
Regional Archive of Western Brabantan
Info Etten-Leur
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
Municipalities of North Brabant
Populated places in North Brabant