Geertruidenberg () is a city and municipality in the 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 t ...

in the south of 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 ...

. The city, named after

Saint Gertrude of Nivelles Gertrude of Nivelles, OSB (also spelled ''Geretrude'', ''Geretrudis'', ''Gertrud''; c. 628 – 17 March 659) was a seventh-century abbess who, with her mother Itta, founded the Abbey of Nivelles, now in Belgium. Life Family and childhood The ea ...

, received city rights in 1213 from the count of

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former Provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...

. The fortified city prospered until the 15th century. Today, the municipality of Geertruidenberg also includes the population centres

Raamsdonk Raamsdonk is a village in the province of North Brabant, Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Geertruidenberg, about 15 km northeast of Breda. Toponymy Raamsdonk (as "Dunc") is mentioned for the first time in 1253 as ''Ramesd ...

and

Raamsdonksveer Raamsdonksveer is a town in the Dutch municipality of Geertruidenberg, North Brabant. It lies on the east side of the Donge opposite Geertruidenberg. It is a regional center of commerce and industry. Raamsdonksveer lies between Oosterhout and Ha ...

. The municipality has a total area of and had a population of in . The city government consists of the mayor Willemijn van Hees and three aldermen.

History

Geertruidenberg is named after

. In 1213, Sint Geertruidenberg (English: "Saint Gertrude's Mountain") received

city rights Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the traditio ...

from Count William I of Holland. The fortified city became a trade center, where counts and other nobility gathered for negotiations. The Hook and Cod wars in 1420 and the Saint Elizabeth's flood in 1421 ended the prosperity of the city. 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 Ref ...

the city was captured by an English, French Huguenot and Fleming force in 1573 - in a surprise attack. In 1589 however the city was betrayed to

Parma Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second m ...

by its English garrison.Israel, Jonathan (1995), The Dutch Republic: Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall 1477–1806, Clarendon Press, Oxford, , p. 234 It was finally recaptured by an Anglo-Dutch force under the command of Maurice of Nassau in the summer of 1593. Today, Geertruidenberg is part of the province of

, but it was once part of the county of

. Geertruidenberg is the second oldest city of Holland as it was the first to receive city rights. It is a common misconception that Geertruidenberg is the oldest city of the Netherlands, because the names Holland and the Netherlands are used interchangeably by some.

Geography

The total area of the municipality is , of which is land and is water. The municipality of Geertruidenberg comprises three population centres: *Geertruidenberg *

Geertruidenberg is located on the bank of the Donge, close to where this river flows into the

Amer Amer may refer to: Places * Amer (river), a river in the Dutch province of North Brabant * Amer, Girona, a municipality in the province of Girona in Catalonia, Spain * Amber, India (also known as Amer, India), former city of Rajasthan state ** Am ...

Demography

As of , the total

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction usi ...

of Geertruidenberg is inhabitants. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

of the municipality is .

Government

The

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

of Geertruidenberg is Willemijn van Hees ( VVD) and she was appointed mayor by the Dutch monarch, like all mayors in the Netherlands. The three

aldermen An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members the ...

of Geertruidenberg are Kevin van Oort ( Groenlinks/ D66), Adriaan de Jongh ( CDA),and Bert van den Kieboom (Uw 3 Kernen). Together, the mayor and the aldermen form the '' College van Burgemeester en Wethouders'', which is supported by the city's secretary Richard Nagtzaam. The

city council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural coun ...

is elected every four years during municipal elections, at the same time as in most other municipalities of the Netherlands. The 19 members of the city council assemble ten times per year for public meetings in the

city hall In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses ...

. The council members come from eight political parties, three local and five national (2014):

Notable people

* Johannes Vollevens (1649 in Geertruidenberg – 1728) a

Dutch Golden Age The Dutch Golden Age ( nl, Gouden Eeuw ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands, roughly spanning the era from 1588 (the birth of the Dutch Republic) to 1672 (the Rampjaar, "Disaster Year"), in which Dutch trade, science, and art and ...

painter *

Juliana de Lannoy Juliana de Lannoy (1738–1782), was an artist and poet from the Northern Netherlands. Biography She was born in Breda as the oldest child of an officer who left home to serve in the War of the Austrian Succession. Her mother decided to move ...

(1738 – 1782 in St. Geertruidenberg) an artist and poet, lived in St. Geertruidenberg from 1758 *

Willem Sassen Wilhelmus Antonius Sassen (born 16 April 1918 – died 2002) was a Dutch collaborator, Nazi journalist and a member of the ''Waffen-SS''. He became known around 1960 as "the interviewer of Adolf Eichmann". Biography Willem Sassen was born in ...

(1918 in Geertruidenberg – 2002) a Dutch collaborator, Nazi journalist, a member of the Waffen-SS and the interviewer of Adolf Eichmann in 1960 *

Jan Derksen Jan Derksen (23 January 1919 – 22 May 2011) was a Dutch professional cyclist. He was world professional track sprint champion in 1946 and 1957. He was the only rider to win a gold medal at Milan, Italy, in 1939 – in the world amateur sprint � ...

(1919 in Geertruidenberg – 2011) a Dutch professional cyclist, world professional track sprint champion in 1946 and 1957 *

Matthijs Brouwer Matthijs Christian Brouwer (born 1 July 1980 in Raamsdonk, North Brabant) is a field hockey player from the Netherlands, who won the silver medal with the Dutch national team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. The striker made his debut on ...

(born 1980 in Raamsdonk) a field hockey player, team silver medallist at the

2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...

Gallery

File:4931 Geertruidenberg, Netherlands - panoramio (17).jpg, Geertruidenberg File:4931 Geertruidenberg, Netherlands - panoramio (9).jpg, Geertruidenberg File:Geertruidenberg kunstwerk bloemenmonument.jpg, Geertruidenberg kunstwerk bloemenmonument File:20170625 038 029 040 041 042 Dordrecht Brabantse Biesbosch (35499915671).jpg, Dordrecht Brabantse Biesbosch

References

External links

*
Official website
{{Authority control Cities in the Netherlands Municipalities of North Brabant Populated places in North Brabant