Helden (; li, Helje) is a former

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 ...

and a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

in the southeastern

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 ...

, located in the province of

Limburg Limburg or Limbourg may refer to: Regions * Limburg (Belgium), a province since 1839 in the Flanders region of Belgium * Limburg (Netherlands), a province since 1839 in the south of the Netherlands * Diocese of Limburg, Roman Catholic Diocese in ...

. In January 2010 Helden joined with other municipalities to form the new municipality of

Peel en Maas Peel en Maas (; li, Pieël en Maas) has been a new municipality in the southeastern Netherlands since 1 January 2010. It is situated in the province of Limburg. The municipality is formed by the towns of Panningen, Helden, Kessel, Kessel-Eik, Ma ...

History

The village was first mentioned in 1144 as "apud Helden", and means "hill". Until 1279, it was part of the . In 1674, it was sold to

Gelderland Gelderland (), also known as Guelders () in English, is a province of the Netherlands, occupying the centre-east of the country. With a total area of of which is water, it is the largest province of the Netherlands by land area, and second by ...

as an independent ''

heerlijkheid A ''heerlijkheid'' (a Dutch word; pl. ''heerlijkheden''; also called ''heerschap''; Latin: ''Dominium'') was a landed estate that served as the lowest administrative and judicial unit in rural areas in the Dutch-speaking Low Countries before 1800. ...

''. After the occupation by Gelderland, helden was sold to

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...

. Under Prussia, Helden had developed a small industry. Only after the Napolionic wars of 1814 did Helden belong to

the Kingdom of the Netherlands , national_anthem = ) , image_map = Kingdom of the Netherlands (orthographic projection).svg , map_width = 250px , image_map2 = File:KonDerNed-10-10-10.png , map_caption2 = Map of the four constituent countries shown to scale , capital = ...

. But not for long, because after the Belgium Independence changed Helden with a large part of

to the state of Belgium. The Catholic St Lambertus Church is a three aisled basilica-like church. The nave and choir date from the 15th century. The church was restored after a fire in 1885. In 1944, the tower which probably dated from the 14th century was blown up. The church was restored between 1952 and 1953, and a more modest tower was added. Helden was home to 341 people in 1840. It was an independent municipality, however the town hall was located in

Panningen Panningen (; li, Kepèl) is a Dutch town with a population of 7,618 inhabitants (2020) and is the biggest village of the municipality Peel en Maas. It is centrally located between the cities of Roermond, Weert and Venlo in the north of the Dutch ...

. In 2010, it was merged into

References

External links

Official Website
* Municipalities of the Netherlands disestablished in 2010 Populated places in Limburg (Netherlands) Former municipalities of Limburg (Netherlands) Peel en Maas {{LimburgNL-geo-stub