Breda () is a
city
A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
and
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 southern part 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 ...
, located in the
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...
of
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 ...
. The name derived from ''brede Aa'' ('wide Aa' or 'broad Aa') and refers to the confluence of the rivers
Mark
Mark may refer to:
Currency
* Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
* East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic
* Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927
* Fi ...
and
Aa.
Breda has
185,072 inhabitants on 13 September 2022 and is part of the
Brabantse Stedenrij
Brabantse Stedenrij () is a term used in Dutch urban planning to designate the polycentric city region in the province of North Brabant, Netherlands. It might loosely be translated into English as "Brabantine City Row" (a term not attested in Engl ...
; it is the ninth largest city/municipality in the country, and the third largest in North Brabant after
Eindhoven
Eindhoven () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022,[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 ...]
. It is equidistant between
Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...
and
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, .
As a
fortified city
A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...
, it was of strategic military and political significance. Although a direct
Fiefdom
A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form o ...
of the
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...
, the city obtained a
municipal charter
A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document (''charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages.
Traditionally the granting of a charter ...
; the acquisition of Breda, through marriage, by the
House of Nassau
The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau were originally titled "Count o ...
ensured that Breda would be at the centre of political and social life in the
Low Countries
The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...
. Breda had a population of in ; the metropolitan area had a population of .
History
In the 11th century, Breda was a direct
fief
A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an Lord, overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a for ...
of the
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...
,
[ its earliest known lord being ]Henry of Brunesheim
Henry may refer to:
People
*Henry (given name)
*Henry (surname)
* Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry
Royalty
* Portuguese royalty
** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal
** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...
(1080–1125). The city of Breda obtained a municipal charter
A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document (''charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages.
Traditionally the granting of a charter ...
in 1252. After that Breda had the rights to build fortifications. The city constructed brick walls and Roman-style gates.
In 1327, Adelheid of Gaveren
Adelheid is the modern Dutch and German form of the Old High German female given name Adalheidis, meaning "nobility" or "noble-ness". It may refer to the following people:
* Saint Adelheid or Adelaide of Italy, (931–999), Holy Roman Empress an ...
sold Breda to Duke Johannes III of Brabant Brabant is a traditional geographical region (or regions) in the Low Countries of Europe. It may refer to:
Place names in Europe
* London-Brabant Massif, a geological structure stretching from England to northern Germany
Belgium
* Province of Bra ...
. In 1350, the fief was resold to Johannes II of Wassenaar
Johannes is a Medieval Latin form of the personal name that usually appears as "John" in English language contexts. It is a variant of the Greek and Classical Latin variants (Ιωάννης, ''Ioannes''), itself derived from the Hebrew name '' Yeh ...
(d. 1377). In 1403, the heiress of his line, Johanna of Polanen
Johanna van Polanen (also spelled as ''Jehenne''; 10 January 1392 – 15 May 1445) was a Dutch noblewoman. She was the daughter of John III of Polanen, Lord of Breda, and his wife, Odilia of Salm. The House of Polanen was a side branch of th ...
(1392–1445), married Engelbert I of Nassau
Engelbert I of Nassau (, in Dillenburg3 May 1442, in Breda) was a son of Count John I of Nassau-Siegen and Countess Margaret of the Mark, daughter of Count Adolph II of the Marck.
Early years
Engelbert of Nassau was a student in Cologne, ...
(1370–1442; his sarcophagus
A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek ...
is in the Grote Kerk in Breda). Through her, the city came into the possession of the House of Nassau
The House of Nassau is a diversified aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It is named after the lordship associated with Nassau Castle, located in present-day Nassau, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The lords of Nassau were originally titled "Count o ...
, where it remained until 1795, passing to William I of Orange
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 Rev ...
(1533–1584), stadtholder
In the Low Countries, ''stadtholder'' ( nl, stadhouder ) was an office of steward, designated a medieval official and then a national leader. The ''stadtholder'' was the replacement of the duke or count of a province during the Burgundian and H ...
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 province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...
, Zeeland
, nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge")
, anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem")
, image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg
, map_alt =
, m ...
, and Utrecht
Utrecht ( , , ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city and a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, pro ...
and leader of 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 ...
. Thus, the baron of Breda was also Count of Nassau
The County of Nassau was a German state within the Holy Roman Empire and later part of the German Confederation. Its ruling dynasty, the male line of which is now extinct, was the House of Nassau.
Origins
Nassau, originally a county, developed ...
in the Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a Polity, political entity in Western Europe, Western, Central Europe, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its Dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire, dissolution i ...
, Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange (or Princess of Orange if the holder is female) is a title originally associated with the sovereign Principality of Orange, in what is now southern France and subsequently held by sovereigns in the Netherlands.
The title ...
, and (the main) stadtholder
In the Low Countries, ''stadtholder'' ( nl, stadhouder ) was an office of steward, designated a medieval official and then a national leader. The ''stadtholder'' was the replacement of the duke or count of a province during the Burgundian and H ...
in 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 ...
(from 1572 to 1650, 1672–1702, 1747–1795). Breda remained part of the barony of Breda until it was captured by French revolutionary forces in 1795.
Residence city
The acquisition of the city by the House of Orange-Nassau
The House of Orange-Nassau (Dutch: ''Huis van Oranje-Nassau'', ) is the current reigning house of the Netherlands. A branch of the European House of Nassau, the house has played a central role in the politics and government of the Netherlands ...
marked its emergence as a ''residentiestad'' (residence city). The presence of the Orange-Nassau family attracted other nobles, who built palatial residences in the old quarters of the city. The most impressive one, built by the Italian architect Thomas Vincidor de Bologna for the first Dutch prince, was the first renaissance-style palace built north of the Alps. In the 15th century the city's physical, economic and strategic importance expanded rapidly. A great church was built in Brabantine Gothic
Brabantine Gothic, occasionally called Brabantian Gothic, is a significant variant of Gothic architecture that is typical for the Low Countries. It surfaced in the first half of the 14th century at St. Rumbold's Cathedral in the City of Mechele ...
style with an elegant tower, called ''Grote Kerk'' (main church) or also ''Onze Lieve Vrouwe Kerk'' (Church of Our Lady). In 1534 Henry III of Nassau-Breda
Count Henry III of Nassau-Dillenburg-Dietz (January 12, 1483, Siegen – September 14, 1538, Breda), Lord (from 1530 Baron) of Breda, Lord of the Lek, of Dietz, etc. was a count of the House of Nassau.
He was the son of Count John V of Nassau ...
rebuilt the modest medieval fortifications in impressive style.
In 1534 a fire destroyed over nine tenths of the city, close to 1300 houses, churches, and chapels, and the town hall. Only 150 houses and the main church remained. In July 1581, 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 ...
, Breda was captured in a surprise attack and siege by Spanish troops then under the command of Claudius van Barlaymont, whose sobriquet
A sobriquet ( ), or soubriquet, is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another, that is descriptive. A sobriquet is distinct from a pseudonym, as it is typically a familiar name used in place of a real name, without the need of expla ...
was Haultpenne. Although the city had surrendered upon the condition that it would not be plundered, the troops vented their fury upon the inhabitants. In the resulting mayhem, known as ''Haultpenne's Fury'', over 500 citizens were killed. In March 1590, Breda fell back into the hands of the Dutch and Maurice of Nassau
Maurice of Orange ( nl, Maurits van Oranje; 14 November 1567 – 23 April 1625) was '' stadtholder'' of all the provinces of the Dutch Republic except for Friesland from 1585 at the earliest until his death in 1625. Before he became Prince ...
, when a 68 men hand-picked force, concealed under the turf of a peat-boat, had contrived to enter the city in a daring plan devised by Adriaen van Bergen
A Dutch skipper from Leur, Adriaen van Bergen devised the plot to recapture the city of Breda from the Spanish during the Eighty Years' War. In February 1590, he approached Prince Maurice with a Trojan horse type plan.
In February 1590, dur ...
(Siege of Breda (1590)
The capture of Breda was a short battle during the Eighty Years' War and Anglo–Spanish War (1585), Anglo–Spanish War during which a Dutch and English army led by Maurice of Nassau captured the heavily protected city of Breda. Using a clever ...
). Around 1610 the construction of the Spanish Gate or "Spanjaardsgat" was started as a remembrance to that successful action.
After a ten-month siege in 1624–25, the city again surrendered to the Spaniards, now led by Spinola Spinola is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Agostino Spinola (d. 1537), Italian cardinal
* Alberto Spinola (born 1943), Italian water polo player
* Ambrogio Spinola, 1st Marquis of the Balbases (1569–1630), Genoese banker an ...
; the event was immortalized by Diego Velázquez
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (baptized June 6, 1599August 6, 1660) was a Spanish painter, the leading artist in the court of King Philip IV of Spain and Portugal, and of the Spanish Golden Age. He was an individualistic artist of th ...
. In the Siege of Breda of 1637 the city was recaptured by Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange
Frederick Henry ( nl, Frederik Hendrik; 29 January 1584 – 14 March 1647) was the sovereign prince of Orange and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from 1625 until his death in 1647. In the last ...
, after a four-month siege, and in 1648 it was finally ceded to 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 ...
by the Treaty of Westphalia
The Peace of Westphalia (german: Westfälischer Friede, ) is the collective name for two peace treaties signed in October 1648 in the Westphalian cities of Osnabrück and Münster. They ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and brought peac ...
.
In 1646, Frederick Henry founded the Orange College of Breda
The Orange College of Breda ( la, Collegium Auriacum) was a college of higher learning at Breda in the Dutch Republic in the middle of the 17th century, teaching divinity, philosophy, mathematics, and law.
In English it was sometimes called the A ...
, modelled on Saumur
Saumur () is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.
The town is located between the Loire and Thouet rivers, and is surrounded by the vineyards of Saumur itself, Chinon, Bourgueil, Coteaux du Layon, etc.. Saumur statio ...
, Geneva
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaki ...
, and Oxford
Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, intending it to train young men of good family for the army and the civil service.Lodewijck Huygens
Lodewijck Huygens (13 March 1631 – 1 July 1699) was a Dutch diplomat.
Life
Huyghens was the third son of the diplomat Constantijn Huygens and Suzanna van Baerle. His two older brothers were Constantijn Huygens, Jr. and the scientist Christia ...
, ''The English Journal: 1651-1652'', p. 13
Stuart exiles
The exiled Stuart Charles II of England
Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651, and King of England, Scotland and Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685.
Charles II was the eldest surviving child of ...
resided in Breda for a little over a month of his time in exile during the Cromwellian
Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in History of England, English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 ...
Commonwealth and Protectorate
A protectorate, in the context of international relations, is a State (polity), state that is under protection by another state for defence against aggression and other violations of law. It is a dependent territory that enjoys autonomy over m ...
, thanks to the proximity of Charles's sister Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange
Mary, Princess Royal (Mary Henrietta Stuart; 4 November 1631 – 24 December 1660), was an English princess, a member of the House of Stuart, and by marriage Princess of Orange and Countess of Nassau. She acted as regent for her minor son from 1 ...
, the widow of Prince William II of Orange (died 1650).
Based mostly on suggestions by the Parliamentarian General George Monck
George Monck, 1st Duke of Albemarle JP KG PC (6 December 1608 – 3 January 1670) was an English soldier, who fought on both sides during the Wars of the Three Kingdoms. A prominent military figure under the Commonwealth, his support was cruc ...
, Charles II's Declaration of Breda
The Declaration of Breda (dated 4 April 1660) was a proclamation by Charles II of England in which he promised a general pardon for crimes committed during the English Civil War and the Interregnum for all those who recognized Charles as the la ...
(1660) announced his conditions for accepting the crown of England, which he was to regain a few months later in the year.
Later history
The Treaty of Breda was signed in the city on 31 July 1667, bringing to an end the Second Anglo-Dutch War
The Second Anglo-Dutch War or the Second Dutch War (4 March 1665 – 31 July 1667; nl, Tweede Engelse Oorlog "Second English War") was a conflict between Kingdom of England, England and the Dutch Republic partly for control over the seas a ...
in which the Dutch faced the same Charles II who had been their guest. Between 1746 and 1748 it was the site of the Congress of Breda
The Congress of Breda, also known as the Breda peace talks, were a series of bilateral negotiations between Great Britain and France, held in the Dutch city of Breda from 1746 and 1748. The discussions led to the agreement of terms that later b ...
, a series of talks between Britain and France aimed at bringing an end to the War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's W ...
, which ultimately led to the signing of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.
During the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the city was under German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
occupation for over four years. During Operation Pheasant
Operation Pheasant, also known as the Liberation of North Brabant, was a major operation to clear German troops from the province of North Brabant in the Netherlands during the fighting on the Western Front in the Second World War. This offensiv ...
Breda was liberated following a successful outflanking manoeuvre planned and performed by forces of 1st Polish Armoured Division
The Polish 1st Armoured Division (Polish ''1 Dywizja Pancerna'') was an armoured division of the Polish Armed Forces in the West during World War II. Created in February 1942 at Duns in Scotland, it was commanded by Major General Stanisław Macze ...
of General Maczek on 28 October 1944. Each year during Liberation Day
Liberation Day is a day, often a public holiday, that marks the liberation of a place, similar to an independence day. Liberation marks the date of either a revolution, as in Cuba, the fall of a dictatorship, as in Portugal, or the end of an oc ...
festivities, Breda is visited by a large Polish contingent and the city of Breda reserves a special portion of the festivities for the fallen Polish soldiers. A museum and a monument honoring Maczek and the Polish 1st Armoured Division stands in the city center. General Maczek and many soldiers of his division are buried in the nearby Polish military
The Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland ( pl, Siły Zbrojne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, abbreviated ''SZ RP''; popularly called ''Wojsko Polskie'' in Poland, abbreviated ''WP''—roughly, the "Polish Military") are the national armed forces of ...
cemetery.
Breda was the site of one of the first panopticon
The panopticon is a type of institutional building and a system of control designed by the English philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham in the 18th century. The concept of the design is to allow all prisoners of an institution to be o ...
prison establishments, Koepelgevangenis. This prison housed the only German war criminals ever to be imprisoned in the Netherlands for their war crimes during the Second World War. Known as "", or "Vier von Breda", they were Willy Paul Franz Lages, who was released in 1966 due to serious illness, Joseph Johann Kotälla, who died in prison in 1979, and Ferdinand aus der Fünten
Ferdinand Hugo aus der Fünten (17 December 1909 – 19 April 1989), widely known as Fünten, was an '' SS-Hauptsturmführer'' and head of the Central Office for Jewish Emigration in Amsterdam during the Second World War. He was responsible for ...
and Franz Fischer, who were both released in 1989 and died later the same year.
Administration
* Breda (''city'') (≈180,000)
** (''former village absorbed by city agglomeration'')
** Princenhage (''former village absorbed by city agglomeration'')
* Prinsenbeek
Prinsenbeek is a village and a former municipality in the Dutch province North Brabant. The village is situated west of the motorway A16 (Rotterdam–Antwerp) and the TGV line Amsterdam–Paris. Prinsenbeek is a part of the municipality Breda, and ...
(≈11,500) (''added at the municipal reorganization in 1997'')
* Bavel (≈7,000) (''added at the municipal reorganization in 1997'')
* Teteringen
Teteringen is a city district / village in the northeast of Breda in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is located in the municipality of Breda
Breda () is a city and municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the pro ...
(≈6,500) (''added at the municipal reorganization in 1997'')
* Ulvenhout
Ulvenhout is a village in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is located in the municipality of Breda. The village was divided by the A58 motorway. The southern part belongs to the municipality of Alphen-Chaam and is called Ulvenhout AC.
H ...
(≈4,700) (''added at the municipal reorganization in 1997'')
Administration
The ''city'' of Breda is divided in 7 city sectors:
# Breda Centrum (''Centre'')
# Breda West (''West'')
# Breda Noord-West (Haagse Beemden) (''Northwest'')
# Breda Noord ('' North'')
# Breda Oost (''East''), which includes the Zandberg neighborhood
# Breda Zuid-Oost (''Southeast'')
# Breda Zuid (''South'')
Topography
''Topographic map image of the city of Breda, March 2014. Click to enlarge.''
Economy
Historically, economic activities were mainly industrial. Breda was a center of the food- and drink industry. Companies like Hero
A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or a main fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. Like other formerly gender-specific terms (like ...
(lemonade), Van Melle (Mentos
Mentos are a brand of packaged scotch mints or mint flavored candies sold in stores and vending machines. First produced in 1932, they are currently sold in more than 130 countries worldwide by the Italian-Dutch corporation Perfetti Van Melle. T ...
), De Faam (liquorice) and Kwatta (chocolate) are famous throughout Western Europe
Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context.
The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
. Breda also had a sugar
Sugar is the generic name for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates, many of which are used in food. Simple sugars, also called monosaccharides, include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Compound sugars, also called disaccharides or double ...
factory, supplying its best-known products.
Breda formerly housed the largest brewery in the Netherlands ( Oranjeboom). The multinational Interbrew
Interbrew is subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV is based in Breda, Netherlands. It has one subsidiary, Ambev S.A. of São Paulo, Brazil.
Brands
Interbrew brands have historically included Budweiser, Stella Artois, Boddingtons, Beck's, S ...
took over the brewery in 1995 and then closed it in 2004. Production of the ''Breda'' brand was moved to both Bremen and Leuven until 2008, when Randalls Brewery
R. W. Randall's Brewery is a brewery based in St Peter Port, Guernsey, founded in 1868 by Robert Henry Randall. The company was continued by his son, Robert William Randall, who gave the brewery its name.
History
The brewery was established in 186 ...
(in Guernsey) acquired the licence. Guernsey
Guernsey (; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; french: Guernesey) is an island in the English Channel off the coast of Normandy that is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, a British Crown Dependency.
It is the second largest of the Channel Islands ...
is now the only place in the world where draught Breda is brewed.
However, the decline of industrial activity did not harm the city's economy. Nowadays, Breda is a service oriented economy based on business, trade and logistics. A growing number of international companies choose to establish their head office for Benelux operations and manufacturing in Breda. Examples of these companies are 3M Abbott Laboratories
Abbott Laboratories is an American multinational medical devices and health care company with headquarters in Abbott Park, Illinois, United States. The company was founded by Chicago physician Wallace Calvin Abbott in 1888 to formulate known dr ...
, Alfa Laval
Alfa Laval AB is a Sweden, Swedish corporation, company, founded in 1883 by Gustaf de Laval and :sv:Oscar Lamm, Oscar Lamm. The company, which started in providing centrifugal separation solutions for dairy (see Separator (milk)), now deals in th ...
, Amgen
Amgen Inc. (formerly Applied Molecular Genetics Inc.) is an American multinational biopharmaceutical Corporation, company headquartered in Thousand Oaks, California. One of the world's largest independent biotechnology companies, Amgen was esta ...
, Dockwise
Dockwise was a Netherlands-based holding company in the marine transport industry. It was acquired by Boskalis in 2013 and was merged into the Boskalis brand name in 2018.
History
Dockwise was formed in September 1993 by the merger of two compleme ...
, ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil Corporation (commonly shortened to Exxon) is an American multinational oil and gas corporation headquartered in Irving, Texas. It is the largest direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil, and was formed on November 30, ...
, General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable energ ...
, General Motors
The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...
, Krohne Oil & Gas, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers
Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (RBA), or simply Ritchie Bros., is a public company. Its common shares are traded on the Toronto and New York
exchanges under the ticker symbol RBA.
History The Ritchie Brothers
Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers was ...
, Scania
Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces of Sweden, provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conte ...
, Texaco
Texaco, Inc. ("The Texas Company") is an American Petroleum, oil brand owned and operated by Chevron Corporation. Its flagship product is its Gasoline, fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owned the Havoline motor oil brand. Texaco was an Indepe ...
, and Toshiba
, commonly known as Toshiba and stylized as TOSHIBA, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Its diversified products and services include power, industrial and social infrastructure system ...
. Also, the food industry is still largely represented by companies such as Anheuser-Busch InBev
Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV, commonly known as AB InBev, is an American-Belgian multinational drink and brewing company based in Leuven, Belgium. AB InBev has a global functional management office in New York City, and regional headquarters ...
, Hero Group
The Hero Group is a private, Swiss international consumer food manufacturer and marketing company, which primarily sells infant formula, baby food, jam and nutritional snack foods. In 2015, the Group generated revenues surpassing CHF 1.26 bil ...
, Perfetti Van Melle
Perfetti Van Melle is an Italian-Dutch multinational company of confectionery and gum, It was formed in 2001 with the merger of the Perfetti of Italy, and the Van Melle of the Netherlands. Perfetti Van Melle is headquartered in Lainate, Italy, a ...
and . Furthermore, the city is host to the headquarters of the Royal Netherlands Air Force
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march = ''Parade March of the Royal Netherlands Air Force''
, mascot =
, anniversaries =
, equipment ...
. Because of its central location between the ports of Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, and Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...
, the city also attracts logistics companies. Koch Media
Plaion (formerly Koch Media) is a German-Austrian media company headquartered in Höfen, Tyrol, Austria, with an operating subsidiary based in Planegg, Germany. The company was founded in 1994 by Franz Koch and Klemens Kundratitz. The company ...
has its Benelux office in Breda.
The main shopping areas of Breda are the city centre and the southern part of Breda. Known shopping centres are De Barones and 't Sas. Major shopping streets are the Eindstraat, , Wilhelminastraat and Ginnekenweg. A market is held on the Grote Markt every Tuesday and Friday from 09:00 to 13:00. A book and antique market is held on Wednesday from 09:00 to 17:00.
Main sights
The city center contains old buildings and portions of the ''singels'' (moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that is dug and surrounds a castle, fortification, building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive ...
s) and the harbour. Focal point is the Grote Markt, the main square with pubs and sidewalk cafes.
Park Valkenberg is a major public park, halfway between the main railway station Breda and the Grote Markt.
Major historic buildings include:
* The Grote Kerk (Great Church) or Onze Lieve Vrouwe Kerk (Church of Our Lady), a major example of the Brabant style of Gothic Architecture
Gothic architecture (or pointed architecture) is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It e ...
.
* The Castle of Breda
Breda Castle is a castle in the city of Breda, in the Netherlands.
History
In the 12th century, a fortress was located at Breda. The city of Breda came into existence near the fortress. In 1353, the Duke of Brabant sold Breda to Jan II of Polane ...
.
* The Begijnhof, a Beguinage
A beguinage, from the French term ''béguinage'', is an architectural complex which was created to house beguines: lay religious women who lived in community without taking vows or retiring from the world.
Originally the beguine institution was ...
.
* Saint Anthony's Cathedral (Sint-Antoniuskathedraal), the cathedral church of the Catholic Diocese of Breda.
* City hall.
* The , a 16th-century water gate.
* The Koepelgevangenis (Breda)
The Koepelgevangenis is a former prison in Breda, Netherlands, constructed in 1886, best known as the prison where convicted World War II collaborators and Nazi war criminals were housed.
History
The Koepelgevangenis was built from 1882 to 1886, ...
(Koepelprison).
Culture
The spoken dialect is West Brabantian
Brabantian or Brabantish, also Brabantic or Brabantine ( nl, Brabants, Standard Dutch pronunciation: , ), is a dialect group of the Dutch language. It is named after the historical Duchy of Brabant, which corresponded mainly to the Dutch provi ...
, which is very similar to colloquial Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
.
Musical events are held in the Chasse Theater.
Redhead Day
Redhead Day (''Roodharigendag'' in Dutch) is the name of a Dutch summer festival that takes place each last weekend of August in the city of Tilburg. The festival started in 2005 in the small city Asten, and was held from 2007 up to 2018 in the ...
was a festival that took place each first weekend of September. The two-day festival is a gathering of people with natural red hair, but is also focused on art related to the colour red. Activities during the festival are lectures, workshops and demonstrations. The festival attracts attendance from 20 countries and was free due to sponsorship of the local government. Furthermore, some people referred to Breda as the opposite of burning man. As the festival grew bigger they needed a new spot to host the ever growing event. Since 2019 the festival relocated to 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 ...
.
Museums
Breda hosts the following museums:
* Begijnhof Breda Museum
A beguinage, from the French term ''béguinage'', is an architectural complex which was created to house beguines: lay religious women who lived in community without taking vows or retiring from the world.
Originally the beguine institution was ...
* Generaal Maczek Museum
A general officer is an officer of high rank in the armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colonel."general, adj. and n.". OED On ...
* Maczek Memorial Breda
The Maczek Memorial Breda is a museum in Breda, Noord-Brabant, The Netherlands. It tells the story of the liberation of Breda in 1944 by the First Polish Armoured Division led by General Stanisław Maczek. The museum was opened in 2020.
The ...
* Bier Reclame Museum
A bier is a stand on which a corpse, coffin, or casket containing a corpse is placed to lie in state or to be carried to the grave.''The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language'' (American Heritage Publishing Co., Inc., New York, ...
* NAC Museum
NAC may refer to:
Arts
* National Arts Centre, Canada
* National Arts Club, New York, United States
* National Arts Council, Singapore, a statutory board of the Singapore government
* Narodowe Archiwum Cyfrowe, Polish National Digital Archives
* ...
* Heemkundig Museum Paulus van Daesdonck
* Museum Oorlog & Vrede (War and Peace Museum)
* Stedelijk Museum Breda
The Stedelijk Museum Breda, formerly the Museum of the Image (MOTI), is a national museum for visual culture in Breda in the Netherlands. The museum focuses on film, design, photography, fashion, visual arts, architecture, science, and gaming.
...
* Stichting Princenhaags Museum
Events
*Breda Dancetour (House Music)
* Carnaval
*Breda Jazz Festival
*BredaPhoto
*Singelloop Breda
*Redhead Day
Redhead Day (''Roodharigendag'' in Dutch) is the name of a Dutch summer festival that takes place each last weekend of August in the city of Tilburg. The festival started in 2005 in the small city Asten, and was held from 2007 up to 2018 in the ...
(Roodharigendag)
*Breda Barst
*Breda Drijft
*Lichtsloepen Parade
Sport
* Breda's football club
A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an all- ...
, NAC Breda
NAC Breda (), often simply known as NAC, is a Dutch professional football club, based in Breda, Netherlands. NAC Breda play in the Rat Verlegh Stadium, named after their most important player, Antoon 'Rat' Verlegh. They play in the Eerste Divi ...
, plays in the Eerste Divisie
The Eerste Divisie (, en, First Division) is the second-highest tier of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie and with the third-level Tweede Divisie via promotion/relegation systems. It is also known as the ...
.
* Breda's rugby club
Rugby football is the collective name for the team sports of rugby union and rugby league.
Canadian football and, to a lesser extent, American football were once considered forms of rugby football, but are seldom now referred to as such. The ...
, Bredase Rugby Club
* Breda's athletics club
A sports club or sporting club, sometimes an athletics club or sports society or sports association, is a group of people formed for the purpose of playing sports.
Sports clubs range from organisations whose members play together, unpaid, and ...
, , is the largest club of its kind in the Netherlands.
* Breda's Golden Glory
Golden Glory was a Muay Thai, kickboxing and mixed martial arts camp and management team, based in the Netherlands.
Description
Golden Glory was founded in 1999 by Bas Boon, and Frederico Lapenda. Golden Glory's professional MMA and kickboxin ...
, is a kickboxing camp.
* Every year in the month of October, the is a major road running event on the half marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcu ...
distance with a field of national and international athletes.
Demographics
Religion
As of 2014, the largest religion in Breda is Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
, comprising 50.4% of its population, the second one being Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
comprising 3.6% of the population. Unaffiliated people comprised 44.9% of the population.[
]
Ethnic groups
The ethnic make-up of Breda, in 2020, is as follows:
*Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
(140,312) (75,45%)
*Moroccans
Moroccans (, ) are the citizens and nationals of the Kingdom of Morocco. The country's population is predominantly composed of Arabs and Berbers (Amazigh). The term also applies more broadly to any people who are of Moroccan nationality, s ...
(5,712) (3.1%)
*Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
ns (5,332) (2.9%)
*Turks
Turk or Turks may refer to:
Communities and ethnic groups
* Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages
* Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
* Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic ...
(3,080) (1.7%)
*Belgians
Belgians ( nl, Belgen; french: Belges; german: Belgier) are people identified with the Kingdom of Belgium, a federal state in Western Europe. As Belgium is a multinational state, this connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultur ...
(2,940) (1.6%)
*Germany, Germans (2,661) (1.5%)
*Netherlands Antilles, Antilleans/Arubans (2,211) (1.2%)
*Poles, Polish (2,165) (1.2%)
*Surinamese (2,058) (1.1%)
Notable residents
* Charles II of England
Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651, and King of England, Scotland and Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685.
Charles II was the eldest surviving child of ...
, lived in Breda for most of his exile during the Commonwealth of England. His sister, Mary, Princess Royal and Princess of Orange
Mary, Princess Royal (Mary Henrietta Stuart; 4 November 1631 – 24 December 1660), was an English princess, a member of the House of Stuart, and by marriage Princess of Orange and Countess of Nassau. She acted as regent for her minor son from 1 ...
was widow of Stadtholder William II, Prince of Orange and co-regent for their son William III of England, William III sovereign Prince of Orange and later King of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland.
* Although neither of them were long-term residents of Breda, it was there, in 1618, that the young René Descartes (at the time, a soldier in the army of Maurice, Prince of Orange, Prince Maurice of Nassau) first met, and had extensive conversations with, Dutch philosopher, mathematician, and scientist Isaac Beeckman (then temporarily resident in the town). This interaction with Beeckman seems to have changed the course of Descartes’ intellectual life, eventually leading him to the major innovations in mathematics, science, and philosophy for which he is famous.[Stephen Gaukroger. ''Descartes: An Intellectual Biography.'' Oxford University Press, 1995.]
* Colonel Tom Parker, "Colonel" Thomas Parker, the manager of Elvis Presley, born and raised in Breda as Andreas Cornelius van Kuijk.
* Adriaen Cornelissen van der Donck (c. 1618–1655), first lawyer in the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam; a polyglot
* Breda is the birthplace and home to several internationally famous electronic dance music artists including R3hab, Dannic, W&W along with former ''DJ Magazine#DJ Mag Top 100 Polls, World No.1 DJs'' — Tiësto and Hardwell. The title of their 2011 collaboration track, ''Zero 76'' is derived from the dialing code of Breda.
* Breda is also the birthplace of former Olympic swimmer Karin Brienesse and former field hockey player Remco van Wijk, who twice won the gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games, Summer Olympics with the Dutch National Team: 1996 and 2000.
* Sculptor Jan de Swart, Jan De Swart, born in Ginneken, a suburb of Breda, and lived in the area until he emigrated to The United States in 1929
* Breda is the city where the Dutch composers Daan Manneke and Kristoffer Zegers live.
*Thomas Simon Cool, Dutch historical and genre painter, resided and taught in Breda 1866-1870
* The Dutch football international Pierre van Hooijdonk played in Breda. Other formerly international Dutch football players from NAC Breda were Antoon (Rat) Verlegh, Kees Rijvers, Kees Kuijs, Leo Canjels, Daan Schrijvers, Frans Bouwmeester, Nico Rijnders, Ad Brouwers, Bertus Quaars, Martin Vreysen and Ton Lokhoff.
* Ramon Dekkers, Muay Thai and Kickboxing World Champion, was born and died in Breda
* , famous Dutch stand-up comedian
* Simone Ferrario, Italian philanthropist, engineer and innovator in valves design and religion
* Virgil van Dijk, Dutch professional footballer playing centre-back for Liverpool F.C., Liverpool
* Sylvie Meis, Dutch television personality, model and ex-wife of football player Rafael van der Vaart was born in Breda
* Pieter Bruegel the Elder, famous Netherlandish painter
* Kazuha Nakamura, Japanese singer, dancer and ballerina of Le Sserafim. Grew up in Breda. Born in Kōchi (city), Kōchi, Japan.
Transportation
Trains
Breda has two Breda railway station, railway stations, Breda railway station, Breda and Breda-Prinsenbeek railway station, Breda-Prinsenbeek, providing connections north to (Dordrecht, Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...
, The Hague, Den Haag) and Amsterdam; east to 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 ...
, Eindhoven
Eindhoven () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022,[Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,] and Brussels (via the HSL-Zuid high-speed line). Breda Oost railway station will open after 2020.
Roads
The A16 motorway (Netherlands), A16 is a motorway to the north to Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...
and towards the south to the Belgian border to Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, . The A27 motorway (Netherlands), A27 is also a motorway to the north; It connects Breda with Utrecht. Furthermore, The A58 motorway (Netherlands), A58 connects Breda with 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 ...
and Eindhoven
Eindhoven () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022,[Zeeland
, nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge")
, anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem")
, image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg
, map_alt =
, m ...]
ish busline (19) which connects Breda with Hulst and Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504, , operated by Connexxion.
Airport
The small airport Breda International Airport is located west of the city. The airport was opened in 1949 and is in limited use for civil aviation. The departures from the airport are mostly business trips, sightseeing trips and teaching activities.
Twin towns – sister cities
Breda is Twin towns and sister cities, twinned with:
References
;Notes
;Literature
*
External links
*
*
*
{{Authority control
Breda,
Cities in the Netherlands
Municipalities of North Brabant
Populated places in North Brabant