Leusden () 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

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 ...

. It is located about 3 kilometres southeast of

Amersfoort Amersfoort () is a city and municipality in the province of Utrecht, Netherlands, about 20 km from the city of Utrecht and 40 km south east of Amsterdam. As of 1 December 2021, the municipality had a population of 158,531, making it the second- ...

. The western part of the municipality lies on the slopes of the

Utrecht Hill Ridge Utrecht Hill Ridge ( nl, Utrechtse Heuvelrug) is a ridge of low sandhills that stretches in a direction from southeast to northwest over the Dutch province of Utrecht and over a part of North Holland. The total length of the region is about 50 ...

and is largely covered by forest and heathlands. The eastern parts lie in the Gelderse Vallei and are mostly agricultural. Former

Amersfoort concentration camp Kamp Amersfoort ( nl, Kamp Amersfoort, german: Durchgangslager Amersfoort) was a Nazi concentration camp near the city of Amersfoort, the Netherlands. The official name was "Polizeiliches Durchgangslager Amersfoort", P.D.A. or Amersfoort Police T ...

lies just within the northern municipal border with Amersfoort.

Population centres

The municipality of Leusden contains four villages: * Leusden, originally named "Hamersveld" and later "Leusden-Centrum"; * Leusden-Zuid, formerly "Leusbroek" *

Achterveld Achterveld is a village in the central Netherlands. It is a part of the municipality of Leusden, Utrecht and is located about 8 km east of Amersfoort. A small part of the village is located in Barneveld. The village is a Catholic enclave ...

Stoutenburg Stoutenburg is a village in the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is a part of the municipality of Leusden, and lies about east of Amersfoort. Since 1998, a part of the village is a neighbourhood in Amersfoort. History The village was first mentione ...

There are also a number of hamlets in the municipality:ANWB, "Topografische atlas Nederland 1:50000", 2005. Cartography by the Topografische Dienst, Emmen.

The town of Leusden

The place that is now called Leusden was first mentioned as ''Villa Lisiduna'' in a charter in 777. The exact location of that settlement, which is considered to have been a rather extensive farm complex with defenses, is unknown to us. It is possible that the old village of Oud-Leusden once was the location of Villa Lisiduna but excavations in the 1980s have not provided any evidence. However, the church tower of Oud-Leusden is one of the oldest towers in the Netherlands, dating back at least to the 11th century A.D. Close to Leusden is the site of the former monastery Heiligenberg, founded around the year 1000 by bishop

Ansfridus of Utrecht Saint Ansfried (also Ansfrid, Ansfridus) of Utrecht sometimes called Ansfried the younger (died 3 May 1010 near Leusden) was Count of Huy and the sword-bearer for Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor. He became Bishop of Utrecht in 995. He appears to have ...

, who died here in 1010. In the 1970s, the agricultural villages of Leusbroek and Hamersveld grew together into a larger, mainly residential town. What once was Hamersveld is now called Leusden-Centrum, now commonly Leusden, and Leusbroek was to become Leusden-Zuid. In the original plans, Leusden was to grow into a town of around 46,000 inhabitants. After the initial expansion there was a growing resistance from the population, so some of the later phases of expansion have been abandoned.

Shopping areas

In Leusden there are 3 shopping centres: 1.) The Hamershof, this is the biggest mall with about 80 stores in the centre of Leusden. The oldest part opened in 1980 together with the Town Hall nearby the Hamershof. 2.) The Biezenkamp, this is the second shopping centre in the centre of town, there are not more than 20 shops. 3.) The Zuidhoek in the new neighborhood the Tabaksteeg, there are just 5 shops located around the square.

Notable residents

Gerrit Achterberg Gerrit Achterberg (20 May 1905 – 17 January 1962) was a Dutch poet. His early poetry concerned a desire to be united with a beloved in death. Achterberg was born in Nederlangbroek in the Netherlands as the third son of a family of eight ch ...

(1905-1962 in Leusden) a poet *

Arleen Auger Joyce Arleen Auger (sometimes spelled Augér ; September 13, 1939 – June 10, 1993) was an American soprano, known for her coloratura voice and interpretations of works by Bach, Handel, Haydn, Monteverdi, Mozart, and Schubert. She won a posthum ...

(1939-1993 in Leusden) an American soprano * Robby Valentine (born 1968 in Leusden) singer and multi-instrumentalist *

Marieke Wijsman Anne Marie Louise (Marieke) Wijsman (born 9 May 1975) is a Dutch former speed skater who represented her country in two Winter Olympics, and who was the first female speed skater to compete internationally on clap skates. Early years Wijsman was ...

(born 1975 in Leusden) former speed-skater, competed at the

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

and

2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), was an internation ...

Marike Jager Marike Jager (born 4 February 1979 in Amersfoort) is a Dutch singer-songwriter, guitarist and television presenter. She grew up in Leusden and learned to play the guitar while backpacking through Australia, New Zealand, Asia and South Africa. ...

(born 1979) a Dutch singer-songwriter, guitarist and TV presenter, grew up in Leusden *

Haike van Stralen Haike Eva van Stralen (born 22 April 1983) is a Dutch former swimmer, who specialized in freestyle events. She is a two-time Olympian (2000 and 2004), and double Dutch short-course champion in the 200 and 400 m freestyle. Van Stralen also played ...

(born 1983 in Leusden) a Dutch former freestyle swimmer, who competed at the

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...

and

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), ...

Image gallery

File:Leusden-Stad Biezenkamp.jpg, Newer part of the city, near a shopping centre File:Oude villa Leusden.jpg, Old villa in the center File:Leusden, Netherlands - panoramio (4).jpg, Leusden, panoramio File:Stad van Leusden.JPG, Shopping centre, Biezenkamp File:Park Wildenburg in Leusden.JPG, Park Wildenburg in Leusden File:Stadswoningen Leusden.JPG, Row of new houses in the centre of Leusden File:Ganoderma applanatum - Leusderheide, Utrecht, NL 2019 13.jpg, Paddestoelen op de Leusderheide 2019

References

External links

*
Official website
{{Authority control Municipalities of Utrecht (province) Populated places in Utrecht (province) New towns started in the 1970s