Laag-Soeren is a village in the

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 ...

province of

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 ...

. It is about 4 km northwest of

Dieren Dieren () is a town in the eastern Netherlands. It is located in Rheden, Gelderland, between Zutphen and Arnhem, on the bank of the IJssel. Dieren was a separate municipality until 1818, when it became a part of Rheden. The Gazelle bicycle facto ...

, in the municipalities of

Rheden Rheden () is a municipality and a town in the eastern Netherlands. Population centres Population of the seven villages on 1 January 2013 Topography ''Dutch Topographic map of the municipality of Rheden, June 2015'' Transportation * Railway ...

and

Brummen Brummen () is a municipality and a village in the eastern Netherlands. Brummen has a small railway station - Brummen railway station on the line between Zutphen and Arnhem. The village is situated about southwest of Zutphen, no farther tha ...

. It used to be a spa town.

History

It was first mentioned between 1830 and 1855 as Laag Soeren to distinguish from Hoog Soeren. The etymology is unknown. Laag-Soeren started as an ''

esdorp __NOTOC__ An ''Angerdorf'' (plural: ''Angerdörfer'') is a type of village that is characterised by the houses and farmsteads being laid out around a central grassed area, the ''anger'' (from the Old High German ''angar'' =pasture or grassy place ...

'' located in a valley. In 1850, it became a

spa town A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath in 1668. He ...

because of the discovery of spring water. The bath house and sanatorium Bethesda opened in 1870, and closed in 1942. In 1850, the Priesznitz monument was revealed to honour

Vincenz Priessnitz Vincenz Priessnitz, also written Prießnitz (sometimes in German ''Vinzenz'', in English ''Vincent'', in Czech ''Vincenc''; 4 October 1799 – 26 November 1851) was a peasant farmer in Gräfenberg, Austrian Silesia, who is generally considered ...

, the founder of

hydrotherapy Hydrotherapy, formerly called hydropathy and also called water cure, is a branch of alternative medicine (particularly naturopathy), occupational therapy, and physiotherapy, that involves the use of water for pain relief and treatment. The term ...

. In 1840, it was home to 343 people. Hotel Dullemond was a large hotel in Laag-Soeren. It started as a manor house built in 1780. In 1906, Hotel Dullemond was opened and was a luxury hotel. After World War II, it started to become neglected and closed in 1970. The local Rotary Club had its own room, but in 1976 decided to leave as well. The hotel has since then turned into a ruin.

Notable people

The 19th Century writer and journalist

Paulus Adrianus Daum Paulus Adrianus Daum (3 August 1850 – 14 September 1898), more commonly known as P. A. Daum, was a Dutch author of Dutch East Indies literature of the nineteenth century. The autodidact Daum was born in impoverished circumstances of a single mo ...

died there in 1898.

Gallery

File:Priesnitz monument, Laag Soeren, Netherlands.JPG, Priesnitz monument File:Laag-Soeren-harderwijkerweg-196850.jpg, House in Laag-Soeren File:Hotel "Laag Soeren", aanzicht - Laag-Soeren - 20128453 - RCE.jpg, Former hotel Dullemond File:Het rollend paard.jpg, The rolling horse statue

References

{{Authority control Populated places in Gelderland Rheden