Nijnsel ( North Meierijs dialect: ''Nènzûl'' ) is a village in the province 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 ...

, located in the

Meierij The Meierij van 's-Hertogenbosch (; Dutch for "Bailiwick of 's-Hertogenbosch") was one of the four parts of the Duchy of Brabant The Duchy of Brabant was a State of the Holy Roman Empire established in 1183. It developed from the Landgraviate o ...

's-Hertogenbosch s-Hertogenbosch (), colloquially known as Den Bosch (), is a city and municipality in the Netherlands with a population of 157,486. It is the capital of the province of North Brabant and its fourth largest by population. The city is south of th ...

. Nijnsel is a

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

of the municipality of

Meierijstad Meierijstad () is a municipality in the province of North Brabant. The municipality is the result of a merger between the municipalities Schijndel, Sint-Oedenrode and Veghel in 2017. After the merger it became the largest municipality in terms of ...

Etymology

The word Nijnsel means ''new residence'' ("nij" mening new, "sel" meaning residence). The name of the nearby hamlet Vressel means ''Old residence''. "Sel" being derived from the word "sale", which refers to the largest house in the area which belonged to the local nobleman in the early medieval period.

History

Source: The hamlets Nijnsel and Vressel on either side of the

Dommel The Dommel is a small river in Belgium and the Netherlands, left tributary of the Dieze. It is 120 km long, of which 85 km in the Netherlands. The Dommel takes in water from the Keersop, Tongelreep, Run, Gender and Kleine Dommel streams and merg ...

river are known to be habituated in prehistoric times. There are archaeological remains of the

Bell Beaker culture The Bell Beaker culture, also known as the Bell Beaker complex or Bell Beaker phenomenon, is an archaeological culture named after the inverted-bell beaker drinking vessel used at the very beginning of the European Bronze Age. Arising from a ...

and also remains of the

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

era were found. There are numerous archaeological monuments which also remain from the

Mesolithic The Mesolithic (Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymous ...

era. A settlement from the early

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

, around 1500 BC was excavated in Nijnsel. Map of excavation of Bronze Age settlement in Nijnsel

Nijnsel originated as a settlement around a chapel which was dedicated to

Anthony the Great Anthony the Great ( grc-gre, Ἀντώνιος ''Antṓnios''; ar, القديس أنطونيوس الكبير; la, Antonius; ; c. 12 January 251 – 17 January 356), was a Christian monk from Egypt, revered since his death as a saint. He is d ...

and was already mentioned in the 15th century. The village traditionally belonged to the ancient vrijheerlijkheid of

Sint-Oedenrode Sint-Oedenrode () is a town in the province of North Brabant. Sint-Oedenrode is a moderately urbanized town in the Meierij of 's-Hertogenbosch. Sint-Oedenrode had an unknown population as of and has an area of . On 1 January 2017 Sint-Oedenrode ...

and was just as nearby Vressel a

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

. After the

Peace of Münster The Peace of Münster was a treaty between the Lords States General of the Seven United Netherlands and the Spanish Crown, the terms of which were agreed on 30 January 1648. The treaty, parallelly negotiated to but not part of the Peace of We ...

in 1648, the chapel was closed. The

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

population used now a

clandestine church A clandestine church ( nl, schuilkerk), defined by historian Benjamin J. Kaplan as a "semi-clandestine church", is a house of worship used by religious minorities whose communal worship is tolerated by those of the majority faith on condition th ...

in a barn in

, while the empty chapel was used as a

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

school since 1731, after the hamlets Nijnsel and Vressel sent a petition to establish their own school in 1728 to the

Council of State of the Netherlands The Council of State ( nl, ) is a constitutionally established advisory body in the Netherlands to the government and States General that officially consists of members of the royal family and Crown-appointed members generally having political, ...

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

. In 1892 the chapel was demolished. The village Nijnsel includes the possible remains of

castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...

Ten Houte Ten, TEN or 10 may refer to: * 10, an even natural number following 9 and preceding 11 * one of the years 10 BC, AD 10, 1910 and 2010 * October, the tenth month of the year Places * Mount Ten, in Vietnam * Tongren Fenghuang Airport (IATA code ...

, which is founded in the 15th century and demolished in the 19th century. These remains are located between the Houtsestraat and the Hoogstraat. Nijnsel continued into the twentieth century as a small

linear settlement A linear settlement is a (normally small to medium-sized) settlement or group of buildings that is formed in a long line. Many of these settlements are formed along a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Others form due to physical re ...

on the old road between

and

Lieshout Lieshout is a village located in the province of North Brabant in the south of the Netherlands, about 15 kilometres northeast of Eindhoven. There are 4,300 inhabitants, and the village is known for its brewing company Swinkels Family Brewers. The ...

. Later on the development of the village was further determined by both the construction of the Catholic Church, and by the proximity to the Veghelseweg - Sonseweg (Road to

Veghel Veghel () is a town and a former municipality in the southern Netherlands. On 1 January 2017 Veghel, together with Schijndel and Sint-Oedenrode, merged into a new municipality called Meierijstad creating the largest municipality of the provinc ...

and to

Son A son is a male offspring; a boy or a man in relation to his parents. The female counterpart is a daughter. From a biological perspective, a son constitutes a first degree relative. Social issues In pre-industrial societies and some current c ...

). The "Sint Antonius van Padua" Church was inaugurated in 1911 and around the church formed a village. The largest change over the last decades was the arrival of a new neighborhood in the 60s-80s and an industrial area in 1970. Initially, only small-scale and 'clean' companies were admitted at the industrial area. Nijnsel was notorious for the Provincial Road N265 which for years separated the village from the nearby

. Since the opening of the State Highway A50 in 2003, the traffic nuisance has diminished, as the A50 since then passes through a tunnel next to the village. The construction of this highway was accompanied by an expansion of the business area.

Sights

* The Saint

Anthony of Padua Anthony of Padua ( it, Antonio di Padova) or Anthony of Lisbon ( pt, António/Antônio de Lisboa; born Fernando Martins de Bulhões; 15 August 1195 – 13 June 1231) was a Portuguese people, Portuguese Catholic Church, Catholic priesthood (Cath ...

Church is a rustic brick church which was consecrated in 1911 and designed by the architect Louis Kooken from

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,Anthony of Padua Anthony of Padua ( it, Antonio di Padova) or Anthony of Lisbon ( pt, António/Antônio de Lisboa; born Fernando Martins de Bulhões; 15 August 1195 – 13 June 1231) was a Portuguese people, Portuguese Catholic Church, Catholic priesthood (Cath ...

as the patron saint of the church arose from the fact that the construction pastor, Johannes Panken, was born on the feast day of this saint. The same priest organized an annual pilgrimage, which was called the ''Meierijsche Pilgrimage'' in which thousands of people participated. This pilgrimage began to languish after 1960 and is now long gone. However, an open-air mass is held every year in honor of Anthony of Padua, using a stone niche with canopy in a small park to the rear of the church and the cemetery. This is sometimes called the "green cathedral". Next to the church is a

Sacred Heart The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus ( la, Cor Jesu Sacratissimum) is one of the most widely practised and well-known Catholic devotions, wherein the heart of Jesus is viewed as a symbol of "God's boundless and passionate love for mankind". This devo ...

statue. * Some characteristic old

hall house The hall house is a type of vernacular house traditional in many parts of England, Wales, Ireland and lowland Scotland, as well as northern Europe, during the Middle Ages, centring on a hall. Usually timber-framed, some high status examples wer ...

s in traditional Brabantian style can be found at the provincial road (Lieshoutseweg) to

Mariahout Mariahout is a village located in the province of North Brabant in the south of the Netherlands, about 20 kilometers northeast of Eindhoven. Mariahout has a population of about 1700 and is the smallest village of the municipality of Laarbeek. Hi ...

and along the Vresselseweg.

Nature and landscape

East and north of Nijnsel runs the river the

through the Dommel valley. On both sides of it there are some old fields. Further west is a

heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler ...

reclamation: the Rooise Heath. East of the Dommel more nature can be found: * The Vresselse Bossen (The Vressel's Forests). This area consists of a sand ridge with pine and

deciduous In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...

forest and covers around . It was once a production forest with

Scots pine ''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US) or Baltic pine, is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-green leaves and orang ...

for the Limburgian mines and was built on a drift-sand ridge to stop the sand being blown onto the farmlands, but has become gradually more varied. The forest contains some important

fen A fen is a type of peat-accumulating wetland fed by mineral-rich ground or surface water. It is one of the main types of wetlands along with marshes, swamps, and bogs. Bogs and fens, both peat-forming ecosystems, are also known as mires. T ...

complexes, of which the Hazenputten is the most important. There are also areas with wet heaths. The area is managed by the National Forestry Service (

Staatsbosbeheer Staatsbosbeheer, founded in 1899, is a Dutch government organization for forestry and the management of nature reserves. Staatsbosbeheer currently oversees over 250,000 hectares of land in the Netherlands. Usually this land is open to the public ...

). The "Hazenputten" was nominated by

for the title of "Most beautiful spot" in the Netherlands in 2013. There are several hiking trails in this forest, including the famous “geerzingel” path. * The Moerkuilen. This is an area of pools created by the dredging of ''Moer'', which is

quagmire A mire, peatland, or quagmire is a wetland area dominated by living peat-forming plants. Mires arise because of incomplete decomposition of organic matter, usually litter from vegetation, due to water-logging and subsequent anoxia. All types ...

consisting of decayed plant material that could be used as

Peat Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficien ...

(

fuel A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases energy as thermal energy or to be used for work. The concept was originally applied solely to those materials capable of releasing chemical energy but ...

) after drying. A carr borders these pools. There are hiking trails. * The Dommelbeemden. This diverse area was designated as a

natural monument A natural monument is a natural or natural/cultural feature of outstanding or unique value because of its inherent rarity, representative of aesthetic qualities or cultural significance. Under World Commission on Protected Areas guidelines, nat ...

in 1977. There are wet meadows in which rare plants such as Marsh

Lousewort ''Pedicularis'' is a genus of perennial green root parasite plants currently placed in the family Orobanchaceae (the genus previously having been placed in Scrophulariaceae ''sensu lato''). Description Between 350 and 600 species are accep ...

can be found. There is a hiking path and a

watchtower A watchtower or watch tower is a type of fortification used in many parts of the world. It differs from a regular tower in that its primary use is military and from a turret in that it is usually a freestanding structure. Its main purpose is to ...

has been built. These three nature areas are located close together and between them some ancient infield can be found, such as small-scale

field Field may refer to: Expanses of open ground * Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes * Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport * Battlefield * Lawn, an area of mowed grass * Meadow, a grass ...

s. Together these areas form a part of " Het Groene Woud". * Het Groene Woud. Het Groene Woud (The Green Forest) covers a total of of marshes, meadows and agricultural landscape between

Den Bosch s-Hertogenbosch (), colloquially known as Den Bosch (), is a city and municipality in the Netherlands with a population of 157,486. It is the capital of the province of North Brabant and its fourth largest by population. The city is south of th ...

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 ...

. The most original part and natural state of the

can be found between

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,Boxtel Boxtel () is a municipality and a town in the southern Netherlands. The name derives from Buchestelle and is presumably a combination of 'stelle' (Dutch for stable, safe place) and (deer) buck.2019. Etymologiebank.Nl. Accessed April 27 2019 This i ...

and hence in Nijnsel. Here the Dommel has still its original winds and

meander A meander is one of a series of regular sinuous curves in the channel of a river or other watercourse. It is produced as a watercourse erodes the sediments of an outer, concave bank ( cut bank) and deposits sediments on an inner, convex bank ...

s and forms a cultural-historical and valuable landscape area. Hiking, canoeing and cycling activities are possible in this area.

Trivia

* During the yearly

carnaval Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...

, the name of the village is changed into "Papgat" for three days. Nijnsel has 1 carnaval association named "de Heikneuters". * Each November the arrival of

Sinterklaas Sinterklaas () or Sint-Nicolaas () is a legendary figure based on Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children. Other Dutch names for the figure include ''De Sint'' ("The Saint"), ''De Goede Sint'' ("The Good Saint") and ''De Goedheiligman'' ("The ...

in the village is celebrated by a parade for the town's children by the characters involving the holiday. * The spoken language is North Meierijs (an

East Brabantian East Brabantian ( nl, Oost Noord-Brabants or Oost Brabants) is one of the main divisions of the Brabantian dialect group recognized by the ''Woordenboek van de Brabantse dialecten''. East Brabantian dialects are mainly spoken in the eastern part of ...

dialect, 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 ...

).Jos & Cor Swanenberg: Taal in stad en land: Oost-Brabants,

Nearby residential communities

, Breugel,

, Boskant,

Zijtaart Zijtaart is a village in the south of the Netherlands. It is situated in the municipality of Meierijstad, North Brabant. As of January 2015 it has a population of 1,727. History Zijtaart as a ''church village'' was officially founded in 1872 when ...

Liempde Liempde is a village in the Netherlands in the municipality Boxtel. Annually the Flevo Christian music festival is held here. In 2005 the event What the Hack took place in Liempde. Liempde is situated in the center of the Dutch province North Br ...

Eerde Eerde is a village in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is part of the municipality of Meierijstad, located about 500 m west of the built-up area of Veghel and 3 km southwest of the town centre of Veghel.''ANWB Topografische A ...

, Wijbosch, Olland and

Schijndel Schijndel () is a town and former municipality in the southern Netherlands, in the province of North Brabant. Schijndel is located approximately southeast of 's-Hertogenbosch. Schijndel was founded on 6 December in the year 1309. On 1 January 201 ...

. File:T.T RK Kerk Nijnsel (4).JPG, Entrance of Sint Antonius van Padua Church, Nijnsel File:Dommeldal SintOedenrode.jpg,

valley in Nijnsel File:Moerkuilen.jpg, Moerkuilen File:Vressels Bosch.jpg, Vressels Forest / Vresselse Bossen File:Hazenputten, Vressels Bos.jpg, The fen "Hazenputten" in the Vresselse Bossen in Nijnsel File:Aanzicht uit de verte - Nijnsel - 20168374 - RCE.jpg, Traditional

farm house FarmHouse (FH) is a social fraternity founded at the University of Missouri on April 15, 1905. It became a national organization in 1921. Today FarmHouse has 33 active chapters and four associate chapters (formerly colonies) in the United State ...

s, Nijnsel, June 1968 File:Aanzicht - Nijnsel - 20168373 - RCE.jpg, Brabantian Farm house, 1968, Nijnsel File:Boerderijaanzicht - Sint-Oedenrode - 20170874 - RCE.jpg, Farm house, Vresselseweg, May 1970 File:Voorgevel, linker zijgevel - Sint-Oedenrode - 20170875 - RCE.jpg, Farm house, Vresselse weg, May 1970 File:Zij- en voorgevel - Nijnsel - 20504410 - RCE.jpg, Typical Brabantian style

Hall house The hall house is a type of vernacular house traditional in many parts of England, Wales, Ireland and lowland Scotland, as well as northern Europe, during the Middle Ages, centring on a hall. Usually timber-framed, some high status examples wer ...

, April 15, 1942, Nijnsel File:Aanzicht - Nijnsel - 20168372 - RCE.jpg, Farm house, Lieshoutseweg, Nijnsel, 1968 File:Bakhuis - Sint-Oedenrode - 20170877 - RCE.jpg, Old baking house, Vresselseweg, May 1970 File:Overzicht - Sint Oedenrode - 20444410 - RCE.jpg, Old Brabantian style farm stead, Lieshoutseweg, April 15, 1942 File:Overzicht - Sint Oedenrode - 20444409 - RCE.jpg, Old Brabantian style farm stead, Lieshoutseweg, April 15, 1942 File:Boerderij - Sint Oedenrode - 20444406 - RCE.jpg, Old Brabantian style farm stead, Lieshoutseweg, September 7, 1984 File:Boerderij schuur - Sint Oedenrode - 20444415 - RCE.jpg, Hay shed, Lieshoutseweg, Nijnsel, September 7, 1984 File:Zijgevel zie dia 4917 ; map N.-Br. 7-5 dianr. 4917 - Sint Oedenrode - 20444407 - RCE.jpg, Traditional Brabantian style farm stead, April 15, 1942 Fen in the Vresselse Bossen.JPG, Hazenputten The Hazenputten in the Vresselse Bossen.JPG, Hazenputten; Fen in the Vresselse Bossen Water in the Vresselse Bossen.JPG, Vresselse Bossen File:T.T RK Kerk Nijnsel (1).JPG, Catholic Church, Nijnsel

Trivia

* During the yearly

a youth parade is held and the name of the village is temporary changed into ''Kneutergat''. * In November the arrival of

in the village is celebrated by a parade for the village children by the characters involving the holiday. * The spoken language is North Meierijs (an

dialect, which is very similar to colloquial

References

External links

Website of the municipality
{{Authority control Populated places in North Brabant Meierijstad