Rhenen () is a

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

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 ...

in the central

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 ...

. The municipality also includes the villages of Achterberg, Remmerden, Elst and Laareind. The town lies at a geographically interesting location, namely on the southernmost part of the chain of hills known as 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 ...

(Utrechtse Heuvelrug), where this meets the river

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

. Because of this Rhenen has a unique character with quite some elevation through town. Directly to the east of the built-up area lies the

Grebbeberg The Grebbeberg is a 52-meter high hill located east of Rhenen, Netherlands in the province of Utrecht. It forms the southeastern tip of the Utrechtse Heuvelrug, a moraine. Due to its strategic location with a view of the Lower Rhine and the Bet ...

, a hill with a top elevation of about .

History

Before 1900

Rhenen received

city rights Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...

probably between 1256 and 1258. In 1346, the

bishop of Utrecht List of bishops and archbishops of the diocese and archdioceses of Utrecht. Medieval diocese from 695 to 1580 Founders of the Utrecht diocese * * * * * Bishops * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ...

ordered the construction of a defensive wall around the city, which was important because it lay near the border with

Guelders The Duchy of Guelders ( nl, Gelre, french: Gueldre, german: Geldern) is a historical duchy, previously county, of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the Low Countries. Geography The duchy was named after the town of Geldern (''Gelder'') in pr ...

. Although for some time the town collected toll from ships on the Rhine, it has never had a harbour. The three city gates were demolished in 1840. Small fragments of the wall remain. The town is also famous for the Cunera Church, parts of which date back to the 15th century. Containing the relics of

Saint Cunera Saint Cunera of Rhenen, also Kunera (strangled to death in Rhenen, diocese of Utrecht, 28 October 340) was a virgin and martyr. Her name is first mentioned in the 11th century. Cunera is the patron saint of the city of Rhenen in the Netherlands, a ...

, it attracted many pilgrims. Legend has it that Cunera was buried on a nearby hill now called the Cuneraheuvel. The church's tower was built between 1492 and 1531. In 1621, a palace was constructed at Rhenen for the ousted

Frederick V Frederick V or Friedrich V may refer to: * Frederick V, Duke of Swabia (1164–1170) *Frederick V, Count of Zollern (d.1289) *Frederick V, Burgrave of Nuremberg (c. 1333–1398), German noble *Frederick V of Austria (1415–1493), or Frederick III ...

. It was demolished in 1812.

World War II

Part of the center of Rhenen, which was located near the defensive Grebbelinie ( Grebbe line), was destroyed during the German attack on the Netherlands in May 1940. Part of the reconstruction took place during the war. In 1945, the town was damaged again during the liberation of the country from German occupation. Many or all of the Dutch soldiers who were killed by the Germans near Rhenen lie buried at the ''Erebegraafplaats'' (Cemetery of Honor), located along the Grebbeweg (N 225) near the top of the Grebbeberg. Across the road is an important war monument with a poem by

J.C. Bloem Jakobus Cornelis (Jacques) Bloem (10 May 1887, Oudshoorn – 10 August 1966, Kalenberg) was a Dutch poet and essayist. Between 1921 and 1958 he published fourteen volumes of poetry. In 1949 he won the Constantijn Huygensprijs, one of the countr ...

. In 2008 Rhenen celebrated its 750th

anniversary An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded in a previous year, and may also refer to the commemoration or celebration of that event. The word was first used for Catholic feasts to commemorate saints ...

Main sights

Ouwehands Dierenpark Ouwehands Dierenpark is a zoo in Rhenen, in the Dutch province of Utrecht. The zoo is located on the Laarschenberg, a "mountain" that makes up the south-eastern tip of the great Utrecht Hill Ridge. History Chicken farm The zoo's founder, ...

, a

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoo ...

, founded in 1932. * The Cunera Church, a

late-Gothic 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 ...

hall-church A hall church is a church with a nave and aisles of approximately equal height, often united under a single immense roof. The term was invented in the mid-19th century by Wilhelm Lübke, a pioneering German art historian. In contrast to an arch ...

, built between 1492 and 1531. * Modern

Roman Catholic church 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 ...

, built between 1958 and 1959. * Building 'De Brakke' from 1787. * Ruins of the 14th century

Medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the Post-classical, post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with t ...

defensive wall 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 ...

. * The , a round

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...

from 1893. * The estate. *

Military War Cemetery Grebbeberg Grebbeberg War Cemetery ( nl, Militair Ereveld Grebbeberg) is a Second World War military war grave cemetery, located on the Grebbeberg, a hill east of Rhenen the Netherlands. The cemetery contains 799 military personnel and one civilian who died ...

, a military cemetery on the

Transport

Rhenen railway station Rhenen is a railway station located in Rhenen, Netherlands. The station was opened on 18 February 1886 and is located on the Kesteren–Amersfoort railway (Maarn - Rhenen). The services are currently operated by Nederlandse Spoorwegen Nederla ...

Notable people

(1596-1632), Count Palatine and Elector of the Palatinate from 1610 to 1623 and King of Bohemia (as ''Frederick I'') from 1619 to 1620 *

Giedo van der Garde Giedo Gijsbertus Gerrit van der Garde (born 25 April 1985 in Rhenen, Netherlands) is a Dutch racing driver, currently competing in the 2022 IMSA SportsCar Championship for TDS Racing. From 2018 to 2021 he competed in the FIA World Endurance Ch ...

(born 1985), a Dutch racing driver * Touriya Haoud (born 1977), a Dutch actress, model and singer who lives in Los Angeles IMDb Database
retrieved 14 December 2019 *

Madelein Meppelink Madelein Meppelink (born 29 November 1989 in Rhenen) is a Dutch beach volleyball player. Professional career From 2007 to 2009 she played with Margo Wiltens. From 2009 to 2011 she played with Marloes Wesselink. From 2011 to 2013 she played wit ...

(born 1989), a Dutch beach volleyball player, competed in the

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...

and

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...

* Jacob Nienhuys (1836–1927), founded the tobacco producer Deli Company in

Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...

* Remy Reynierse (born 1961), is a former football player with 312 club caps, current coach at

Sheffield Wednesday F.C. Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...

Bibiane Schoofs Bibiane Schoofs (born 13 May 1988), previously known as Bibiane Weijers, is a Dutch professional tennis player. On 11 June 2012, she reached her career-high WTA singles ranking of 142, whilst her best doubles ranking was world No. 83 on 2 Apri ...

(born 1988), a Dutch professional tennis player * Jacobus Tollius (1633–1696), a Dutch

classicist Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

* Eelco Uri (born 1973), a Dutch male former water polo player, competed in the 1966 and

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...

* Lisa van Viegen (born 1978), stage name

iET __NOTOC__ IET can refer to: Organizations * Institute of Educational Technology, part of the Open University * Institution of Engineering and Technology, a UK-based professional engineering institution ** Institute of Engineers and Technicians, wh ...

, a Dutch singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist

Gallery

File:Rhenen, Militair Ereveld Grebbeberg IMG 9161 2019-04-19 13.11.jpg, War monument: Militair Ereveld Grebbeberg File:Rhenen, de Binnenmolen RM32465 IMG 9170 2019-04-19 14.00.jpg, Windmill: the Binnenmolen File:Lovely houses in Rhenen with characteristic wooden ornaments - panoramio.jpg, Houses in Rhenen with characteristic wooden ornaments File:HavenvanRhenen2010-2.jpg, Haven van Rhenen File:View of Rhenen, Jan Van Goyen, 1656.jpg, View of Rhenen, Jan Van Goyen, 1656 File:Pandasia Ouwehands Dierenpark 2017 4.jpg, Pandasia Ouwehands Dierenpark File:Straatbeeld - Rhenen - 20398412 - RCE.jpg, Straatbeeld, Rhenen File:Gezicht op Rhenen - Rhenen - 20396586 - RCE.jpg, Gezicht op Rhenen File:Rhenen - 2011 - panoramio (25).jpg, Rhenen, panoramio File:Rhenen Frederik van de Paltshof Poort.jpg, Rhenen, Frederik van de Paltshof Poort

References

External links

* {{Authority control Cities in the Netherlands Municipalities of Utrecht (province) Populated places in Utrecht (province)