Tegelen ( li, Tegele) is a village in the municipality of

Venlo Venlo () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southeastern Netherlands, close to the border with Germany. It is situated in the province of Limburg (Netherland ...

, situated 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 ...

. It was an independent municipality until 2001, when it was merged into the municipality of Venlo.

Tiglian

The name of the

glacial A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate betw ...

stage of

Tiglian The Tiglian, also referred to as the Tegelen, is a temperate complex stage in the glacial history of Northern Europe. It is preceded by the Praetiglian (stage). The stage was introduced by Zagwijn in 1957 based on geological formations in Tegelen i ...

(part of the

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...

) is derived from Tegelen because of the many

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

s found there from this era in the local clay.

History

During excavations in Tegelen Roman pottery and tile ovens were found. The Sint-Martinus church is mentioned in

diocesan In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associate ...

and monasterial archives dating back to the year 800. Because of its strategic location, various

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 ...

s and reinforced

farm A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...

s were soon established. The most important of these were the and the . During the

Middle Ages 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 period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

, there were several battles in and around Tegelen, because of its proximity to the

walled 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 ...

. Over time, a

barracks Barracks are usually a group of long buildings built to house military personnel or laborers. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word "barraca" ("soldier's tent"), but today barracks are u ...

was established in Venlo, and a

fortification A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

in neighbouring

Blerick Blerick (; li, Bliërik ; ) is a city district of the Dutch municipality of Venlo. It lies on the west bank of the Meuse and its origin goes back to the Roman era as a military stronghold and settlement en route from Mosa Trajectum (Maastricht) ...

. As a result, from the 16th century until the 18th century Tegelen was regularly visited by plundering armies.

Part of Jülich

For centuries Tegelen was part of the

Duchy of Jülich The Duchy of Jülich (german: Herzogtum Jülich; nl, Hertogdom Gulik; french: Duché de Juliers) comprised a state within the Holy Roman Empire from the 11th to the 18th centuries. The duchy lay west of the Rhine river and was bordered by th ...

, while neighbouring Venlo belonged to the

Duchy of 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 p ...

. So literally, according to the people of Tegelen Venlo was "abroad" and vice versa. This explains the differences between the local dialects of the neighbouring towns and the rivalry between these parts of the city that persists to this day. The black, uncrowned lion on a golden ground, in the coat of arms and the flag of Tegelen can be found in the coat of arms of the

. For Jülich it was very important to have access to the

Meuse The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...

river. Tegelen, with its harbour at

Steyl Steyl (; li, Sjteil ) is a village in the Tegelen district of the municipality of Venlo, the Netherlands. The village on the river Meuse is mainly known for its monasteries. In 2004, a section of the village including four monasteries was made a c ...

, was the most northern one, the other one being

Urmond Urmond is a village in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is located in the municipality of Stein. The village was first mentioned in 1153 as Ouermunte. The current name means "mouth of the Ur", however the Ur has later moved to village. Urmond de ...

near

Sittard Sittard (; ) is a city in the Netherlands, situated in the southernmost province of Limburg. The town is part of the municipality of Sittard-Geleen and has almost 37.500 inhabitants in 2016. In its east, Sittard borders the German municipali ...

. In

Napoleonic Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

times, the former duchy of Jülich became part of the Roer department. Tegelen, Sittard and Urmond were ceded to the

United Kingdom of the Netherlands The United Kingdom of the Netherlands ( nl, Verenigd Koninkrijk der Nederlanden; french: Royaume uni des Pays-Bas) is the unofficial name given to the Kingdom of the Netherlands as it existed between 1815 and 1839. The United Netherlands was cr ...

in 1815, resulting in the Netherlands finally obtaining complete control of the river from

Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...

northward.

Industrial activities

Early in the 19th century Tegelen developed into a regional centre of industry. At first, tile and pottery factories were established, and later that century, metallurgy and tobacco factories. After 1900

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

was added to the mix. Pottery and related industries were very successful in Tegelen from 1750 until

World War II 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 ...

. Economic and social life before that war was dominated by a small number of factory-owning families that would scratch each other's backs. One infamous episode illustrating the way they treated their work force and how they controlled their lives occurred during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The producers of clay products claimed that the embargo on Germany brought them to the brink of bankruptcy, and the only way they could survive was to drastically reduce wages. The work force went on strike but soon the strike fund was depleted. The local clergy helped negotiate a settlement allowing labourers to return to work for a salary that barely exceeded subsistence levels. It later transpired that there had never been any risk of any of the producers going bankrupt, and that this drastic reduction in labour cost had allowed them to make exorbitant profits. This is still evident from the gigantic villas in which these families lived and of which a number are still standing. After the war, the number of factories in Tegelen steadily decreased. All

smelter Smelting is a process of applying heat to ore, to extract a base metal. It is a form of extractive metallurgy. It is used to extract many metals from their ores, including Silver mining#Ore processing, silver, iron-making, iron, copper extracti ...

s, including Globe, known throughout the Netherlands for providing drainage covers, disappeared. There are still three operating factories producing clay products, all except Keramische Industrie Limburg, are now in foreign ownership. One

chimney A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typic ...

, previously owned by a stone cutter named Canoy Herfkens, is still standing as a reminder of Tegelen's industrial heyday. In 2001 Tegelen was merged into the municipality of Venlo.

Culture

The centuries-old expertise in ceramics and pottery is kept alive by courses held in the ceramic center of the

tithe barn A tithe barn was a type of barn used in much of northern Europe in the Middle Ages for storing rents and tithes. Farmers were required to give one-tenth of their produce to the established church. Tithe barns were usually associated with the vi ...

. Tegelen has several theater, music and choral organisations. It is internationally famous for its Passion Play held every five years in the years that are divisible by 5, in Openluchttheater De Doolhof. These always attract many visitors. The same open air theater hosts Tegelen's Bluesrock Festival every year.

Characters

Exterieur GEDEELTE VOORGEVEL, ZIJGEVEL - Tegelen - 20304485 - RCE

Tegelen has had its fair share of colourful characters. By far the most famous of these is "Baron" , a Prussian aristocrat who inherited the castle of Holtmuhle in the 18th century. He loved the army life so much that he owned a privately financed army corps that fought in the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754� ...

. More locally famous, before 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 ...

, were the pub owners "Joës en Petatte Nelke", Gustaaf Schreurs and Petronella Muller, who had a song written about them and a statue erected for them in the market square.

''En as weej wir nao Tegele gáon,''
''dèn gáon weej nao Petatte-Nelke.''
''Dao drinke weej ’n sjöpke beer,''
''en hebbe weej ouch vuël plezeer!''
''En Joes, dae haet zô’n lollig vrouwke,''
''die duit t’r sôkker in, die duit t’r sôkker in.''
''Al in det beer, al in det beer,''
''die duit t’r sôkker al in det beer!''

Translation:

When we to Tegele return,
We'll go and see Potato Nelke
Where we'll knock back a pint of beer
and have some good old fashioned cheer!
And Joës's lady is a joker,
She puts some sugar in, she puts some sugar in
Our pint of beer, our pint of beer,
She puts some sugar in our beer!

Former mayors

* 1798-1806 G.J. Antoon Thijssen (function formerly known as Agent and after that, Maire) * 1807 Balthasar Hasenbach * 1807-1808 Willem Houba (Maire provisoire) * 1808-1815 Jean Guillaume Kamp (Maire) * 1815-1817 No mayor;

Prussian Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...

* 1817-1830 Jean Guillaume Kamp (function formerly known as Maire and after that, Schout) * 1831-1836 Jan Josef Ronck (function is called Mayor from now on) * 1836-1848 Peter van Leipsig * 1848 Peter Kurstjens (acting Mayor) * 1848-1852 Gerardus Johannes de Rijc * 1852-1862 Louis Pierre Quillaume Hubert de Rijk * 1862 Jan van Leipsig (acting Mayor) * 1862-1868 Jacob Beelen * 1888-1906 Karel de Rijk * 1906-1921 W.R. Carel van Basten Batenburg * 1921-1927 Martin Willem J. Coenders * 1927-1944 Mr. Felix Marie Casper Pesch * 1944-1945 Ortsgruppenführer Potthof * 1945-1960 Mr. Felix Marie Casper Pesch * 1961-1979 Mr. Eugène G.G.M. Rutten * 1979-1981 Niek Goossens (

Deputy Mayor The deputy mayor (also known as vice mayor, assistant mayor, or mayor ''pro tem'') is an elective or appointive office of the second-ranking official that is present in many, but not all, local governments. Duties and functions Many elected dep ...

) * 1981-2000 Drs. Piet J.M. Visschers, final mayor

Born in Tegelen

* Toine Ambaum (*1941), lexicographer *

Carla Beurskens Carolina ("Carla") Alwina Hubertina Beurskens (born 10 February 1952) was one of Holland's most prominent female long-distance runners from the second half of the 1970s until well into the 1990s, including all distances from 3000 metres to the ma ...

(*1952), athlete * Huub Beurskens, writer * Caspar Franssen, architect * André van den Heuvel, actor *

Chantal Janzen Chantal Janzen (; born 15 February 1979) is a Dutch actress, singer and TV presenter. She had parts in '' The Preacher'', ''Full Moon Party'' and '' Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo'' and presented '' Idols''. She also played Belle in the Dutch mu ...

(*1979), musical star and actress * Jeffrey Menick (*1970), networking professor * Nick Muller (*1991), vlaai manager *

Ted Noten Ted Noten (18 December 1956) is a Dutch conceptual artist. He is especially known for his '' Turbo Princess'' pendant featuring a mouse wearing a small pearl necklace, and his solid acrylic handbags and suitcases containing guns. A broad spectrum ...

(*1956), jewellery designer and conceptual artist * Frans Pollux, singer * Marlou Propst (*1989), marketing specialist *

Huub Stapel Hubertus Wijnandus Jozef Marie (Huub) Stapel (born 2 December 1954, in Tegelen) is a Dutch actor. He is especially known from the films ''De Lift'' (1983), '' Flodder'' (1986) and '' Amsterdamned'' (1988) by Dick Maas. He also appeared in the G ...

, actor * Theo Thurlings, politician *

Ben Verbong Ben Verbong (born 2 July 1949) is a Dutch film director and screenwriter. He has directed 18 films since 1981. His debut film ''The Girl with the Red Hair'' was entered into the 32nd Berlin International Film Festival. Selected filmography * '' ...

, film director * Mariet Verbong (1939–2006), writer *

Sjors Verdellen Sjors Verdellen (born 29 November 1981) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a centre back. Career Born in Tegelen, Verdellen began his career in 1999 with VVV-Venlo, and later played with MVV Maastricht Maatschappelijk ...

, football player * Myra Ward (1916–1990), actress *

Max Warmerdam Max Warmerdam (born 30 March 2000) is a Dutch chess grandmaster. Chess career Warmerdam earned his FIDE master title in 2015, followed by the international master title in 2018. After qualifying through the "top nine-round event" at the 2019 T ...

(born 2000), chess player

Sources

*A.J. Welschen 2000-2005: Course ''Dutch Society and Culture'', International School for Humanities and Social Studies ISHSS, Universiteit van Amsterdam

External links

Korte geschiedenis van Tegelen

Website van de gemeente Venlo

Website van keramiek centrum De Tiendschuur

Enkele foto's

statue of pub owners
{{Authority control Boroughs of Venlo Populated places in Limburg (Netherlands) Former municipalities of Limburg (Netherlands) Municipalities of the Netherlands disestablished in 2001