Ven-Zelderheide is a village in the southeast

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 is located in the municipality of

Gennep Gennep () is a municipality and a city in upper southeastern Netherlands. It lies in the very northern part of the province of Limburg, 18 km south of Nijmegen. Furthermore, it lies on the right bank of the Meuse river, and south of the forest ...

Limburg Limburg or Limbourg may refer to: Regions * Limburg (Belgium), a province since 1839 in the Flanders region of Belgium * Limburg (Netherlands), a province since 1839 in the south of the Netherlands * Diocese of Limburg, Roman Catholic Diocese in ...

. In 2011 the population reached just over 800. The town has a typical linear geography with most of its residences situated along its two main roads; the Kleefseweg and the Vensestraat. In the southwest, Ven-Zelderheide is bordered by the town Ottersum, and in northeast it is bordered by

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. A windmill (

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

) called; Rest after Labor (Dutch: Rust na Arbeid) is situated at the Kleefseweg.

History

Early writings on Zelder date from the end of the 14th century. In this time Zelder was part of Guelders and was managed by Johan Kodken van Zeller who lived in Haus Driesberg in a neighboring town called Kessel.

Name

The town comprised three areas, which have influenced the town's current name. The first part, “Ven” originates from the Dutch word “veen” which means

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 efficient ...

, referring to the original vegetation in the northern part before it was cultivated and turned into arable land. The second part, “Zelderheide” means: moorland of Zelder, referring to the former central situated moorland. Historically, the town consisted of three areas: an area of peat, an area with moorland and an area called Zelder, the latter is situated in the south. Locally the town is referred to as “Het Ven”.

Legend

According to a local legend, somewhere in the 15th century, the Dutchess of Cleves made a visit to Lord van Zeller. The road in Ven-Zelderheide on the way back to her castle in Cleves was so bad that the axle of her carriage broke and the carriage got stuck in the mud. The two coachmen quickly scanned the area in the incoming darkness but there were no people around. The Dutchess shouted for help but no one came. She then desperately prayed 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 then, all of a sudden, men started rushing in to help. To show her gratitude to the people of Ven-Zelderheide, she had a chapel built, devoted to Anthony the Great. The chapel can be seen in the Vensestraat.

The Zelder estate

The southern part of Ven-Zelderheide is considered an estate named Zelder. It is largely surrounded by the river

Niers The Niers (, ) is a river in Germany and The Netherlands, a right tributary of the river Maas (Meuse). Its wellspring is near Erkelenz, south of Mönchengladbach, in North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany). Course and length The Niers flows through Mö ...

. A large part of the estates consists of the national nature reserve the Zelderse Driessen. During two separate archeological excavations on Zelder, in 1990 and 1997,H Stoepker, S Baetsen, G Tak, W Loerts 2007. Het Merovingische grafveld te Gennep-Venzelderheide, ROB a Merovingan cemetery dating from 6th/7th century was exposed. Gifts, like weapons and jewelry, found along with the graves, and two horse graves, indicated that some of the people buried there where of great wealth. On the estate is a company situated called Euro Grass, previously known as Zelder, that is specialized in breeding new grass varieties. The estate also has a chapel situated on a mound, built around the year 1600. The chapel is surrounded by several old monumental farmhouses.

References

External links

{{Commons, Ven-Zelderheide
Official site
Populated places in Limburg (Netherlands) Gennep