Vught () 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 town in the southern

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 ...

, and lies just south of the industrial and administrative centre of

'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 ...

. Many commuters live in the municipality, and the town of Vught was once named "Best place to live" by the Dutch magazine ''

Elsevier Elsevier () is a Dutch academic publishing company specializing in scientific, technical, and medical content. Its products include journals such as ''The Lancet'', ''Cell'', the ScienceDirect collection of electronic journals, '' Trends'', th ...

''.

Population centres

Cromvoirt Cromvoirt is a village in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is located in the municipality of Vught. History The village was first mentioned in 1312 as Crumvoert, and means "crooked fordable place". The Catholic St Lambertus Church was b ...

Helvoirt Helvoirt () is a village and part of the municipality of Vught, Netherlands. History The village was first mentioned in 1192 as Hellevorth, and means "clear fordable place". Helvoirt developed in the Middle Ages on the road from Tilburg to 's- ...

*Vught

Topography

''Dutch topographic map of the municipality of Vught, 2021''

History

Early history

The first mention of Vught in the historical record dates to the eleventh century. By the fourteenth century, the

Teutonic Order The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...

had acquired the parish and set up a

commandery (feudalism) In the Middle Ages, a commandery (rarely commandry) was the smallest administrative division of the European landed properties of a military order. It was also the name of the house where the knights of the commandery lived.Anthony Luttrell and G ...

across from the Saint Lambert Church. In 1328, the residents of Vught were granted the right of municipality by the Duke of Brabant.

Eighty Years War

During the

Eighty Years War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) ( c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Refo ...

Vught was the site of struggles between Catholic interests and the troops of William of Orange. The Saint Lambert Church was made into a Reformed Protestant church in the year 1629, after the troops of

Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange Frederick Henry ( nl, Frederik Hendrik; 29 January 1584 – 14 March 1647) was the sovereign prince of Orange and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland, Utrecht, Guelders, Overijssel in the Dutch Republic from 1625 until his death in 1647. In the last ...

, were victorious in 's-Hertogenbosch.

World War II

Vught is known for having been the site of a transit/concentration camp (

Herzogenbusch , , german: Konzentrationslager Herzogenbusch , location map = Netherlands , map alt = , map caption = Location of the camp in the Netherlands , coordinates = , known for = , location = Vught, Netherlands , built by = N ...

) built by Nazi Germany during its occupation of the Netherlands in World War II. It was part of Camp Herzogenbusch, but usually better known as "Kamp Vught" (Camp Vught). The camp held male and female prisoners, many of them Jewish and political activists, captured in Belgium and the Netherlands. The guard staff included SS men and a few SS women, headed by

Oberaufseherin Aufseherin was the position title for a female guard in the Nazi concentration camps during World War II. Of the 50,000 guards who served in Nazi concentration camps, about 5,000 were women. In 1942, the first female guards arrived at Auschwitz a ...

Margarete Gallinat Oberaufseherin Margarete Gallinat (born 1894, date of death unknown) was the chief supervisor at Kamp Vught, Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , s ...

. The SS initially used this location as a transit camp to gather mostly Jewish prisoners for classification and transportation to camps in Poland and other areas. A group of women were severely punished for standing up for another female prisoner. Seventy-four women were pushed into a cell room of barely nine square meters and held there for over fourteen hours. Ten of the women died, and several suffered permanent physical or mental damage. The camp commander responsible was demoted by

Himmler Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...

to the regular rank of soldier and sent to the Hungarian front; he died there in 1945. Dutch underground members Corrie and Betsie ten Boom were held at Vught in 1944, before being sent to Ravensbrück concentration camp. Vught was also a transition camp for many of the female laborers at the Agfa Kamerawerke in München-Giesing, where they built ignition and camera devices.

Poncke Princen Johannes Cornelis Princen (21 November 1925 – 2 February 2002), also known as Poncke Princen, was a Dutch anti-Nazi fighter and activist. In 1948, he deserted, joining the pro-independence guerrillas in what was then the Dutch Indies. ...

, who would later become known for going over to the

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

n guerrillas opposing Dutch rule, was imprisoned at Vught for his anti-Nazi activities. Vught was liberated by the Canadians at the end of the war, but only after German guards killed several hundred prisoners held there, mainly by firing squad.

Camp in post-war times

After

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 ...

, the camp was first used as a prison for Germans and collaborators. Some of the camp has been preserved as a national monument related to the Nazi occupation during World War II. (See photo.) The barracks of Camp Vught were later adapted into a number of home units to house Indonesian

Molucca The Maluku Islands (; Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Maluku'') or the Moluccas () are an archipelago in the east of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located ...

n exiles, former soldiers of the Netherlands armed forces and their families who were transferred to the Netherlands after Indonesian independence. In addition, a prison called ''Nieuw Vosseveld'' was built on part of the site of Camp Vught. In the beginning, it chiefly held young offenders. Today it is used for high-risk criminals. To this end, the prison was equipped with a high security unit, or EBI, in 1993.

Politics

On 2 April 2007 Roderick van de Mortel (VVD) was appointed mayor of Vught. The current aldermen are Peter Pennings (GB, also vice mayor), Saskia Heijboer-Klapwijk (VVD) and Wilbert Seuren (D66).

Landmarks and nature

Just outside the town border lies the lake ''IJzeren Man'' (literally translated Iron Man). It was named after the machine that dug it in the years 1890 to 1915. The sand was needed as fill for the expansion of the nearby city of

. The lake is about 2 kilometers long, has a small island and is now mainly used for recreation. Maurick Castle dates back to the 13th century. In 1629 the castle was occupied by

. Frederick Henry wanted to have the castle as his headquarters for his siege of

. The castle has been adapted to house a restaurant, which has been recognized with one Michelin Star. Vught is home to the Bredero barracks, which houses the Ministry of Defence's

CBRN defense Chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defence (CBRN defence) are protective measures taken in situations in which chemical warfare, chemical, biological warfare, biological, radiological warfare, radiological or nuclear warfare, nucle ...

training center. After the village of

and surroundings had been transferred from the former municipality of Haaren to Vught in 2021, the eastern part of national park the

Loonse en Drunense Duinen De Loonse en Drunense Duinen National Park ''(duinen = dunes)'' is a national park situated in the south of the Netherlands, between the cities of Tilburg, Waalwijk and 's-Hertogenbosch. It has been designated as a national park since 2002. It is ...

is part of the municipality.

Ewald Marggraff

Ewald Marggraff was a well-to-do nobleman who lived in Vught in the twentieth century. He became a

hermit A hermit, also known as an eremite (adjectival form: hermitic or eremitic) or solitary, is a person who lives in seclusion. Eremitism plays a role in a variety of religions. Description In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Ch ...

, but had studied law and acquired a large amount of land and several buildings. He frequently argued with the local authorities, mostly over land issues. He chose to let all his properties deteriorate, which officials opposed, but letting his lands go enabled them to return to natural habitat. Animal species lived on his land that had disappeared elsewhere. His land holdings in and around the town of Vught were never open to the general public. On 7 December 2003 Marggraff's manor (Zionsburg) burned down; his body was found later in the entrance hallway near the front door. Marggraff's surviving sisters founded a non-profit corporation, ''Marggraff stichting,'' to take over and manage their late brother's extensive landholdings for public use. The organisation has opened up the land for public access, allowing people from around the region to hike in the forests. The non-profit also has plans to rebuild Marggraff's manor. In cooperation with SIX Architects BNA from

Zeist Zeist () is the capital and largest town of the municipality of Zeist. The town is located in the Utrecht province of the Netherlands, east of the city of Utrecht. History The town of "Seist" was first mentioned in a charter in the year 83 ...

, The Netherlands, it developed design and use plans, which are now under consideration by the local authorities.

Department of corrections — PI Vught

From 1953, part of the former detention camp was developed as a juvenile prison. Today it contains 15 separate units, holding 2400 prisoners. PI Vught has a prison with the status of a high-security unit. Amongst the criminals imprisoned there are: *

Samir Azzouz Samir Azzouz (born 27 June 1986) is a Dutch national of Morocco, Moroccan descent. He was incarcerated in Nieuw Vosseveld on suspicion of attempting to procure heavy firearms and planning terrorism, terrorist attacks. He was also suspected to be ...

, terrorist with ties to

Hofstad Network The Hofstad Network was an Islamist terror group composed mostly of Dutch citizens. The terror group was composed mainly of young men between the ages of 18 and 32. The name "Hofstad" was originally the codename the Dutch secret service AIVD used ...

. Released in 2013. *

Mohammed Bouyeri Mohammed Bouyeri ( ar, محمد بويري ; born 8 March 1978) is a Moroccan-Dutch convicted terrorist serving a life sentence without parole in the prison of Nieuw Vosseveld (Vught) for the assassination of Dutch film director Theo van Gogh. A ...

, murderer of

Theo van Gogh (film director) Theodoor van Gogh (; 23 July 1957 – 2 November 2004) was a Dutch film director. He directed ''Submission (2004 film), Submission: Part 1'', a short film written by Somali writer and politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali, which criticised the treatment ...

. Serving a life sentence without parole. *

Willem Holleeder Willem Frederik Holleeder (born 29 May 1958) is a Dutch criminal. He is nicknamed ''De Neus'' (''The Nose'') because of the size of his nose. In 1983, Holleeder was sentenced to eleven years' imprisonment for his involvement in the kidnapping o ...

, one of the perpetrators in the kidnapping of

Freddy Heineken Alfred Henry "Freddy" Heineken (4 November 1923 – 3 January 2002) was a Dutch businessman for Heineken International, the brewing company bought in 1864 by his grandfather Gerard Adriaan Heineken in Amsterdam. He served as chairman of the boar ...

. Life imprisonment. * , nicknamed ,

drug dealer A drug is any chemical substance A chemical substance is a form of matter having constant chemical composition and characteristic properties. Some references add that chemical substance cannot be separated into its constituent elements by ...

. Released in 2000. *

Curtis Warren Curtis Francis WarrenBarnes, Tony; Richard Elias; Peter Walsh. 2003 ''Cocky: the rise and fall of Curtis Warren, Britain's biggest drug baron'' (also known as Cocky; born 31 May 1963) is an English gangster and drugs trafficker who was formerly I ...

, British drug trafficker. Released in 2007. *

Ridouan Taghi Ridouan Taghi (born 20 December 1977) is a Moroccan-Dutch criminal who became a prime suspect in at least ten murders related to organised crime, drug trafficking and leading a criminal organisation. Until his late 2019 arrest in Dubai, Taghi w ...

, drug trafficker and murderer.

Transport

Vught has a railway station with connections to

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city and a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, pro ...

via

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 ...

via

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 ...

and

Nijmegen Nijmegen (;; Spanish and it, Nimega. Nijmeegs: ''Nimwèège'' ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and tenth largest of the Netherlands as a whole, located on the Waal river close to the German border. It is about 6 ...

. Highway 2 / European route E25, E25 and Highway 65 / N93 (Netherlands), N93 intersect at Vught. As well as two

Arriva Arriva plc is a British multinational public transport company headquartered in Sunderland, England.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 ...

Notable residents

Public thinking & Public Service

* Isaac Jan

Alexander Gogel Isaac Jan Alexander Gogel (10 December 1765 – 13 June 1821) was a Dutch politician, who was the first minister of finance of the Batavian Republic and the Kingdom of Holland. He married Catharina van Hasselt in 1800, and had three children. Car ...

(1765 in Vught – 1821) first Minister of finance of the

Batavian Republic The Batavian Republic ( nl, Bataafse Republiek; french: République Batave) was the successor state to the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on 19 January 1795 and ended on 5 June 1806, with the accession of Louis Bona ...

* Betsie ten Boom (1885–1944) &

Corrie ten Boom Cornelia Arnolda Johanna "Corrie" ten Boom (15 April 1892 – 15 April 1983) was a Dutch watchmaker and later a Christian writer and public speaker, who worked with her father, Casper ten Boom, her sister Betsie ten Boom and other family member ...

(1892–1983), sisters, Christian

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...

survivors who housed Jewish families in their home and were held at Kamp Vught in WW11 *

Frans Teulings Franciscus Gerardus Cornelis Josephus Marie "Frans" Teulings (15 November 1891 – 23 June 1966) was a Dutch politician of the defunct Roman Catholic State Party (RKSP) and later co-founder of the Catholic People's Party (KVP) now merged into th ...

(1891 – 1966 in Vught) a Dutch politician and

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...

1951/1952 *

Anton de Kom Cornelis Gerhard Anton de Kom (22 February 1898 – 24 April 1945) was a Surinamese resistance fighter and anti-colonialist author. He was arrested in Suriname and the protest against his arrest resulted in two deaths. De Kom was subsequently ...

(1898–1945) Surinamese

resistance fighter A resistance movement is an organized effort by some portion of the civil population of a country to withstand the legally established government or an occupying power and to disrupt civil order and stability. It may seek to achieve its objectives ...

and anti-colonialist author *

Damiaen Joan van Doorninck Damiaen J. van Doorninck (29 August 1902 Vught, Netherlands - 24 September 1987, Mynachlog-ddu, Wales

(1902 in Vught - 1987) a naval officer and a

POW A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war ...

Colditz Colditz () is a small town in the district of Leipzig, in Saxony, Germany. It is best known for Colditz Castle, the site of the Oflag IV-C POW camp for officers in World War II. Geography Colditz is situated in the Leipzig Bay, southeast of the ...

* Ewald Marggraff (1923 in Vught – 2003) ''see narrative above'' * Edy Korthals Altes (born 1924 in Vught) economist, Dutch diplomat and peace advocate *

Ad Geelhoed Leendert Adrie "Ad" Geelhoed (12 November 1942 – 20 April 2007) was a Dutch professor, civil service worker, and Advocate-General of the European Court of Justice. Biography Geelhoed was born in 1942 in Vught, he finished his study of Dutch la ...

(1942 in Vught – 2007) a law professor, civil servant and Advocate-General of the

European Court of Justice The European Court of Justice (ECJ, french: Cour de Justice européenne), formally just the Court of Justice, is the supreme court of the European Union in matters of European Union law. As a part of the Court of Justice of the European Un ...

Jeroen Oerlemans Jeroen Oerlemans (15 May 1970 – 2 October 2016) was a Dutch photographer and war correspondent who reported mainly from the Near East and Afghanistan. His photographs were published in ''Newsweek,'' ''Time,'' ''The Guardian,'' '' Internation ...

(1970 in Vught – 2016) a Dutch photographer and war correspondent Joost Prinsen in de Stratemakeropzeeshow

The Arts

* Erna Spoorenberg (1925 – 2004 in Vught) a Dutch soprano * Misha Geller (1937 – 2007 in Vught) a Russian viola player and composer * Joost Prinsen (born 1942 in Vught) a Dutch actor, TV presenter, singer and writer * Mina Witteman (born 1959 in Vught) a Dutch children's author Dutch Wiki, Mina Witteman * Maarten van der Vleuten (born 1967 in Vught) a Dutch producer, composer and recording artist *

Jan-Hein Arens Jan-Hein Arens (Vught, the Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independ ...

(born 1974 in Vught) a Dutch painter, sculptor and illustrator

Sport

* Tonny van Lierop (1910 in Vught – 1982) a Dutch field hockey player and team bronze medallist in the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympics, were an international multi-sp ...

Harry Schulting Hermanus Richardus Johannes "Harry" Schulting (born 14 February 1956) is a Dutch former middle-distance runner and hurdler. Schulting won a gold medal on the 400 m hurdles at the 1979 Summer Universiade in Mexico City Mexico City ( es, link=no ...

(born 1956) a Dutch Olympian at the 400 meter hurdles and Dutch record holder, lives and works in Vught * Pierre Hermans (born 1953 in Vught) a former field hockey goalkeeper, competed at the

1984 Summer Olympics The 1984 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXIII Olympiad and also known as Los Angeles 1984) were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the secon ...

Simon Tahamata Simon Melkianus Tahamata (born 26 May 1956) is a Dutch-Moluccan Association football, football coach and former professional player who played for Dutch and Belgian clubs. He also played 22 times for the Netherlands national football team, Dutch n ...

(born 1956 in Vught) a former Dutch /

Maluku Islands The Maluku Islands (; Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Maluku'') or the Moluccas () are an archipelago in the east of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located eas ...

/ Belgian footballer with 604 club caps *

Bas de Bever Bas may refer to: People * Bas (name), a given name and a surname * Bas (rapper) (born 1987) Chemistry * Boron arsenide (BAs), a chemical compound * Barium sulfide (BAs), a chemical compound Other uses * ''bas'' (French for "low"), as in bas- ...

(born 1968 in Vught) a Dutch former professional BMX racer *

Martijn Bok Martijn Bok (born 8 March 1973) is a retired Netherlands, Dutch tennis player. Bok has a career high Association of Tennis Professionals, ATP singles ranking of 212 achieved on 22 May 1995. He also has a career high doubles ranking of 204 achieve ...

(born 1973) a retired Dutch tennis player, lives in Vught * Thomas Kortbeek (born 1979) a retired Dutch international athlete at the 400 meter hurdles, lives and works in Vught * Vincent Kortbeek (born 1982 in Vught) as retired Dutch Olympian in bobsleigh *

Paul Beekmans Paul Beekmans (born 3 January 1982) is a Dutch football manager and former player who mainly played as a defensive midfielder. He is currently assistant manager of Eerste Divisie side FC Den Bosch. Club career He formerly played for FC Den Bo ...

(born 1982 in Vught) a football manager and former player with 280 club caps *

Koen van de Laak Koen van de Laak (born 3 September 1982) is a Dutch former professional footballer. He played for Den Bosch, Groningen and Ajax Cape Town in South Africa. Career Den Bosch Born in Vught, Koen van de Laak started to play for a local club named ...

(born 1982 in Vught) a former professional footballer with 290 club caps *

Wouter van der Steen Wouter van der Steen (born 3 June 1990) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for FC Den Bosch in the Dutch Eerste Divisie. He formerly played for Helmond Sport and SC Heerenveen. Club career Van der Steen did not extend ...

(born 1990 in Vught) a Dutch professional football goalkeeper with nearly 200 club caps * Indy de Vroome (born 1996 in Cromvoirt) a Dutch tennis player * Florian Rijkers (born 2005 in Vught) a dutch professional basketball player for heroes Den Bosch

Gallery

File:Vught, kerk2 foto5 20-11-05-30 13.25.JPG, Vught, church: Vughtse toren File:Roucouleur rectorswoning-Vught.JPG, Roucouleur rectorswoning, Vught File:Uitzichtmaurickplein.JPG, Maurick square, Vught File:IJzerenman vught.JPG, IJzeren Man lake, Vught

References

External links

*
Kamp Vught

Vughts Historisch Museum
{{Authority control Municipalities of North Brabant Populated places in North Brabant Holocaust locations in the Netherlands