Naarden () is 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 ...

and former

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 ...

in the

Gooi The Gooi () is an area around Hilversum, in the centre of the Netherlands. It is a slightly hilly area characterised by its green landscape, its historical charm, the wealth of its inhabitants, and its villas. The Gooi is known in the Netherlan ...

region in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

of North Holland,

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 has been part of the new municipality of

Gooise Meren Gooise Meren () is a municipality in the province of North Holland, the Netherlands. It has about 56,000 inhabitants and covers an area of about . Gooise Meren has existed since 2016. It is a merger of the former municipalities of Bussum, Muiden, ...

since 2016.

History

Naarden was granted its city rights in 1300 (the only town in the Gooi with these rights) and later developed into a fortified garrison town with a textile industry. Naarden is an example of a star fort, complete with

fortified 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'' ...

walls and a moat. The moat and walls have been restored on numerous occasions, most notably during the French era (1795-1814). After the Battle of Leipzig (1813), the Netherlands were liberated by an allied force of Dutch, Prussian and Russian armies. During this period, Naarden was besieged for months since the French commander didn't believe that Napoleon was captured. In May 1814, the French soldiers left the city in a retreat with honour (see

Siege of Naarden (1813-1814) A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or a well-prepared assault. This derives from la, sedere, lit=to sit. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characterize ...

John Amos Comenius John Amos Comenius (; cs, Jan Amos Komenský; pl, Jan Amos Komeński; german: Johann Amos Comenius; Latinization (literature), Latinized: ''Ioannes Amos Comenius''; 28 March 1592 – 15 November 1670) was a Czech Philosophy, philosopher, Ped ...

, 17th century Moravian born Czech educator was buried in the city, and his mausoleum is open for visitors. Despite its earlier importance, Naarden's population was surpassed by Hilversum in the 18th century and today it is smaller than its neighbour

Bussum Bussum () is a commuter town and former municipality in the Gooi region in the south east of the province of North Holland in the Netherlands near Hilversum. Since 2016, Bussum has been part of the new municipality of Gooise Meren. Bussum had ...

. The city's distinctive shape made it a rallying point for Allied bombers returning to England after raids on Germany. Naarden was a separate municipality until 2015. On 1 January 2016, the municipality of Naarden merged with

Muiden Muiden () is a city and former municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It lies at the mouth of the Vecht and is in an area called the Vechtstreek. Since 2016, Muiden has been part of the new municipality of Gooise Mere ...

and

to form the new municipality of

Economy

The company Stork B.V. had its head office in Naarden.

Geography

The city of Naarden is located in the municipality of

in the west of the

. It is situated in the

region in the southeast of the province of North Holland.

Attractions

Naarden is the home of the

Dutch Fortress Museum The Dutch Fortress Museum (Nederlands Vestingmuseum) is located in the city of Naarden, The Netherlands. The Museum was established by volunteers in 1955 at bastion Turfpoort, one of six bastions that give the walled city its distinctive star sha ...

(''Nederlands Vestingmuseum''). Naarden hosts the bi-annual Naarden Photo Festival and, on Good Friday, a performance of

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the ''Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wor ...

's St. Matthew Passion (Bach), St. Matthew Passion in the local church, which is called the Great Church or St. Vitus Church. The Great Church, Naarden

The Great Church (''Grote Kerk'') in Marktstraat dates from the 15th century. Prior to the Protestant Reformation it was named for St. Vitus. It is one of the oldest surviving churches in The Netherlands, having had the good fortune to survive the Spanish invasion of 1572 and the subsequent burning of the town. The church has numerous wooden vaults that are painted with scenes from the Old Testament, Old and New Testaments. These were hidden for many years and were only rediscovered in a recent restoration. The church is the venue for a number of cultural activities such as organ music nights and the bi-annual Naarden Photo festival. The Spanish House, Naarden

The Spanish House (''Spaanse Huis''), situated at Turfpoortstraat 27, was originally a church building converted to house migrants. In 1572 Spanish troops Massacre of Naarden, conducted a massacre of some 700 inhabitants who had gathered to hear a peace proposal. The Spanish then fired on the assembled citizens, and went on to set fire to the town. A plaque above the lintel of the door and below the eaves commemorates the massacre. In 1615, after the population had reestablished itself, they built the city hall on the site. Part of the building was given over to De Waag (The Scales House), the municipal office entrusted with the verification of weights and measures. The building later served a French garrison as a bakery, turning out over 1000 loaves per day. From 1967 until 1992 it served as the Comenius museum. Today, the historic building serves as the Weegschaal Museum. Naarden is also the place where John Amos Comenius is buried in a mausoleum on Klooster straat. This place receives many visitors from Czechia, where he was born. Comenius is known as the inventor of our school system with grades and different classes.

Transport

The nearest station is Naarden-Bussum railway station, which has services to Almere, Amersfoort, Amsterdam and Utrecht (city), Utrecht.

Notable residents

* Nordin Amrabat (born 1987), football player * Willem Arondeus (1894–1943), professional artist, author and Dutch Resistance member * Tom Coronel (born 1972), racing driver * Maarten de Bruijn (born 1965), product designer * Annemarie Groen (born 1955), backstroke swimmer * Egbert Haverkamp-Begemann (born 1923), art historian * Tom van 't Hek (born 1958), field hockey player and coach * Frank Martin (composer), Frank Martin (1890–1974), Swiss composer who lived in Naarden from 1954 * Bertil Schmüll (born 1946), engraver * Salomon van Ruysdael (~1602–1670), painter * Jacob Spiers (born 1987), anthropologist and professional jump rope athlete

References

External links

*
Official website

A view on the old city of Naarden
{{Authority control Geography of Gooise Meren Former municipalities of North Holland Populated places in North Holland Municipalities of the Netherlands disestablished in 2016 Cities in the Netherlands Fortifications in the Netherlands Fortified settlements Star forts 1300 establishments in Europe