Giessen is a village in the
Dutch province of
North Brabant
North Brabant ( nl, Noord-Brabant ; Brabantian: ; ), also unofficially called Brabant, is a province in the south of the Netherlands. It borders the provinces of South Holland and Gelderland to the north, Limburg to the east, Zeeland to th ...
. It is located in the municipality of
Altena
Altena (; Westphalian: ''Altenoa'') is a town in the district of Märkischer Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The town's castle is the origin for the later Dukes of Berg. Altena is situated on the Lenne river valley, in the northern str ...
, about 7 km southeast of
Gorinchem
Gorinchem ( or ), also spelled Gorkum, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of of which is water. It had a population of in .
The municipality of Gorinchem al ...
.
History
The village was first mentioned in 1178 as Giscen. It is named after a river, however the etymology is unclear. Giessen developed in the Middle Ages along the
Afgedamde Maas.
The Dutch Reformed church dates was built on a ''
terp
A ''terp'', also known as a ''wierde, woerd, warf, warft, werf, werve, wurt'' or ''værft'', is an artificial dwelling mound found on the North European Plain that has been created to provide safe ground during storm surges, high tides ...
'' (artificial living hill). It was constructed in the 14th century. In 1755, the tower collapsed due to frequently flooding. The church was enlarged in 1856.
Giessen was home to 360 people in 1840.
Giessen was a separate municipality until 1973, when it became a part of the former municipality of
Woudrichem
Woudrichem (; Brabantian: ''Woerkum'') is a city and former municipality in the province of North Brabant in the Netherlands.
History
The city of Woudrichem was granted city rights in 1356.
Geography
The municipality is located at in th ...
.
Giessen nowadays forms a single urban area with
Rijswijk
Rijswijk (), formerly known as Ryswick ( ) in English, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Its population was in , and it has an area of , of which is water.
The municipality also includes th ...
.
Sights
Giessen is part of the New
Dutch Water Line
The Dutch Waterline ( nl, Hollandsche Waterlinie, modern spelling: ''Hollandse Waterlinie'') was a series of water-based defences conceived by Maurice of Nassau in the early 17th century, and realised by his half brother Frederick Henry. Combin ...
. Fort Giessen has been preserved, and was constructed between 1878 and 1881.
In 2013
Giessen Castle
Kasteel Giessen was a castle in Giessen, Netherlands. It was rediscovered in 2013, but was not made visible.
History
Giessen Castle was the first known castle of the Lords of Giessen, who were vassals of the Lords of Altena, seated at nearby A ...
was rediscovered in the village.
There are no visible traces of this castle, except for a small monument that marks its location.
Notable inhabitants
*
Carola Schouten
Cornelia Johanna "Carola" Schouten (born 6 October 1977) is a Dutch politician serving as third Deputy Prime Minister of the Netherlands and Minister for Poverty Policy, Participation and Pensions in the IV Rutte Cabinet since 10 January 2022. S ...
(born 1977), politician
Gallery
File:Giessen - Kerkstraat 2 - Ned. Herv. kerk.jpg, Dutch Reformed church
File:Kopgevel kleur - Giessen - 20458215 - RCE.jpg, Farm in Giessen
File:Fort Giessen gebouw A.jpg, Fort Giessen
File:Eugen Jettel - Ansicht von Giessen (Nordbrabant) - 733 - Österreichische Galerie Belvedere.jpg, Painting of Giessen by Eugen Jettel (1886)
References
Populated places in North Brabant
Former municipalities of North Brabant
Geography of Altena, North Brabant
{{NorthBrabant-geo-stub