Houthem is a village in the
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
province of
Limburg. It is a part of the municipality of
Valkenburg aan de Geul
Valkenburg aan de Geul (; li, Valkeberg ) is a municipality situated in the southeastern Dutch province of Limburg. The name refers to the central town in the municipality, Valkenburg, and the small river Geul.
History
Sieges and conquests ha ...
, and lies about 8 km east of
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 ...
.
History
The village was first mentioned in 1096 as "apud Houlten", and means "settlement in a deciduous forest". Houthem is a village which developed in the Middle Ages in the valley of the
Geul
The Geul (, ; german: Göhl ; french: la Gueule) is a river in Belgium and in the Netherlands, where it is a right-bank tributary to the river Meuse.
Geography
The source of the Geul is at about above sea level in northeastern Belgium near ...
. Since 1232, it belonged to the . In 1201, a
Premonstratensian
The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their habit), is a religious order of canons regular of the Catholic Church ...
monastery was founded near the grave of
Saint Gerlach. Between 1661 until 1785, the walled monastery was an Austrian enclave in the
Dutch Republic
The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands ( Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...
.
The Catholic St Gerlachus Church used to be the main building of the nunnery. The church was destroyed in 1574, but 13th century elements remain. Between 1720 and 1727, the building was renovated and enlarged. In 1786, the nuns left and the building was auctioned in 1797. In 1808, part of the vault collapsed and the building was restored as a church. The church contains the tomb of Saint Gerlach.
Houthem was home to 659 people in 1840.
In 1888,
Houthem-Sint Gerlach railway station opened on the
Aachen to
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 ...
railway line.
Houthem was a separate municipality until 1940, when it was merged with Valkenburg.
In 1982, it became part of the municipality of
Valkenburg aan de Geul
Valkenburg aan de Geul (; li, Valkeberg ) is a municipality situated in the southeastern Dutch province of Limburg. The name refers to the central town in the municipality, Valkenburg, and the small river Geul.
History
Sieges and conquests ha ...
.
Notable people
*
Rob Delahaye (born 1959), footballer
*
Jos Frissen (1892–1982), painter
*
Saint Gerlach (died c. 1170), hermit
*
Pauline van de Ven (born 1956), writer
Gallery
Image:Houtemkesjtièlenkèrk2.jpg, Church and castle in Houthem
File:Houtemstgerlach.jpg, Street view
File:Houthem-Gerlachusputje (4).JPG, Water well
File:Station Houthem-Sint Gerlach3.JPG, Railway station
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Populated places in Limburg (Netherlands)
Former municipalities of Limburg (Netherlands)
Valkenburg aan de Geul