Monster is a large village in the Dutch province of

South Holland South Holland ( ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.8 million as of January 2023 and a population density of about , making it the country's most populous province and one of the world's most densely populated areas. ...

. It is a part of the municipality of Westland, and lies about south-west of

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

. The village of Monster has a population of around 11,580.Statistics Netherlands (CBS)
''Statline: Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2003-2005''
As of 1 January 2005. The statistical area Monster, which also can include the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 14,540. Until 2004 it was a separate municipality and covered an area of (of which is water). The former municipality of Monster also included the villages Poeldijk and Ter Heijde. Monster and Ter Heijde are located near the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...

coast and have popular

beach A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from Rock (geology), rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle beach, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological s ...

es.

History

In the 13th century a great deal of the Westland, Loosduinen and

were administered by Monster. When The Hague came to be constructed, a split was made in Haag-ambacht and Half-Loosduinen. The latter village was separated from Monster in 1812. Remains of the former glory can still be seen between The Hague and Monster at such estates as ''Ockenburgh, Bloemendaal, Solleveld'' and ''Langeveld''. There is a great deal of uncertainty over the origin of the name "Monster". It is probably derived from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

''monasterium'', meaning

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

. The name was also used for the ground that belonged to a monastery. Another explanation was that Monster was derived from the old-Dutch word ''monster'', which meant amongst others "big church" (from Latin: ''monstrum''), which is supported by the fact that Monster had in those days one of the largest churches in the area. Monster was previously a destination for

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

, because Machutus

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

possessed some

relic In religion, a relic is an object or article of religious significance from the past. It usually consists of the physical remains or personal effects of a saint or other person preserved for the purpose of veneration as a tangible memorial. Reli ...

s of its

patron Patronage is the support, encouragement, privilege, or financial aid that an organization or individual bestows on another. In the history of art, art patronage refers to the support that princes, popes, and other wealthy and influential people ...

Machutus Saint Malo (; also known as Maclou, Maloù, or in Latin as Maclovius or Machutus, 27 March 520 – 15 November 621) was a Welsh mid-sixth century founder of Saint-Malo, a commune in Brittany, France. He was one of the seven founding saints of ...

, who is also known as Machuut. People came to be healed of the "falling sickness", which was possibly

epilepsy Epilepsy is a group of Non-communicable disease, non-communicable Neurological disorder, neurological disorders characterized by a tendency for recurrent, unprovoked Seizure, seizures. A seizure is a sudden burst of abnormal electrical activit ...

Notable people

John I, Lord of Polanen John I, Lord of Polanen ( – 26 September 1342) was Lord of Polanen, and Lord of De Lek. Life John was a son of Philips III van Duivenvoorde (?-c. 1308) and Elisabeth van Vianen. Philips got the fief Polanen in Monster, South Holland in 1 ...

(c. 1285–1342), Lord of Polanen, De Lek and Breda *

Arnold Vinnius Arnold Vinnius (4 January 1588 – 1 September 1657) was a Dutch jurist and writer. Life Vinnius was born in Monster. He attended the University of Leiden from 1603 where he read law. He gained his degree in 1612. His most important teacher was ...

(1588–1657), jurist *

Gerard Schouw Adrianus Gerardus (Gerard) Schouw (born 30 December 1965 in Monster, South Holland) is a Dutch corporate director and former politician. As a member of Democrats 66 (D66) he was an MP from 17 June 2010 until 31 July 2015. He focused on matters o ...

(born 1965), politician *

Arantxa Rus Arantxa Rus (; born 13 December 1990) is a Dutch professional tennis player. She won one WTA Tour singles title at the 2023 Hamburg European Open – Women's singles, 2023 Hamburg Open and four in doubles. Her biggest singles successes to date ...

(born 1990), tennis player *

Yvette Broch Yvette Broch (born 23 December 1990) is a retired Dutch professional handball player, who last played for Győri ETO KC and the Dutch national team. She is also known for being a runner up on the fourth season of '' Holland's Next Top Model''. ...

(b.1990), handball player

Image gallery

Image:Monster bord.jpg, Monster Image:Monster molen.jpg, Windmill "The four winds" Image:Monster kerk.jpg, Church of Monster Image:Monster 1865.png, Monster in 1865

References

{{Authority control Municipalities of the Netherlands disestablished in 2004 Populated places in South Holland Former municipalities of South Holland Westland (municipality), Netherlands