Oudewater () is a municipality and a town in the

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 ...

History

The origin of the town of Oudewater is obscure and no information has been found concerning the first settlement of citizens. It is also difficult to recover the name of Oudewater. One explanation is that the name is a corruption of ''old

water-meadow A water-meadow (also water meadow or watermeadow) is an area of grassland subject to controlled irrigation to increase agricultural productivity. Water-meadows were mainly used in Europe from the 16th to the early 20th centuries. Working water-m ...

''. Oudewater was an important border city between

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...

and

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 ...

. Oudewater (lit. "Old water") was of great strategic importance. The town was granted

city rights Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...

in 1265 by Hendrik van Vianden, the

bishop of Utrecht List of bishops and archbishops of the diocese and archdioceses of Utrecht. Medieval diocese from 695 to 1580 Founders of the Utrecht diocese * * * * * Bishops * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ...

. Oudewater took its place in the First Free States council in Dordrecht on 19 July 1572, Oudewater was one of the twelve cities taking part in the first free convention of the

States General The word States-General, or Estates-General, may refer to: Currently in use * Estates-General on the Situation and Future of the French Language in Quebec, the name of a commission set up by the government of Quebec on June 29, 2000 * States Genera ...

Dordrecht Dordrecht (), historically known in English as Dordt (still colloquially used in Dutch, ) or Dort, is a city and municipality in the Western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the province's fifth-largest city after R ...

. This was a meeting that laid down the origin of the State of the Netherlands, as we know it now, under the leadership of the House of Orange. This happened at the beginning of 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 ...

(1568–1648) when the Netherlands were still part of the

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...

. After a Siege of Oudewater, the city was conquered by the Spanish on 7 August 1575, and most of its inhabitants were killed, including the family of famous Oudewater native and Protestant theologian

Jacobus Arminius Jacobus Arminius (10 October 1560 – 19 October 1609), the Latinized name of Jakob Hermanszoon, was a Dutch theologian during the Protestant Reformation period whose views became the basis of Arminianism and the Dutch Remonstrant movement. He ...

(1560-1609). In the 16th and 17th century, Oudewater was an important producer of

rope A rope is a group of yarns, plies, fibres, or strands that are twisted or braided together into a larger and stronger form. Ropes have tensile strength and so can be used for dragging and lifting. Rope is thicker and stronger than similarly ...

. In the surrounding area,

hemp Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a botanical class of ''Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial or medicinal use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest growing plants o ...

was cultivated. There still is a rope manufacturing plant and a rope museum in the town. In 1970 the municipality of Oudewater moved from the province of South Holland to the province of Utrecht.

Geography

Oudewater is located at in the southwest of the province of

in the center of the

. It is situated where the Linschoten river flows out in the

Hollandse IJssel The Hollandse (or Hollandsche) IJssel (; "Holland IJssel", as opposed to the 'regular' or Gelderland IJssel) is a branch of the Rhine delta that flows westward from Nieuwegein on river Lek through IJsselstein, Gouda and Capelle aan den IJssel t ...

. Oudewater is bordered by the municipalities of

Montfoort Montfoort () is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. Montfoort received city rights in 1329. Population centres The municipality of Montfoort consists of the following cities, towns, villages and/or district ...

(in the northeast),

Lopik Lopik () is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht, close to the Lek river. History Lopik lies within the Lopikerwaard region, which used to be occupied by swamps and forests until the area was cultivated in th ...

(southeast),

Krimpenerwaard Krimpenerwaard () is a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality, a List of regions of the Netherlands, region and a former Water board (Netherlands), water board of the Netherlands. It is a rural area located in the east of the p ...

(southwest), and

Bodegraven-Reeuwijk Bodegraven-Reeuwijk () is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland with a population of in . It was established by a merger of Bodegraven and Reeuwijk on 1 January 2011. The municipality covers of which is wate ...

(northwest). The municipality of Oudewater consists of the following cities, towns, villages and/or districts: Diemerbroek,

Hekendorp Hekendorp is a village in the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is a part of the municipality of Oudewater, and lies about 6 km east of Gouda. Hekendorp was a separate municipality between 1817 and 1964, when it merged with Driebruggen. During t ...

Hoenkoop Hoenkoop is a hamlet in the Dutch province of Utrecht. Since 1970, Hoenkoop has been a part of the municipality of Oudewater Oudewater () is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands. History The origin of the town of Oudewater is obscur ...

Lange Linschoten Lange Linschoten is a hamlet in the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is a part of the municipality of Oudewater Oudewater () is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands. History The origin of the town of Oudewater is obscure and no informat ...

, Oudewater, Papekop,

Ruigeweide Ruigeweide is a hamlet in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. It is a part of the municipality of Oudewater, and lies about 2 km northwest of the city of Oudewater. It was first mentioned in 1371 as "in de ruwer we ...

, and Snelrewaard.

Buildings

Oudewater is famous for the ''Heksen

waag A weighhouse or weighing house is a public building at or within which goods are weighed. Most of these buildings were built before 1800, prior to the establishment of international standards for weights, and were often a large and representative ...

'' (

Witch Witchcraft traditionally means the use of Magic (supernatural), magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In Middle Ages, medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually ...

es'

scales Scale or scales may refer to: Mathematics * Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points * Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original * Scale factor, a number w ...

). This Weighing house, an official town building, became famous at the height of the European witch trials of the 16th century because people accused of

witchcraft Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...

were offered a fair chance to prove their innocence as opposed to many other places where the scales were rigged. From all over Europe people made the journey to Oudewater to avoid prosecution. After the weighing, they received an official certificate proclaiming them not a witch. Nobody was ever found to be an actual witch in Oudewater, though the weighings were still a public spectacle. Certificates would state that "the body weight is in proportion to its build." The reasoning behind this is the old belief that a witch has no soul and therefore weighs significantly less than an ordinary person; this distinction would supposedly allow the witch to fly on a broomstick. Oudewater, stadszicht met kerk2 2009-04-13 16

Oudewater, stadszicht met kerk2 2009-04-13 16

In early modern times, when accusations of witchcraft could result in being burned at the stake, the town of Oudewater offered the accused a chance of proving their innocence. This can be seen as a sign of the growing power of the citizenry as a third force next to that of the church and nobility. Before witch hunts were sanctioned by the law and the church in their bid to break the power of local herb doctors and

midwives A midwife is a health professional who cares for mothers and newborns around childbirth, a specialization known as midwifery. The education and training for a midwife concentrates extensively on the care of women throughout their lifespan; con ...

. By giving out these certificates the citizens of Oudewater, therefore were defying the church. The Waag is still open as a tourist attraction, and official certificates are available. The town hall dates from 1588 and features a stork's nest. Oudewater has a monumental protected city centre with more than 250 protected houses. The church, now

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

, dates from the 15th century. Its tower is from about 1300. During the religious wars, until the sacking of Oudewater, both

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

s and Protestants used this church. Thereafter Catholics were still tolerated (the Spanish occupiers being Catholic) but more in low profile.

In fiction

Oudewater is the setting for the 1975 novel ''Das Geheimnis des Baron Oudewater'' set in the 16th century, when the Netherlands was fighting for its independence from Spain. Written by the German author Alberta Rommel, it has been described as a romantic historical novel. The 2014 film '' Reckless'' was filmed in Oudewater.

Notable people

Gerard David selfportrait in The Virgin among the Virgins

* Albert van Ouwater (ca.1410/1415 – 1475) an early artist of

Early Netherlandish painting Early Netherlandish painting, traditionally known as the Flemish Primitives, refers to the work of artists active in the Burgundian and Habsburg Netherlands during the 15th- and 16th-century Northern Renaissance period. It flourished especiall ...

working in the Northern Netherlands *

Gerard David Gerard David (c. 1460 – 13 August 1523) was an Early Netherlandish painter and manuscript illuminator known for his brilliant use of color. Only a bare outline of his life survives, although some facts are known. He may have been the Meester ...

(ca.1460–1523) an

Early Netherlandish painter Early Netherlandish painting, traditionally known as the Flemish Primitives, refers to the work of artists active in the Burgundian Netherlands, Burgundian and Habsburg Netherlands during the 15th- and 16th-century Northern Renaissance period. ...

and manuscript illuminator, used brilliant colour *

Rudolph Snellius Rudolph Snel van Royen (5 October 1546 – 2 March 1613), Latinized as Rudolph Snellius, was a Dutch people, Dutch linguist and mathematician who held appointments at the University of Marburg and the Leiden University, University of Leiden. ...

(1546–1613) a Dutch linguist and mathematician, a political and intellectual force of the

Dutch Golden Age The Dutch Golden Age ( nl, Gouden Eeuw ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands, roughly spanning the era from 1588 (the birth of the Dutch Republic) to 1672 (the Rampjaar, "Disaster Year"), in which Dutch trade, science, and Dutch art, ...

(1560–1609) a Dutch theologian, formed

Arminianism Arminianism is a branch of Protestantism based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius (1560–1609) and his historic supporters known as Remonstrants. Dutch Arminianism was originally articulated in the ''Re ...

and the Dutch

Remonstrant The Remonstrants (or the Remonstrant Brotherhood) is a Protestant movement that had split from the Dutch Reformed Church in the early 17th century. The early Remonstrants supported Jacobus Arminius, and after his death, continued to maintain his ...

movement *

Hendrikus Albertus Lorentz Hendrikus Albertus Lorentz (18 September 1871 – 2 September 1944) was a Dutch explorer in New Guinea and diplomat in South Africa. He was born to Theodorus Apolonius Ninus Lorentz, a tobacco grower in East Java who had returned to the ...

(1871–1944) a Dutch explorer in

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

and diplomat in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

Jan Montyn Jan Montyn (13 November 1924 – 10 August 2015) was a Dutch artist, specialized in etching. He was best known for his paintings of wars to which he had been an eyewitness. Montyn was born in a conservative Calvinistic family and was raised in Oude ...

(1924–2015) a Dutch artist, specialized in

etching Etching is traditionally the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio (incised) in the metal. In modern manufacturing, other chemicals may be used on other types ...

* Wim Klever (born 1930 in Snelrewaard) a Dutch scholar of the Jewish Dutch philosopher

Baruch Spinoza Baruch (de) Spinoza (born Bento de Espinosa; later as an author and a correspondent ''Benedictus de Spinoza'', anglicized to ''Benedict de Spinoza''; 24 November 1632 – 21 February 1677) was a Dutch philosopher of Portuguese-Jewish origin, b ...

* Dirk de Ridder (born 1972) a sailor, competed at the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...

Image gallery

Image:Oudewater, stadszicht met kerk1 2009-04-13 16.41.JPG, Church near a canal File:Oudewater, de Sint-Franciskuskerk RM517464 vanaf de Waardsedijk IMG 9275 2019-04-20 13.21.jpg, Church: the Sint-Franciskuskerk from Waardsedijk File:Oudewater, zicht op gracht en brug vanaf West IJsselkade IMG 9276 2019-04-20 13.41.jpg, View to the canal and the bridge from IJsselkade File:KerkOudewater.JPG, St.-Michaëls kerk, Oudewater File:Oudewater, straatzicht met voormalig stadhuis RM32083 foto2 2013-07-07 11.39.jpg, Former townhall in 2013

References

External links

*
Tourist information

Museum de Heksenwaag
* {{Authority control Populated places in Utrecht (province) Municipalities of Utrecht (province) Former municipalities of South Holland Cities in the Netherlands