Geertruidenberg

Geertruidenberg
City and Municipality

Former city hall on market square

Flag
Coat of arms
Highlighted position of Geertruidenberg in a municipal map of North Brabant
Location in North Brabant
Coordinates: 51°42′N 4°52′E / 51.700°N 4.867°E / 51.700; 4.867Coordinates: 51°42′N 4°52′E / 51.700°N 4.867°E / 51.700; 4.867
Country Netherlands
Province North Brabant
Government[1]
 • Body Municipal council
 • Mayor Willemijn van Hees (VVD)
Area[2]
 • Municipality 29.64 km2 (11.44 sq mi)
 • Land 26.64 km2 (10.29 sq mi)
 • Water 3.00 km2 (1.16 sq mi)
Elevation[3] 3 m (10 ft)
Population (May 2014)[4]
 • Municipality 21,596
 • Density 811/km2 (2,100/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postcode 4930–4944
Area code 0162
Website www.geertruidenberg.nl
Geertruidenberg, churchtower in the street

Geertruidenberg (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɣeːrtrœydə(m)ˌbɛrx]) is a city and municipality in the province North Brabant in the south of the Netherlands. The city, named after Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, received city rights in 1213 from the count of Holland. The fortified city prospered until the 15th century.

Today, the municipality of Geertruidenberg also includes the population centres Raamsdonk and Raamsdonksveer. The municipality has a total area of 29.64 km2 (11.44 sq mi) and had a population of 21,596 in 2014. The city government consists of the mayor Willemijn van Hees and three aldermen.

History

Geertruidenberg is named after Saint Gertrude of Nivelles.

In 1213, Sint Geertruidenberg (English: "Saint Gertrude's Mountain") received city rights from Count William I of Holland. The fortified city became a trade center, where counts and other nobility gathered for negotiations. The Hook and Cod wars in 1420 and the Saint Elizabeth's flood in 1421 ended the prosperity of the city.[5]

During the Eighty Years War the city was captured by an English, French Huguenot and Fleming force in 1573 - in a surprise attack. In 1589 however the city was betrayed to Parma by its English garrison.[6]

Today, Geertruidenberg is part of the province of North Brabant, but it was once part of the county of Holland. Geertruidenberg is the oldest city of Holland as it was the first to receive city rights. It is a common misconception that Geertruidenberg is the oldest city of the Netherlands, because the names Holland and the Netherlands are used interchangeably by some.

Geography

The total area of the municipality is 29.64 km2 (11.44 sq mi), of which 26.64 km2 (10.29 sq mi) is land and 3.00 km2 (1.16 sq mi) is water.

The municipality of Geertruidenberg comprises three population centres:

Geertruidenberg is located on the bank of the Donge, close to where this river flows into the Amer.

Topography

Dutch Topographic map of the municipality of Geertruidenberg, June 2015

Demography

As of 2014, the total population of Geertruidenberg is 21,596 inhabitants. The population density of the municipality is 811/km2 (2,100/sq mi).

Government

The mayor of Geertruidenberg is Willemijn van Hees (VVD) and she was appointed mayor by the Dutch monarch, like all mayors in the Netherlands. The three aldermen of Geertruidenberg are Kevin van Oort (Groenlinks/D66), Adriaan de Jongh (CDA),and Bert van den Kieboom (Uw 3 Kernen). Together, the mayor and the aldermen form the College van Burgemeester en Wethouders, which is supported by the city's secretary Richard Nagtzaam.[7]

The city council is elected every four years during municipal elections, at the same time as in most other municipalities of the Netherlands. The 19 members of the city council assemble ten times per year for public meetings in the city hall in Raamsdonksveer. The council members come from eight political parties, three local and five national (2014):[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Dagelijks bestuur" [Board] (in Dutch). Gemeente Geertruidenberg. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  2. ↑ "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten" [Key figures for neighbourhoods]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  3. ↑ "Postcodetool for 4941DX". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Retrieved 19 May 2014.
  4. ↑ "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 26 June 2014. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
  5. ↑ "Vroeger en nu". www.geertruidenberg.nl (in Dutch). Municipality of Geertruidenberg. Retrieved 2008-08-16. External link in |work= (help)
  6. ↑ Israel, Jonathan (1995), The Dutch Republic: Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall 1477–1806, Clarendon Press, Oxford, ISBN 0-19-873072-1, p. 234
  7. ↑ "College van B&W". www.geertruidenberg.nl (in Dutch). Municipality of Geertruidenberg. Retrieved 2014-02-03. External link in |work= (help)
  8. ↑ "Gemeenteraad". www.geertruidenberg.nl (in Dutch). Municipality of Geertruidenberg. Retrieved 2014-02-03. External link in |work= (help)

External links

 Werkendam
Amer River
Drimmelen Waalwijk
   Geertruidenberg  
Oosterhout Dongen
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