Monster is a town 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 ...

province of

South Holland South Holland ( nl, Zuid-Holland ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.7 million as of October 2021 and a population density of about , making it the country's most populous province and one of the world's most densely ...

. It is a part of the municipality of

Westland Westland or Westlands may refer to: Places *Westlands, an affluent neighbourhood in the city of Nairobi, Kenya * Westlands, Staffordshire, a suburban area and ward in Newcastle-under-Lyme *Westland, a peninsula of the Shetland Mainland near Vaila, ...

, and lies about south-west of

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

. 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 towns, Poeldijk and Ter Heijde. Monster and Ter Heijde are towns on the

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

coast and have a 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, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shells ...

History

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

Loosduinen Loosduinen () is a former village in the Netherlands that was a municipality unto itself until 1923, when it was annexed by The Hague and subsequently became a district of the city. Within the district there is also a neighbourhood (Dutch:wijk) c ...

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 branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

''monasterium'', meaning

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...

. 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 journey, often into an unknown or foreign place, where a person goes in search of new or expanded meaning about their self, others, nature, or a higher good, through the experience. It can lead to a personal transformation, aft ...

, because Machutus

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

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 of a saint or the personal effects of the saint or venerated person preserved for purposes of veneration as a tangi ...

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, arts patronage refers to the support that kings, popes, and the wealthy have provided to artists su ...

Machutus Saint Malo (; also known as Maclou, Maloù or Mac'h Low, 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 foundi ...

, 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 neurological disorders characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures can vary from brief and nearly undetectable periods to long periods of vigorous shaking due to abnormal electrical ...

Notable people

John I, Lord of Polanen John I, Lord of Polanen ( – 26 September 1342) was Lord of Polanen, Lord of De Lek and Lord of Breda. Life John was a son of Philips III van Duivenvoorde (?-c. 1308) and Elisabeth van Vianen. Lord of Polanen Upon the death of his fathe ...

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

Arnold Vinnius Arnold Vinnius (4 January 1588 – 1 September 1657) was one of the leading jurists of the 17th century in the Netherlands. Life Vinnius was born in Monster. He attended the University of Leiden from 1603 where he read law. He gained his degree ...

(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 till 31 July 2015. He focused on matters of ...

(b. 1965), politician *

Arantxa Rus Arantxa Rus (; born 13 December 1990) is a Dutch tennis player. In 2008, she won the girl's singles title at the Australian Open, defeating Jessica Moore from Australia in the final. With this win she went from 35th to second place on the junior ...

(b. 1990), tennis player *

Yvette Broch Yvette Broch (born 23 December 1990) is a Dutch professional handball player, who plays 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''. She completed i ...

(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