Rhenen () is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

and a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

in the central

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

. The municipality also includes the villages of

Achterberg Achterberg is a village in the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is part of the municipality of Rhenen and it lies about 5 km west of Wageningen. The village was first mentioned in 1417 as Achterbergh, and means "(settlement) behind the hill" ...

, and Elst. The town lies at a geographically interesting location, namely on the southernmost part of the chain of hills known as the

Utrecht Hill Ridge Utrecht Hill Ridge () is a ridge of low sandhills that stretches in a direction from southeast to northwest over the Provinces of the Netherlands, Dutch province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht and over a part of North Holland. The total length of th ...

(Utrechtse Heuvelrug), where this meets the river

Rhine The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...

. Because of this Rhenen has a unique character with quite some elevation through town. Directly to the east of the built-up area lies the

Grebbeberg The Grebbeberg is a 52-meter high hill located east of Rhenen, Netherlands in the province of Utrecht. It forms the southeastern tip of the Utrecht Hill Ridge, a moraine. Due to its strategic location with a view of the Lower Rhine and the Betu ...

, a hill with a top elevation of about .

History

Before 1900

Rhenen received

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 ...

probably between 1256 and 1258. In 1346, 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 * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ...

ordered the construction of a defensive wall around the city, which was important because it lay near the border with

Guelders The Duchy of Guelders (; ; ) is a historical duchy, previously county, of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the Low Countries. Geography The duchy was named after the town of Geldern (''Gelder'') in present-day Germany. Though the present pr ...

. Although for some time the town collected toll from ships on the Rhine, it has never had a harbour. The three city gates were demolished in 1840. Small fragments of the wall remain. The town is also famous for the Cunera Church, parts of which date back to the 15th century. Containing the relics of

Saint Cunera Saint Cunera of Rhenen, also Kunera (strangled to death in Rhenen, diocese of Utrecht, 28 October 340) was a virgin and martyr. Her name is first mentioned in the 11th century. Cunera is the patron saint of the city of Rhenen in the Netherlands, a ...

, it attracted many pilgrims. Legend has it that Cunera was buried on a nearby hill now called the Cuneraheuvel. The church's tower was built between 1492 and 1531. Between 1630 and 1631, the

Koningshuis The Koningshuis () was a royal palace in Rhenen, the Netherlands. It was the summer residence of the "winter king" Frederick V of the Palatinate. It was demolished in 1812. History Frederick V (1596-1632) was the Electoral Palatinate, Elect ...

palace was constructed at Rhenen for the ousted Frederick V. It was demolished in 1812.

World War II

Part of the center of Rhenen, which was located near the defensive Grebbelinie ( Grebbe line), was destroyed during the German attack on the Netherlands in May 1940. Part of the reconstruction took place during the war. In 1945, the town was damaged again during the liberation of the country from German occupation. Many or all of the Dutch soldiers who were killed by the Germans near Rhenen lie buried at the ''Erebegraafplaats'' (Cemetery of Honor), located along the Grebbeweg (N 225) near the top of the Grebbeberg. Across the road is an important war monument with a poem by J.C. Bloem. In 2008 Rhenen celebrated its 750th

anniversary An anniversary is the date on which an event took place or an institution was founded. Most countries celebrate national anniversaries, typically called national days. These could be the List of national independence days, date of independen ...

Main sights

* Ouwehands Dierenpark, a

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility where animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to zoology, ...

, founded in 1932. * The Cunerakerk (Cunera Church), a late-Gothic hall-church, built between 1492 and 1531. * Modern

Roman Catholic church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, built between 1958 and 1959. * Building 'De Brakke' from 1787. * Ruins of the 14th century

Medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

defensive wall A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications such as curtain walls with t ...

. * The , a round

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that h ...

from 1893. * The estate. * Military War Cemetery Grebbeberg, a military cemetery on the

Transport

* Rhenen railway station

Politics and administration

Municipal council

The

Municipal council (Netherlands) In the Netherlands, the municipal council ( ) is the elected assembly of a municipality. Its main role is laying down the guidelines for the policy of the municipal executive and exercising control over its execution by the mayor and aldermen. ...

of Rhenen consists of 19 members sinds March 2022 ¹ In the elections up to and including 2002, only GroenLinks participated. ² In 1998, the RPF, one of the predecessors of the Christian Union, participated in the elections.

Municipal executive

The

Municipal executive In the Netherlands, the municipal executive (, oftentimes abbreviated to ; ) is the executive board of a municipality. It plays a central role in municipal politics in the Netherlands, similar to the communal college in Belgium. It consists of t ...

of Rhenen in for the council term of 2022–2026 consists of: * Géran Kaai, Mayor of Rhenen * Gert van Laar ( SGP), Alderman for the physical domain * Dick Poortinga (Rhenens Belang), Alderman for welfare and sports, economy and recreation & tourism * Hans Boerkamp ( D66), Alderman for Finance, mobility, education and youth * Bert Fintelman ( CDA), Alderman for rural/agricultural areas, sustainability and nature. ( PvdA) left his position as mayor 7 March 2024

Notable people

* Frederick V (1596–1632), Count Palatine and Elector of the Palatinate from 1610 to 1623 and King of Bohemia (as ''Frederick I'') from 1619 to 1620 * Giedo van der Garde (born 1985), a Dutch racing driver * Madelein Meppelink (born 1989), a Dutch beach volleyball player, competed in the

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

and

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...

* Jacob Nienhuys (1836–1927), founded the tobacco producer Deli Company in

Sumatra Sumatra () is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the list of islands by area, sixth-largest island in the world at 482,286.55 km2 (182,812 mi. ...

* Remy Reynierse (born 1961), is a former football player with 312 club caps, current coach at

Sheffield Wednesday F.C. Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second level of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an off ...

* Bibiane Schoofs (born 1988), a Dutch professional tennis player * Jacobus Tollius (1633–1696), a Dutch

classicist Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek and Roman literature and ...

* Eelco Uri (born 1973), a Dutch male former water polo player, competed in the

1996 1996 was designated as: * International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Events January * January 8 – A Zairean cargo plane crashes into a crowded market in the center of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...

and

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...

* Lisa van Viegen (born 1978), stage name

iET __NOTOC__ IET can refer to: Organizations * Institute of Educational Technology, part of the Open University * Institution of Engineering and Technology, a UK-based professional engineering institution ** Institute of Engineers and Technicians, wh ...

, a Dutch singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist * Nico Drost (born 1980), a Dutch Member of Parliament

Gallery

File:Rhenen, Militair Ereveld Grebbeberg IMG 9161 2019-04-19 13.11.jpg, War monument: Militair Ereveld Grebbeberg File:Rhenen, de Binnenmolen RM32465 IMG 9170 2019-04-19 14.00.jpg, Windmill: the Binnenmolen File:Lovely houses in Rhenen with characteristic wooden ornaments - panoramio.jpg, Houses in Rhenen with characteristic wooden ornaments File:HavenvanRhenen2010-2.jpg, Haven van Rhenen File:View of Rhenen, Jan Van Goyen, 1656.jpg, View of Rhenen, Jan Van Goyen, 1656 File:Pandasia Ouwehands Dierenpark 2017 4.jpg, Pandasia Ouwehands Dierenpark File:Straatbeeld - Rhenen - 20398412 - RCE.jpg, Straatbeeld, Rhenen File:Gezicht op Rhenen - Rhenen - 20396586 - RCE.jpg, Gezicht op Rhenen File:Rhenen - 2011 - panoramio (25).jpg, Rhenen, panoramio File:Rhenen Frederik van de Paltshof Poort.jpg, Rhenen, Frederik van de Paltshof Poort

References

External links

* {{Authority control Cities in the Netherlands Municipalities of Utrecht (province) Populated places in Utrecht (province)