Gouda () is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

and

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

in the west of 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 ...

, between

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"Ne ...

and Utrecht, in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

of South Holland. Gouda has a population of 75,000 and is famous for its Gouda cheese, stroopwafels, many grachten, smoking pipes, and its 15th-century city hall. Its array of historic churches and other buildings makes it a very popular day trip destination. In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, a settlement was founded at the location of the current city by the Van der Goude family, who built a fortified castle alongside the banks of the Gouwe River, from which the family and the city took its name. The area, originally

marshland A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found at ...

, developed over the course of two centuries. By 1225, a

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...

was linked to the Gouwe and its estuary was transformed into a harbour. City rights were granted in 1272.

History

Plattegrond van de stad Gouda binnen de singels, ca

Around the year 1100, the area where Gouda now is located was swampy and covered with a

peat Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficient ...

forest, crossed by small creeks such as the Gouwe. Along the shores of this stream near the current market and city hall, peat harvesting began in the 11th and 12th centuries. In 1139, the name ''Gouda'' is first mentioned in a statement from the Bishop of Utrecht. In the 13th century, the Gouwe was connected to the Oude Rijn (Old Rhine) by means of a canal and its mouth at the Hollandse IJssel was developed into a harbour. Castle Gouda was built to protect this harbour. This shipping route was used for trade between

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...

and France with

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 the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and ...

. In 1272,

Floris V, Count of Holland Floris V (24 June 1254 – 27 June 1296) reigned as Count of Holland and Zeeland from 1256 until 1296. His life was documented in detail in the Rijmkroniek by Melis Stoke, his chronicler. He is credited with a mostly peaceful reign, moderni ...

, granted city rights to Gouda, which by then had become an important location. City-canals or grachten were dug and served as transport ways through the town. Great fires in 1361 and 1438 destroyed the city. In 1572, the city was occupied by

Les Gueux Geuzen (; ; french: Les Gueux) was a name assumed by the confederacy of Calvinist Dutch nobles, who from 1566 opposed Spanish rule in the Netherlands. The most successful group of them operated at sea, and so were called Watergeuzen (; ; frenc ...

(Dutch rebels against the Spanish King) who also committed arson and destruction. In 1577 the demolition of Castle Gouda began. In 1551 was founded the oldest still-functioning inn De Zalm, located on Markt 34, near the historic Waag building. In 1574, 1625, 1636, and 1673, Gouda suffered from deadly plague epidemics, of which the last one was the most severe: 2995 persons died, constituting 20% of its population. In the last quarter of the 16th century, Gouda had serious economic problems. It recovered in the first half of the 17th century and even prospered between 1665 and 1672. However, its economy collapsed again when war broke out in 1672 and the plague decimated the city in 1673, even affecting the pipe industry. After 1700, Gouda enjoyed a period of progress and prosperity until 1730. Then another recession followed, resulting in a long period of decline that lasted well into the 19th century. Gouda was one of the poorest cities in the country during that period: the terms "Goudaner" and "beggar" were considered synonymous. Starting in 1830, demolition of the city walls began. The last city gate was torn down in 1854. Only from the second half of the 19th century onward did Gouda start to profit from an improved economic condition. New companies, such as ''Stearine Kaarsenfabriek'' (Stearine Candle Factory) and ''Machinale Garenspinnerij'' (Mechanized Yarn Spinnery), acted as the impetus to its economy. In 1855, the railway Gouda- Utrecht began to operate. At the beginning of the 20th century, large-scale development began, extending the city beyond its moats. First the new neighbourhoods Korte Akkeren, Kort Haarlem and Kadebuurt were built, followed by , , and after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. From 1940 on, back-filling of the city moats and city-canals, the grachten, began: the Nieuwehaven, Raam, Naaierstraat, and Achter de Vismarkt. However, because of protests from city dwellers and revised policies of city planners, Gouda did not continue back-filling moats and city-canals, now considered historically valuable. In 1944, the railway station was damaged during an Allied bombardment, killing 8 and wounding 10 persons. This bombardment was intended to destroy the railroad connecting The Hague and Rotterdam to Utrecht. After the war, the city started to expand and nearly tripled in size. New neighbourhoods, such as Gouda-Oost, Bloemendaal and Goverwelle were built. Over the last years there has been a shift from expanding the city towards urban renewal and

gentrification Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and planning. Gentrification often increases the ec ...

Demographics

Economy

Gouda is world-famous for its Gouda cheese, which is still traded on its cheese market, held each Thursday. Gouda is also known for the fabrication of candles,

smoking pipes A tobacco pipe, often called simply a pipe, is a device specifically made to smoke tobacco. It comprises a chamber (the bowl) for the tobacco from which a thin hollow stem (shank) emerges, ending in a mouthpiece. Pipes can range from very simp ...

, and

stroopwafel A ''stroopwafel'' (; literally 'syrup waffle') is a thin, round waffle cookie made from two layers of sweet baked dough held together by caramel filling.

s. Gouda used to have a considerable linen industry and several beer breweries. The world-famous Gouda cheese is not made in the city itself, but rather in the surrounding region. It derives its name from being traded in Gouda where the city council imposes stringent quality controls. The economy of the city centre is based on tourism, leisure and retail, while offices are located at the outskirts of the city. Currently, there are over 32,000 jobs in the city, mainly in commercial and healthcare services.

Attractions

* Old City Hall at the Markt square - built between 1448 and 1450, one of the oldest Gothic city halls in the Netherlands; * The ''Waag'' (

weigh house 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 ...

) - built in 1667 across from the Old City Hall, this building was used for weighing goods (especially cheese) to levy taxes. It now is a national monument. It currently hosts a small cheese museum; * Grote or St. Jans Kerk (Great or Saint John's Church) - longest church in the Netherlands, famous for its stained glass windows which were made between 1530 and 1603, considered the most significant stained glass collection in the Netherlands. Even in the 17th century, it already was a tourist attraction; * - museum about the history and arts of the city; * Verzetsmuseum - a museum about the Dutch

resistance during World War II Resistance movements during World War II occurred in every occupied country by a variety of means, ranging from non-cooperation to propaganda, hiding crashed pilots and even to outright warfare and the recapturing of towns. In many countries, r ...

, the collection currently in storage as museum building closed in November 2018; * Museumhaven Gouda - small harbour with historic ships; * Goudse Schouwburg - large theatre; * Waaiersluis (Waaier Locks) - a historic

lock Lock(s) may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainment * ''Lock ...

on the Hollandse IJssel just east of Gouda.

Events

* Gouda Cheese & Craft Market, every Thursday from 10:00 - 13:00h (April–August). According to ''Stichting Goudse Kaas'', it attracted 60,000 tourists each year (as of 2017). * Gouda Ceramics Days, a yearly two-day event of ceramists from the Netherlands and several other countries. Several exhibitions. May 29 10:00 - 17:00h and May 30 10:00 - 16:00h around the Old City Hall. * Gouda's Monmartre, antique/curio/flea/collector's market, weekly on Wednesdays around the Old City Hall during summer from June 4 - Sept. 10, 2014. * Gouda Water City Festival weekend of June 21, 2014 * Gouda by Candlelight - an annual Christmas event held in mid-December, featuring attractions in the city centre. In the evening, a Christmas tree, an annual gift from the sister city of Kongsberg, is lit in the market place. Carols are sung by famous Dutch singers accompanied by choirs. The windows of the Old City Hall and the surrounding houses are lit by Gouda candles.

Transport

Gouda is served by two railway stations, Gouda and Gouda Goverwelle. The main railway station is served by Intercity services to

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 o ...

, and Utrecht and local trains to

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

and Alphen aan den Rijn/

Leiden Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 119,713, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration wi ...

. The city also lies alongside the A12 and A20 motorways.

Twin towns – sister cities

Gouda is twinned with:

Natives of Gouda

Public thinking & Public Service

Gerard Leeu Gerard or Gheraert Leeu, ''Leew, Lyon'', or ''Leonis'', (between 1445 and 1450, Gouda - 1492, Antwerp) was a Dutch printer of incunabula. Leeu printed his first (liturgical) book in May 1477 in his shop in Gouda, where between 1477 and 1484 h ...

(1445–1493) was a Dutch printer of the incunabulum period * Desiderius Erasmus (1466–1536) a Dutch philosopher and Christian humanist, scholar of the

northern Renaissance The Northern Renaissance was the Renaissance that occurred in Europe north of the Alps. From the last years of the 15th century, its Renaissance spread around Europe. Called the Northern Renaissance because it occurred north of the Italian Renais ...

* Cornelius Loos (1546–1595) a Roman Catholic priest, theologian and professor of theology * brothers

Cornelis de Houtman Cornelis de Houtman (2 April 1565 – 1 September 1599) was a Dutch merchant seaman who commanded the first Dutch expedition to the East Indies. Although the voyage was difficult and yielded only a modest profit, Houtman showed that the Po ...

(1565–1599) and Frederick de Houtman (1571–1627) were explorers on the first Dutch expedition to the East Indies * Adriaen Maertensz Block (ca.1582-1661) commander and governor of

Ambon Ambon may refer to: Places * Ambon Island, an island in Indonesia ** Ambon, Maluku, a city on Ambon Island, the capital of Maluku province ** Governorate of Ambon, a colony of the Dutch East India Company from 1605 to 1796 * Ambon, Morbihan, a c ...

1614-1617, * Hieronymus van Beverningh (1614–1690) a diplomat, amateur botanist and patron of the arts * Roemer Vlacq (1637–1703) a Dutch naval captain, who blew up his ship to save it from capture * Hieronymus van Alphen (1746–1803) a jurist and wrote poems for children * Gerard Van Helden (1848–1901) Detective Superintendent in the Birmingham City Police Force * Gerard van Leijenhorst (1928–2001) a politician and chemistry teacher in Gouda 1955 to 1971 *

Wim Deetman Willem Joost "Wim" Deetman (born 3 April 1945) is a retired Dutch politician and teacher who served as Minister of Education and Sciences from 1982 to 1989, Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1989 to 1996 and Mayor of The Hague from ...

(born 1945) a politician, teacher and municipal councillor in Gouda 1974 to 1981 * Jan Oosterhaven (born 1945) economist and university professor * Hans van Leeuwen (born 1946) an educator, engineer, inventor, researcher and entrepreneur * Ad Melkert (born 1956) a Dutch politician, diplomat and nonprofit director

Science & Business

Adriaan Vlacq Adriaan Vlacq (1600–1667) was a Dutch book publisher and author of mathematical tables. Born in Gouda, Vlacq published a table of logarithms from 1 to 100,000 to 10 decimal places in 1628 in his '' Arithmetica logarithmica''. This table ...

(1600–1667) a Dutch author of mathematical tables and book publisher * Nicolaas Hartsoeker (1656–1725) a mathematician and physicist, invented the screw-barrel microscope *

Gualtherus Johannes Cornelis Kolff Gualtherus Johannes Cornelis Kolff (8 November 1826, Gouda – 29 April 1881, Leiden) was the co-founder of G. Kolff & Co., a publishing company in Batavia, Dutch East Indies of the ''Bataviaasch Nieuwsblad'' newspaper. The company also operated ...

(1826–1881) co-founder of G. Kolff & Co., a publishing company in

Batavia, Dutch East Indies Batavia was the capital of the Dutch East Indies. The area corresponds to present-day Jakarta, Indonesia. Batavia can refer to the city proper or its suburbs and hinterland, the Ommelanden, which included the much-larger area of the Residen ...

* Pieter Johannes van Rhijn (1886—1960) a Dutch astronomer * Jan Schilt (1894–1982) a Dutch-American astronomer, invented the Schilt

photometer A photometer is an instrument that measures the strength of electromagnetic radiation in the range from ultraviolet to infrared and including the visible spectrum. Most photometers convert light into an electric current using a photoresistor, ...

Jan Gonda Jan Gonda (14 April 1905 – 28 July 1991) was a Dutch Indologist and the first Utrecht professor of Sanskrit. He was born in Gouda, in the Netherlands, and died in Utrecht. He studied with Willem Caland at Rijksuniversiteit, Utrecht (since 1990 ...

(1905–1991) a Dutch Indologist and academic * Leo Vroman (1915-2014) a Dutch-American hematologist, poet and illustrator *

Peter van Mensch Peter van Mensch (born June 7, 1947, in Gouda), Netherlands is a Dutch scholar in the field of museology, and previously a professor of Cultural Heritage at Amsterdam University of the Arts. Biography Peter van Mensch earned an MSc degree in ...

(born 1947) a Dutch scientist in the field of museology * Peter Stas (born 1963) a Dutch entrepreneur and author, CEO of Frédérique Constant

The Arts

* brothers Dirk Crabeth (1501—1574) & Wouter Crabeth I (1510-1590), Dutch Renaissance glass painters *

Pieter Pourbus Pieter Jansz. Pourbus (c. 1523–1584) was a Flemish Renaissance painter, draftsman, engineer and cartographer who was active in Bruges during the 16th century. He is known primarily for his religious and portrait paintings.

(ca.1523–1584) a Flemish Renaissance painter of portraits and religious scenes *

Cornelis Ketel Cornelis is a Dutch form of the male given name Cornelius. Some common shortened versions of Cornelis in Dutch are Cees, Cor, Corné, Corneel, Crelis, Kees, Neel and Nelis. Cornelis (Kees) and Johannes (Jan) used to be the most common given ...

(1548–1616) a Dutch

Mannerist Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Ita ...

painter * Cornelis Engelsz (1575–1650) a Dutch Golden Age painter * Jacob Block (1580–1646) a Dutch Golden Age painter * Daniël Tomberg (1603–1678) a Dutch Golden Age glass painter * Frederick de Wit (ca.1630–1706) a cartographer and artist, drew, printed and sold maps * Hendrik Bary (ca.1632–1707) a Dutch engraver * Pieter Donker (1635–1668) a Dutch Golden Age painter * Jan Willem van Borselen (1825-1892) a Dutch landscape painter of the Hague School * Cornelis Verwoerd (1913–2000) a Dutch Delftware painter, modeler, and ceramist * Koos de Bruin (1941-1992) a Dutch painter, draftsman, sculptor and graphic artist * Rozalie Hirs (born 1965) a Dutch composer of contemporary classical music and a poet * Marco de Goeij (born 1967), composer, reconstructed '' Concerto for Group and Orchestra'' by

Jon Lord John Douglas Lord (9 June 194116 July 2012) was an English orchestral and rock composer, pianist, and Hammond organ player known for his pioneering work in fusing rock with classical or baroque forms, especially with the British rock band Deep ...

* René Van Der Wouden (born 1972) a Dutch electronic, New Age musician * Léon de Jong (born 1982) a Dutch politician and singer, a former musician and salesman

Sport

* Dick van Dijk (1946–1997) football player with 250 club caps * Harry van der Laan (born 1964) a retired Dutch football striker with over 350 club caps *

Ed de Goey Eduard Franciscus "Ed" de Goeij (, anglicised to de Goey; born 20 December 1966) is a Dutch former professional football goalkeeper. In a 20-year career, he played for Sparta Rotterdam, Feyenoord, Chelsea and Stoke City. He played 31 times for ...

(born 1966) former goalkeeper with 569 club caps, 31 caps with Netherlands national football team *

Gillian van den Berg Gillian van den Berg (born 8 September 1971, in Gouda) is a water polo player of the Netherlands who represents the Dutch national team in international competitions.

(born 1971) a water polo player, team gold medallist at the 2008 Summer Olympics * Andrea Nuyt (born 1974) a retired speed skater, competed at the

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...

and

2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 ( arp, Niico'ooowu' 2002; Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; nv, Sooléí 2002; Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), was an internation ...

* Ellen Hogerwerf (born 1989) a rower and team silver medallist at the

2020 Summer Olympics The , officially the and also known as , was an international multi-sport event held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some preliminary events that began on 21 July. Tokyo was selected as the host city during the 1 ...

* Froukje Wegman (born 1979) a rower and team bronze medallist at the 2004 Summer Olympics * Michel Breuer (born 1980) a retired Dutch footballer with 519 club caps *

Paulien van Deutekom Paulien van Deutekom (4 February 1981 – 2 January 2019) was a Dutch champion speed skater who specialised in the middle to long distances, over 1000 and 1500 metres. Biography In November 2005, Van Deutekom surprised when she skated among th ...

(1981-2019) a Dutch champion speed skater, competed at the 2006 Winter Olympics * Bianca de Jong-Muhren (born 1986) a Dutch chess Woman Grandmaster (WGM) * Mieke Cabout (born 1986) a water polo player, team gold medallist at the 2008 Summer Olympics * Ted-Jan Bloemen (born 1986) a Dutch-Canadian long track speed skater, gold and silver medallist at the 2018 Winter Olympics * Lex van Haeften (born 1987) a Dutch professional footballer *

Michael van der Mark Michael van der Mark (born 26 October 1992) is a motorcycle road racer based in the Netherlands. He competes in the Superbike World Championship with a BMW M1000RR. He was the 2012 European Superstock 600 champion. In 2013 and 2014 he won the ...

(born 1992) a Dutch motorcycle racer

Gallery

Gouda, vanuit de lucht met stadhuis RM16843 en de Grote of Sint Janskerk RM16722 foto1 2014-03-09 10.40.jpg, Town center from the sky with townhall and church (de Grote of Sint Janskerk) Gouda haven.jpg, Gracht in Gouda Gouda waaggebouw februari 2003.jpg, The ''Waag'' (

) Gouda, straatzicht op de Lange Tiendeweg met 't Kaaswinkeltje en 't Grendeltje RM16837 poging2 foto8 2017-04-30 13.13.jpg, Street view at the Lange Tiendeweg with the cheese shop ('t Kaaswinkeltje) and 't Grendeltje Gouda, molen 't Slot RM16919 langs de Hollandse IJssel IMG 0252 2021-08-05 15.16.jpg, Windmill: molen 't Slot

Notes

References

* Abels, P.H.A.M. (2002) ''Duizend jaar Gouda: een stadsgeschiedenis'' (''Thousand year Gouda: A history of the city'') Verloren, Hilversum, , in Dutch * Denslagen, W.F. and Akkerman, Chris (2001) ''Gouda'' Rijksdienst voor de Monumentenzorg, Zeist, NL, , in Dutch * * Schouten, Jan and de Wit, Bob (1960) ''Gouda'' (translated from the Dutch by Flora van Os-Gammon) W. van Hoeve, The Hague , in English

External links

Official website for the city of Gouda
(in Dutch)
A collection of old pictures and drawings of Gouda. (A journey through the past)

Virtual Tour of St. Johns church (Sint Janskerk) Gouda
* {{Authority control Cities in the Netherlands Municipalities of South Holland Populated places in South Holland