Oosterbeek is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred ...

in the eastern part of

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 ...

. It is located in the municipality of Renkum in the province of

Gelderland Gelderland (), also known as Guelders () in English, is a province of the Netherlands, occupying the centre-east of the country. With a total area of of which is water, it is the largest province of the Netherlands by land area, and second by ...

, about west of

Arnhem Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both ban ...

. The oldest part of Oosterbeek is the Benedendorp (Lower Village), on the northern bank of the

Lower Rhine The Lower Rhine (german: Niederrhein; kilometres 660 to 1,033 of the river Rhine) flows from Bonn, Germany, to the North Sea at Hook of Holland, Netherlands (including the Nederrijn or "Nether Rhine" within the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta); ...

. One landmark in the village is the Hervormde Kerk (Reformed Church), which has certain architectural sections that date back to the second half of the 10th century. Oosterbeek was a separate

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 ...

until 1818, when the area was divided between

Doorwerth Doorwerth is a village in the eastern Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Renkum, Gelderland, about 8 km west of Arnhem and about 100 km southeast of Amsterdam. History The valley of the Seelbeek has been in residential u ...

and the village of Renkum. In the 19th century, several mansions were built on the higher ground to the north of the old village. One of these mansions, called De Hemelse Berg, was destroyed in 1944. Another, called Hartenstein, is now home to the Airborne Museum. The construction of smaller buildings in the same area led to the creation of the Bovendorp (Upper Village). To the north of the built-up area lies the

Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery The Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery, more commonly known as the Airborne Cemetery, is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery in Oosterbeek, near Arnhem, the Netherlands. It was established in 1945 and is home to 1764 graves from the Secon ...

. The village is known for its involvement in the September 1944 Battle of Arnhem, during which it was heavily damaged. General Roy Urquhart of Britain had his headquarters at Hotel Hartenstein. Oosterbeek is also the location of the Hotel de Bilderberg, where the Bilderberg Group first met in 1954.

Oosterbeek School

The Oosterbeek School is known as the birthplace of Dutch

Impressionism Impressionism was a 19th-century art movement characterized by relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passa ...

, along with the nearby village of

Wolfheze Wolfheze is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is located in the municipality of Renkum, 10 km northwest of the city of Arnhem.''ANWB Topografische Atlas Nederland'', Topografische Dienst and ANWB, 2005. History Stone Age-Midd ...

. Art historians call this the Barbizon of the North. The school's most successful period was from 1841 until 1870, before the artists turned to Laren,

Kortenhoef Kortenhoef is a village in North Holland, Netherlands with a population of about 6,780. It is an important part of the municipality of Wijdemeren, and lies about 5 km northwest of Hilversum. Kortenhoef was a separate municipality until 1966, ...

, Egmond aan Zee, Katwijk aan Zee,

Scheveningen Scheveningen is one of the eight districts of The Hague, Netherlands, as well as a subdistrict (''wijk'') of that city. Scheveningen is a modern seaside resort with a long, sandy beach, an esplanade, a pier, and a lighthouse. The beach is ...

, and Noordwijk, where they founded new art colonies or painters' villages. During this time, they established the

Pulchri Studio Pulchri Studio (Latin:"For the study of beauty") is a Dutch art society, art institution and art studio based in The Hague ('s-Gravenhage), Netherlands. This institute began in 1847 at the home of painter Lambertus Hardenberg. Since 1893 the c ...

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 opened the second Golden Age of Dutch painting. Consequently, they became the forerunners of the

Modern art Modern art includes artistic work produced during the period extending roughly from the 1860s to the 1970s, and denotes the styles and philosophies of the art produced during that era. The term is usually associated with art in which the tradi ...

movement in the Netherlands. Artists who were part of the movement near Oosterbeek include

Gerard Bilders Albertus Gerardus "Gerard" Bilders (9 December 1838 – 8 March 1865) was a Dutch landscape-painter, associated with some members of the Hague School, as Anton Mauve and Willem Maris. Biography Bilders was born in Utrecht, where he lived until ...

, Paul Gabriël, Barend Cornelis Koekkoek,

Jacob Maris Jacob Hendricus Maris (August 25, 1837 – August 7, 1899) was a Dutch painter, who with his brothers Willem and Matthijs belonged to what has come to be known as the Hague School of painters. He was considered to be the most important and influe ...

Matthijs Maris Matthias Maris (17 August 1839 – 22 August 1917) was a Dutch painter, etcher and lithographer. He was also known as Matthijs Maris or Thijs. He initially belonged to the Hague School, like his two brothers, Jacob and Willem, but his later ...

Willem Maris Willem Maris (18 February 1844 – 10 October 1910) was a Dutch landscape painter of the Hague School. Biography He was born in The Hague. Willem was the third in a family of five children. His two brothers Jacob and Matthijs Maris preceded ...

, Anton Mauve, Hendrik Mesdag,

Willem Roelofs Willem Roelofs (10 March 1822 – 12 May 1897) was a Dutch painter, water-colourist, etcher, lithographer and draughtsman. Roelofs was one of the forerunners of the Dutch Revival art, after the Romantic Classicism of the beginning of the 19th cent ...

, and

Jan Hendrik Weissenbruch Jan Hendrik Weissenbruch, also known as Hendrik Johannes Weissenbruch (born 19 June 1824 in The Hague – died 24 March 1903 in The Hague) was a Dutch painter of the Hague School. He is noted especially for his watercolours. Biography Hendrik J ...

Transport

Oosterbeek has a

railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in Track (rail transport), tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the ...

that opened on 16 May 1845. It is on the Amsterdam–Arnhem railway (Rhijnspoorweg). The primary bus line, 352, connects Oosterbeek with Wageningen and Arnhem.

Airborne March

The commemorative

Airborne March The Airborne March is the annual Dutch commemorative event in remembrance of the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944, that began in 1947 and always takes place on the first Saturday in September at Oosterbeek near Arnhem in The Netherlands. Just o ...

is held in Oosterbeek every year on the first Saturday of September. The event started in 1947 and involves thousands of people, who walk 10 kilometers, 15 kilometers, or 25 kilometers. A 40-kilometer distance was added in the early 21st century.

Well-known people

* Eric Corton (1969), singer, actor, and presenter *

Esmée Denters Esmée Denters (born 28 September 1988) is a Dutch singer and YouTube celebrity. Denters started promoting herself as a musician online in 2006, covering songs by artists including Justin Timberlake and Natasha Bedingfield. By mid-2008 she beca ...

(1988), singer * Albertino Essers (1969), darts player *

Ronald Koeman Ronald Koeman (; born 21 March 1963) is a Dutch professional football manager and former player. He is the younger brother of his former international teammate Erwin Koeman and the son of former Dutch international Martin Koeman. Koeman was capab ...

(1963), ex-football player and coach *

Kate ter Horst Kate ter Horst MBE (born 6 July 1906, Amsterdam – 21 February 1992, Oosterbeek) was a Dutch housewife and mother who tended wounded and dying Allied soldiers during the Battle of Arnhem. Her British patients nicknamed her the ''Angel of Arnhem'' ...

(1906), hero of the Battle of Arnhem, cared for British paratroopers injured in the battle

Photos

Image:2007-02-03 10.15 Oosterbeek, kerk.JPG, The Roman Catholic St. Bernulphus Church (1884) Image:Oosterbeek 1867.jpg, A map of Oosterbeek (1867) Image:2007-04-09 09.02 Oosterbeek, oorlogsmonument.JPG, War Monument Image:Airborne Museum Hartenstein.JPG, The Hartenstein Airborne Museum

References

External links

Website of municipality Renkum
{{Coord, 51, 59, N, 5, 51, E, region:NL_type:city_source:GNS-enwiki, display=title Populated places in Gelderland Former municipalities of Gelderland Renkum