Thorn (; li, Toear or ''Thoear'') 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 municipality of Maasgouw, in the Dutch province of Limburg. It lies on the rivers

Meuse The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a ...

and Witbeek. It is known as 'the white village' for its white-washed brick houses in the centre of town. It used to be part of the Imperial Abbey of Thorn.

History

First, the region of Thorn was a swamp nearby the

Roman road Roman roads ( la, viae Romanae ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, and were built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Re ...

between

Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...

and

Nijmegen Nijmegen (;; Spanish and it, Nimega. Nijmeegs: ''Nimwèège'' ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and tenth largest of the Netherlands as a whole, located on the Waal river close to the German border. It is about 6 ...

. But the region had been drained and about 975,

Bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ...

Ansfried of Utrecht founded a Benedictine nunnery. This monastery developed since the 12th century into a secular ''stift'' or

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Angl ...

. The principal of the ''stift'' was the

abbess An abbess (Latin: ''abbatissa''), also known as a mother superior, is the female superior of a community of Catholic nuns in an abbey. Description In the Catholic Church (both the Latin Church and Eastern Catholic), Eastern Orthodox, Copt ...

. She was assisted by a chapter of at most twenty ladies of the highest

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The character ...

. Previously the abbess and the chapter were endowed with religious tasks but, since the 12th century, they served secular matters and formed the government of a truly sovereign miniature

principality A principality (or sometimes princedom) can either be a monarchical feudatory or a sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a regnant-monarch with the title of prince and/or princess, or by a monarch with another title considered to fall un ...

, the smallest independent

state State may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

in the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire was a political entity in Western, Central, and Southern Europe that developed during the Early Middle Ages and continued until its dissolution in 1806 during the Napoleonic Wars. From the accession of Otto I in 962 unt ...

, approximately 250 x 250 metres. Besides Thorn,

Ittervoort Ittervoort is a village in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is located in the municipality of Leudal. History The village was first mentioned in 1252 as Itervort, and means "fordable place in the Itterbeek". In 1343, a bridge was built. The ...

Grathem Grathem (; li, Gratem) is a village in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is located in the municipality of Leudal, about 10 km west of Roermond. History It was first mentioned in 1116 as Grathem. The etymology is unclear. Grathem develop ...

, Baexem,

Stramproy Stramproy ( li, Rooj, is a village in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is located in the municipality of Weert. History The village was first mentioned in 1299 as Stramprode. Stramproy developed in the early middle ages on the edge of the P ...

, Ell,

Haler Haler (formerly known as Haler-Uffelse) is a village in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is a part of the municipality of Leudal Leudal (Limburgish: ''Leudaal'') is a municipality in the Dutch province of Limburg. It was formed on January 1 ...

and Molenbeersel belonged to this principality. After the French invasion in the winter of 1794–95 and the formal abolition in 1797 made an end to the existence of the abbey and the principality of Thorn; Thorn was first part of the department of Meuse-Inférieure, and after the

Vienna Congress The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...

it became a municipality of the

United Kingdom of the Netherlands The United Kingdom of the Netherlands ( nl, Verenigd Koninkrijk der Nederlanden; french: Royaume uni des Pays-Bas) is the unofficial name given to the Kingdom of the Netherlands as it existed between 1815 and 1839. The United Netherlands was cr ...

Gallery

File:Flirrende Hitze über Thorn.jpg, The abbey church of Thorn File:Street in the "White Town" of Thorn.JPG, Street view of Thorn File:Brigade Pironbrug Thorn (1).JPG, Brigade Piron Bridge File:Kapel onder de Linden (49073101287).jpg, Chapel

References

{{Authority control States and territories established in 1292 States and territories disestablished in 1797 Municipalities of the Netherlands disestablished in 2007 Populated places in Limburg (Netherlands) Former municipalities of Limburg (Netherlands) Maasgouw

History

Gallery

See also

References