Wehl is a town in the eastern

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 ...

, about 5 km west of Doetinchem. Wehl was a part of

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an e ...

until 1808, when it was joined to the Netherlands. In those years it was officially a part of

Zeddam Zeddam is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is located in the municipality of Montferland, about 7 km south of Doetinchem. Zeddam was a separate municipality until 1821, when it was merged with Bergh. History Zeddam was ...

. Wehl became an independent municipality in 1813, when it was given back to Prussia; in 1816, it returned to the Netherlands. It remained an independent municipality until the municipal reorganization on 1 January 2005, when Wehl became part of the larger neighbouring municipality of Doetinchem. The former municipality also included the village of Nieuw-Wehl, 3 km to the west.

History

It was first mentioned around 1200 as Wele. The etymology is unknown. The village developed between the

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , source ...

and the

Oude IJssel The Oude IJssel ( Dutch, , literally ''old IJssel'') or Issel (German, ) is a river in Germany and the Netherlands approximately long. It is a right tributary of the river IJssel. ''Oude IJssel'' is Dutch for "Old IJssel"; the Oude IJssel wa ...

. In 1466, it became an independent parish. In 1647, it became an enclave of the

Duchy of Cleves The Duchy of Cleves (german: Herzogtum Kleve; nl, Hertogdom Kleef) was a State of the Holy Roman Empire which emerged from the medieval . It was situated in the northern Rhineland on both sides of the Lower Rhine, around its capital Cleves ...

and no longer part of the

Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands ( Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiograph ...

. The Catholic St. Martinus Church dates from 15th century, and has a tower from the 13th century with 12th century elements. Between 1894 and 1895, it was redesigned into its current form. In 1816, it became part of the Netherlands. In 1840, it was home to 408 people. 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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, Wehl started to expand rapidly. In 1885, the Wehl railway station opened on the

Winterswijk Winterswijk (; also known as ''Winterswiek'' or ''Wenters'') is a municipality and a town in the eastern Netherlands. It has a population of and is situated in the Achterhoek, which lies in the easternmost part of the province of Gelderland in th ...

- Zevenaar railway line. The station is still there, but the building was demolished in 2010. In 2005, it merged into Doetinchem.

Notable people

* Chris Mijnarends (born 1939), field hockey player who competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics * Tim Sanders (born 1986), footballer

Gallery

File:Wehl 108.JPG, Street view File:Collectie het Utrechts Archief; 150831.jpg, Former railway station building File:Stoomtimmerfabriek Wehl serie Wehl 111.jpg, Factory in Wehl File:Huis Van Lamsweerde in Wehl - serie Hummelo - 098.jpg, Villa "Huis van Lamsweerde"

References

{{Authority control Municipalities of the Netherlands disestablished in 2005 Populated places in Gelderland Former municipalities of Gelderland Doetinchem