Zaltbommel (), also known, historically and colloquially, as Bommel, is a

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 ...

and a city in 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 ...

History

The city of Zaltbommel

The town of Zaltbommel was first mentioned as "Bomela" in the year 850. Zaltbommel 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 traditio ...

in 1231 and these were renewed in 1316. In 1599 during the

Eighty Years War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) ( c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Ref ...

, Zaltbommel was besieged by Spanish forces but was relieved by an Anglo-Dutch force led by

Maurice of Orange Maurice of Orange ( nl, Maurits van Oranje; 14 November 1567 – 23 April 1625) was ''stadtholder'' of all the provinces of the Dutch Republic except for Friesland from 1585 at the earliest until his death in 1625. Before he became Prince o ...

. The bridge over the Waal at Zaltbommel (which has since been replaced) features in a celebrated twentieth-century Dutch sonnet, ''De moeder de vrouw'', by

Martinus Nijhoff Martinus Nijhoff (20 April 1894, in The Hague – 26 January 1953, in The Hague) was a Dutch poet and essayist. He studied literature in Amsterdam and law in Utrecht. His debut was made in 1916 with his volume ''De wandelaar'' ("The wanderer"). F ...

. Zaltbommel was expanded to its current size on 1 January 1999, by a merger of the municipalities of

Brakel Brakel () is a municipality in the Belgian province of East Flanders in the Denderstreek and the Flemish Ardennes. The name is derived from a Carolingian villa ''Braglo'' first mentioned in 866 and located in the center of Opbrakel. Since 1970, ...

, Kerkwijk and Zaltbommel. The municipality is situated in the heart of the Netherlands, close to the A2 Motorway, the railway line from

Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the fourth-largest city and a municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, in the very centre of mainland Net ...

to 's‑Hertogenbosch and the rivers Waal and Maas.

Topography

''Dutch Topographic map of Zaltbommel (municipality), Sept. 2014''

Population centres

The municipality, consists of 13 population centres and had a population of in .

Notable residents

* Maarten van Rossum (ca.1478–1555) military tactician and commander * Elbertus Leoninus (1519 or 1520 – 1598) jurist and statesman, helped negotiate the Pacification of Ghent * Marigje Arriens (ca.1520–1591) an alleged Dutch witch *

Caspar Barlaeus Caspar Barlaeus (February 12, 1584 – January 14, 1648) was a Dutch polymath and Renaissance humanist, a theologian, poet, and historian. Life Born Caspar (Kaspar) van Baerle in Antwerp, Barlaeus' parents fled the city when it was occupied by Spa ...

(1584–1648) polymath and Renaissance humanist, a theologian, poet, and historian *

Andreas Essenius Andreas Essenius (February 1618–18 May 1677) was a Dutch Reformed theologian, controversialist and academic. He became professor of theology at the University of Utrecht. Life He was born Andreas van Essen in Zaltbommel where he studied Latin a ...

(1618–1677) Dutch Reformed theologian, controversialist and academic *

Jacob Abraham de Mist Jacob Abraham Uitenhage de Mist (20 April 1749 – 3 August 1823) was a Dutch statesman. He was Head of State of the National Assembly of the Batavian Republic from 17 April 1797 – 1 May 1797, and Commissioner-General of the Cape Colony duri ...

(1749–1823) statesman, Head of State of the

National Assembly of the Batavian Republic The National Assembly of the Batavian Republic ( Dutch: ''Nationale Vergadering'') was the Dutch parliament between 1796 and 1798. The National Assembly was founded in 1796 after general elections. It replaced the States-General of the Batavian ...

* Lion Philips (1794–1866) tobacco merchant, grandfather of Gerard and Anton Philips * Sophie Pressburg (1797–1854), grandmother of Anton and Gerard Philips * Hendrik Antonie Lodewijk Hamelberg (1826–1896), consul general and special envoy of the

Orange Free State The Orange Free State ( nl, Oranje Vrijstaat; af, Oranje-Vrystaat;) was an independent Boer sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeat ...

* Gerard Philips (1858–1942), industrialist, co-founder of Philips Electronics *

Anton Philips Anton Frederik Philips (14 March 1874 – 7 October 1951) co-founded Royal Philips Electronics N.V. in 1912 with his older brother Gerard Philips in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. His father and Gerard had founded the Philips Company in 1891 as a f ...

(1874–1951), industrialist, co-founder of Philips Electronics * Johannes van Maaren (1890–1963) wrestler, competed at the 1920, 1924 and

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad ( nl, Spelen van de IXe Olympiade) and commonly known as Amsterdam 1928, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated fro ...

Anouchka van Miltenburg Anouchka van Miltenburg (born 20 April 1967) is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD). She was the Speaker of the House of Representatives from 25 September 2012 until 12 December 2015 and served as a ...

(born 1967) retired politician

The Arts

* Lucas Vorsterman (1595–1675), Baroque engraver * Warnard van Rijsen (1625–1670), a

Dutch Golden Age The Dutch Golden Age ( nl, Gouden Eeuw ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands, roughly spanning the era from 1588 (the birth of the Dutch Republic) to 1672 (the Rampjaar, "Disaster Year"), in which Dutch trade, science, and art and ...

painter. *

Johannes Vorstermans Johannes Vorstermans (John Vosterman; ca.1643, Zaltbommel – ca.1699/1719, Zaltbommel), was a Dutch Golden Age landscape painter. Considered superior to all of his contemporaries, he created works for Charles II of England, Charles II. The Scot ...

(ca.1643– ca.1699/1719)

landscape painter. *

Gerard Hoet Gerard Hoet (; 22 August 1648 – 2 December 1733) was a Dutch Golden Age painter and engraver. Biography Gerard Hoet trained with his father and brother who were glass painters, and Warnard van Rijsen, who lived in Zaltbommel, and who h ...

, (1648–1743)

painter *

Jan Soukens Jan Soukens (c.1650–c.1725) was a Dutch Golden Age painter. Biography Soukens was born and died in Zaltbommel. According to Houbraken he was a pupil of Johannes Vorstermans whom he met in a market ship travelling from Dordrecht to Nijmeg ...

(c.1650–c.1725) a

painter * Suzanne Leenhoff (1829–1906), pianist, married

Édouard Manet Édouard Manet (, ; ; 23 January 1832 – 30 April 1883) was a French modernist painter. He was one of the first 19th-century artists to paint modern life, as well as a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism. Bor ...

at Zaltbommel in 1863Streekarchief Bommelerwaard (Zaltbommel district archive, in Dutch) Retrieved 5 January 2017
/ref> * Peter van Anrooy (1879–1954) composer and conductor of classical music *

Fiep Westendorp Sophia Maria "Fiep" Westendorp (17 December 1916 – 3 February 2004) was a Dutch illustrator who became popular due to her long collaboration with writer Annie M.G. Schmidt with their creation of Jip and Janneke. Career Three generations of ...

(1916-2004), illustrator * Thorwald Jørgensen (born 1980) classical musician, specialises in the

theremin The theremin (; originally known as the ætherphone/etherphone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox) is an electronic musical instrument controlled without physical contact by the performer (who is known as a thereminist). It is named afte ...

Image gallery

File:Zaltbommel Waalbruggen 001.jpg, Zaltbommel (in the upper right-hand corner of the image) is situated on the banks of the Waal. Major north–south highways and railways cross the river in the town, just east of the town centre. File:Zaltbommel 1649 Blaeu.jpg, 1649 map of Zaltbommel in

Willem Willem () is a Dutch and West FrisianRienk de Haan, ''Fryske Foarnammen'', Leeuwarden, 2002 (Friese Pers Boekerij), , p. 158. masculine given name. The name is Germanic, and can be seen as the Dutch equivalent of the name William in English, ...

and

Joan Blaeu Joan Blaeu (; 23 September 1596 – 21 December 1673) was a Dutch cartographer born in Alkmaar, the son of cartographer Willem Blaeu. Life In 1620, Blaeu became a doctor of law but he joined the work of his father. In 1635, they published ...

's "Toonneel der Steden" File:Tiel + 1649 Blaeu'.jpg, Tyel & Salt Boemel, 1649

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Municipalities of Gelderland Populated places in Gelderland