Axel is a city in the southwest

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

. It is located in the municipality of

Terneuzen Terneuzen () is a city and municipality in the southwestern Netherlands, in the province of Zeeland, in the middle of Zeelandic Flanders. With almost 55,000 inhabitants, it is the most populous municipality of Zeeland. History First mentione ...

Zeeland Zeeland (; ), historically known in English by the Endonym and exonym, exonym Zealand, is the westernmost and least populous province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the southwest of the country, borders North Brabant to the east ...

, about 31 km southeast of

Vlissingen Vlissingen (; ) is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the island of Walcheren. With its strategic location between the Scheldt river and the North Sea, Vlissingen has been an importan ...

. Axel received city rights in 1213.

History

The city was first established between 987 and 994 as Axla. The etymology is unclear. Axel was located on the former creek Axelse Gat which had its mouth in the former Braakman inlet. A church was built around 1100, and a castle around 1200. It was a gateway to

Ghent Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...

, and received city rights in 1213. The city was plundered around 1380 and in 1452 by Ghent. The All Saints' Flood of 1570 resulted in Axel finding itself on an island. Axel was conquered by Maurice, Prince of Orange in 1586 and was fortified. In 1601, eight bastions and one ravelin were constructed around the city. Axel was a strategically important place, because it controlled access to

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

and Ghent which were in Spanish hands. In 1789, Axel was reattached to the mainland. The fortifications were removed in 1816. In 1851, Axel lost its harbour. The Catholic St Gregorius the Great Church is a single-aisled church in

Gothic Revival Gothic Revival (also referred to as Victorian Gothic or neo-Gothic) is an Architectural style, architectural movement that after a gradual build-up beginning in the second half of the 17th century became a widespread movement in the first half ...

style which was built between 1862 and 1863. The

grist mill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that h ...

Stadsmolen (lit: City wind mill) was built in 1750. In 1911, it was reduced to a rump and a motor was installed. In 1995, it was bought by the municipality and restored between 1998 and 1999. It is in service on most Saturdays and grinds grain. Axel was home to 1,226 people in 1840. In 1871, a railway station opened on the

Mechelen Mechelen (; ; historically known as ''Mechlin'' in EnglishMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical context. T ...

railway line. The line closed in 1951. The building was demolished in 1968. In September 1944, Axel was the scene of fighting and destruction during the Battle of the Scheldt. On 19 September, Axel was liberated by Polish forces. Axel was an independent municipality until 2003 when it was merged into

Notable residents

* E. M. Valk-Heijnsdijk (1867–1945), cookbook writer and restaurateur

Gallery

File:Overzicht voorgevel - Axel - 20374533 - RCE.jpg, Building in Axel File:Overzicht voorgevels - Axel - 20531588 - RCE.jpg, Street view File:Axel Stadsmolen.jpg, Wind mill De Stadsmolen File:Axel - Gregorius de Grotekerk 1.jpg, St Gregorius the Great Church

References

External links

Mayors of Axel 1581 - 1800

{{Authority control Municipalities of the Netherlands disestablished in 2003 Former municipalities of Zeeland Populated places in Zeeland Terneuzen