
Geertruidenberg () is a city and municipality in the province
North Brabant
North Brabant ( ; ), also unofficially called Brabant, Dutch Brabant or Hollandic Brabant, is a province in the south of the Netherlands. It borders the provinces of South Holland and Gelderland to the north, Limburg to the east, Zeeland to ...
in the south of the
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 ...
. The city, named after
Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, received city rights in 1213 from the count of
Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...
. The fortified city prospered until the 15th century.
Today, the municipality of Geertruidenberg includes the population centres
Raamsdonk and
Raamsdonksveer. The municipality has a total area of and had a population of in . The city government consists of the mayor and three aldermen.
History
Geertruidenberg is named after
Saint Gertrude of Nivelles.
In 1213, Sint Geertruidenberg (English: "Saint Gertrude's Mountain") 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 tradition ...
from
Count William I of Holland. The fortified city became a trade center, where counts and other nobility gathered for negotiations. In 1323–1325,
Geertruidenberg Castle was constructed very close to the city center.
During the
Hook and Cod wars, the city chose the Cod side in 1351, while the castle remained on the Hook side. This led to the 1350–1351
Siege of Geertruidenberg. In 1420 a similar siege during a later Hook and Cod war caused huge damage to the city. The
Saint Elizabeth's flood of 1421 then ended the prosperity of Geertruidenberg.
In 1573, during the
Eighty Years War
The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt (; 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 Reformation, centralisation, exce ...
, the city
was captured in a surprise attack by an English, French Huguenot and Fleming force. In 1589 however
the city was betrayed to
Parma
Parma (; ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmesan, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,986 inhabitants as of 2025, ...
by its English garrison. It was
finally recaptured by an Anglo-Dutch force under the command of
Maurice of Nassau
Maurice of Orange (; 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 on 23 April 1625. Before he became Prince of Orange upo ...
in the summer of 1593.
Today, Geertruidenberg is part of the province of
North Brabant
North Brabant ( ; ), also unofficially called Brabant, Dutch Brabant or Hollandic Brabant, is a province in the south of the Netherlands. It borders the provinces of South Holland and Gelderland to the north, Limburg to the east, Zeeland to ...
, but it was once part of the county of
Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...
. Geertruidenberg is the second oldest city of Holland as it was the first to receive city rights. It is a common misconception that Geertruidenberg is the oldest city of the Netherlands, because the names Holland and the Netherlands are used interchangeably by some.
Geography
The total area of the municipality is , of which is land and is water.
The municipality of Geertruidenberg comprises three population centres:
*Geertruidenberg
*
Raamsdonk
*
Raamsdonksveer
Geertruidenberg is located on the bank of the
Donge, close to where this river flows into the
Amer.
Demography
As of , the total
population
Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...
of Geertruidenberg was . The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was .
Government
The
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
of Geertruidenberg is Marian Witte who, like all mayors in the Netherlands, was appointed by the Dutch monarch. She is supported by four
aldermen
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law with similar officials existing in the Netherlands (wethouder) and Belgium (schepen). The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking membe ...
who, with the mayor, form the ''
College van Burgemeester en Wethouders
In the Netherlands, the municipal executive (, oftentimes abbreviated to ; ) is the executive board of a municipality. It plays a central role in municipal politics in the Netherlands, similar to the communal college in Belgium. It consists of ...
''.
[
The ]city council
A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, borough counc ...
is elected every four years, at the same time as most other Dutch municipalities. The 19 members of the city council assemble ten times per year for public meetings in the city hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or municipal hall (in the Philippines) is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually houses the city o ...
in Raamsdonksveer. The council members come from seven political parties, four local and three national (2022):
Notable people
* Johannes Vollevens (1649 in Geertruidenberg – 1728) a Dutch Golden Age
The Dutch Golden Age ( ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands which roughly lasted from 1588, when the Dutch Republic was established, to 1672, when the '' Rampjaar'' occurred. During this period, Dutch trade, scientific development ...
painter
* Juliana de Lannoy (1738 – 1782 in St. Geertruidenberg) an artist and poet, lived in St. Geertruidenberg from 1758
* Willem Sassen (1918 in Geertruidenberg – 2002) a Dutch collaborator, Nazi journalist, a member of the Waffen-SS and the interviewer of Adolf Eichmann in 1960
* Jan Derksen (1919 in Geertruidenberg – 2011) a Dutch professional cyclist, world professional track sprint champion in 1946 and 1957
* Matthijs Brouwer (born 1980 in Raamsdonk) a field hockey player, team silver medallist at the 2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece.
The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...
Gallery
File:4931 Geertruidenberg, Netherlands - panoramio (17).jpg, Geertruidenberg
File:4931 Geertruidenberg, Netherlands - panoramio (9).jpg, Geertruidenberg
File:Geertruidenberg kunstwerk bloemenmonument.jpg, Geertruidenberg flower sculpture
File:20170625 038 029 040 041 042 Dordrecht Brabantse Biesbosch (35499915671).jpg, Dordrecht Brabantse Biesbosch
References
External links
*
Official website
{{Authority control
Cities in the Netherlands
Municipalities of North Brabant
Populated places in North Brabant