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Gorinchem ( ), also spelled Gorkum, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of
South Holland South Holland ( ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.8 million as of January 2023 and a population density of about , making it the country's most populous province and one of the world's most densely populated areas. ...
. The municipality covers an area of of which is water. It had a population of in . The municipality of Gorinchem also includes the population centre of Dalem.


History

It is generally assumed that Gorinchem was founded 1000 AD by fishermen and farmers on the raised land near the mouth of the river
Linge The Linge is a river in the Betuwe that is 99.8 km long, which makes it one of the longest rivers that flow entirely within the Netherlands. The river starts near the village of Doornenburg near the German border. A legend tells us that i ...
at the
Merwede The Merwede (; etymology uncertain, possibly derived from the Old Dutch ''merwe'' or ''merowe'', a word meaning "wide water") is the name of several connected stretches of river in the Netherlands, between the cities of Woudrichem, Dordrecht and ...
. ''Goriks Heem'' ("Home of Gorik" in early
Middle Dutch Middle Dutch is a collective name for a number of closely related West Germanic dialects whose ancestor was Old Dutch. It was spoken and written between 1150 and 1500. Until the advent of Modern Dutch after 1500 or , there was no overarching sta ...
) is first mentioned in a document from 1224 in which Floris IV granted people from Gorinchem exemption of
toll Toll may refer to: Transportation * Toll (fee) a fee charged for the use of a road or waterway ** Toll road, a type of road which for which payment is required for passage ** Road pricing, the modern practice of charging for road use ** Road to ...
payments throughout
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 ...
. Somewhere between 1247 and 1267, Gorinchem became property of the
Lords of Arkel The Land van Arkel was a fief of the Count of Holland, Counts of Holland, and was managed by the Lords of Arkel until 1412. The territory was bordered by the river Merwede on the south, and the river Linge on the east. The northern border might hav ...
. At the end of the 13th century earthen mounds reinforced with
palisade A palisade, sometimes called a stakewall or a paling, is typically a row of closely placed, high vertical standing tree trunks or wooden or iron stakes used as a fence for enclosure or as a defensive wall. Palisades can form a stockade. Etymo ...
s were built around the settlement to protect it from domination by the neighboring counties of Holland and Gelre. Half a century later real
city wall A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or Earthworks (military), earthworks to extensive military fortifications such as ...
s were built complete with 7
gates Gates is the plural of gate, a point of entry to a space which is enclosed by walls. It may also refer to: People * Gates (surname), various people with the last name * Gates Brown (1939-2013), American Major League Baseball player * Gates McFadd ...
and 23
watchtower A watchtower or guardtower (also spelt watch tower, guard tower) is a type of military/paramilitary or policiary tower used for guarding an area. Sometimes fortified, and armed with heavy weaponry, especially historically, the structures are ...
s. Otto van Arkel granted it
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 ...
on 11 November 1322.
Jan van Arkel John of Arkel or Jan van Arkel (died 1 July 1378, Liège) served as Prince and Bishop of Liège from 1364 until his death in 1378. He had previously served as Bishop of Utrecht from 1342 to 1364. Biography John was the son of John III, lord ...
had a dispute with
Albert I Albert I may refer to: People Born before 1300 * Albert I, Count of Vermandois (917–987) * Albert I, Count of Namur () * Albert I of Moha *Albert I of Brandenburg (), first margrave of Brandenburg * Albert I, Margrave of Meissen (1158–1195) *Al ...
, brother of Willem V of Holland, leading to war and subsequently to the annexation of Gorinchem to Holland in 1417. This resulted in increased trade and Gorinchem grew to be the eighth city of Holland.
Charles the Bold Charles Martin (10 November 1433 – 5 January 1477), called the Bold, was the last duke of Burgundy from the House of Valois-Burgundy, ruling from 1467 to 1477. He was the only surviving legitimate son of Philip the Good and his third wife, ...
constructed the Blue Tower palace in Gorinchem in 1461. This castle was already demolished in 1578. On 9 July 1572, the
Watergeuzen ''Geuzen'' (; ; ) was a name assumed by the confederacy of Calvinist Dutch nobles, who from 1566 opposed Spanish rule in the Netherlands. The most successful group of them operated at sea, and so were called ''Watergeuzen'' (; ; ). In the Eigh ...
(Dutch rebels against Spanish rule) conquered the city and captured 19 Catholic priests and monks. Because they refused to renounce their faith, these priests and monks were brought to
Brielle Brielle (), also called Den Briel in Dutch and Brill in English, is a town and historic seaport in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland, on the north side of the island of Voorne-Putten, at the mouth of the New Maas. The for ...
where they were hanged and were from then on known among Catholics as the
Martyrs of Gorkum The Martyrs of Gorkum () were a group of 19 Dutch people, Dutch Catholic clerics, secular and religious, who were hanged on 9 July 1572 in the town of Brielle by militant Dutch Calvinists during the European wars of religion, 16th-century relig ...
. The Martyrs of Gorkum were canonized by Pope Pius IX in 1867. Their martyrdom is commemorated annually in Gorinchem and has become an integral part of the city’s religious and cultural identity. As victims of religious persecution during the Eighty Years' War, their story symbolizes the broader conflict between Catholicism and Protestantism in the region. The martyrs hold a notable place in Dutch religious history, and their legacy continues to resonate with Catholics around the world. By the 16th century, the city walls had deteriorated and were replaced with new fortifications and eleven
bastion A bastion is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fire from the ...
s that are still almost completely intact. The new walls were completed in 1609 and were located further from the town centre, making the city twice as large. In 1673, Gorinchem became part of the old
Dutch Water Line The Dutch Waterline (; modern spelling: ''Hollandse Waterlinie'') was a series of water-based defences conceived by Maurice of Nassau in the early 17th century, and realised by his half brother Frederick Henry. Combined with natural bodies of wat ...
. The city walls had four city gates: the Arkel Gate in the north, the Dalem Gate in the east, the Water Gate in the south (where the ferry to
Woudrichem Woudrichem (; Brabantian: ''Woerkum'') is a city and former municipality in the province of North Brabant in the Netherlands. History Woudrichem originated in the ninth century. A marketplace emerged on a riverbank where Hoogstraat and Mol ...
was), and the Kansel Gate in the west. Of these four gates, only the Dalem Gate remains. The others were removed in the 19th century to make way for vehicular traffic. A portion of the Water Gate was preserved in the gardens of the
Rijksmuseum The Rijksmuseum () is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch arts and history and is located in Amsterdam. The museum is located at the Museum Square in the borough of Amsterdam South, close to the Van Gogh Museum, the S ...
in Amsterdam. In the 18th century, the economy went into decline. After the French domination, the retreating French troops established themselves in the
bastion fortress A bastion fort or ''trace italienne'' (a phrase derived from non-standard French, meaning 'Italian outline') is a fortification in a style developed during the early modern period in response to the ascendancy of gunpowder weapons such as c ...
of Gorinchem. After a three-month siege they capitulated but the city was heavily damaged. During the Industrial Revolution, Gorinchem recovered. Increased shipping led to new canals being dug and a railway connection to the city. Its population quickly increased, filling the inner city, and new neighbourhoods had to be built outside the city walls. At the beginning of the 20th century, expansion took place in the Lingewijk and West neighbourhoods. After World War II, expansion started in the north-western portion of the municipality which was completed in the 1970s. This was followed by development of the neighbourhoods Wijdschild and Laag Dalem east of the city center. In 1986, the town Dalem was added to the municipality. In August 2021 ANWB named Gorinchem the most beautiful star fort in the Netherlands.


Demographics

Gorinchem had 37,456 inhabitants on 1 January 2021.


Politics

The current mayor of Gorinchem is Reinie Melissant-Briene of the CDA. In 2023 a new municipal executive was agreed, consisting of the City Interest,
VVD The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy ( , VVD) is a conservative-liberal political party in the Netherlands. The VVD, whose forerunner was the Freedom Party, is a party of the centre-right that tries to promote private enterprise and ...
, CU-SGP, Gorcum Active and SP. The municipal council of Gorinchem has 25 members, which are directly elected. The composition of the council at the
2022 Dutch municipal elections Municipal elections were held on 16 March 2022 in 333 municipalities in the Netherlands. This election determined the composition of the municipal councils for the following four years. Background In the previous municipal elections, local p ...
is shown in the table below.


Transport

The city is crossed by two motorways; the A15 on the northside, and the A27 on the westside. The city also has a railway station:
Gorinchem Gorinchem ( ), pronunciation respelling, also spelled Gorkum, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of of which is water. It had a population of in . The munici ...
.


Notable people


Public service

*
John V, Lord of Arkel John V, Lord of Arkel (11 September 1362 – 25 August 1428) was Lord of Arkel, Haastrecht and Hagestein and stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland and West Frisia. He was a son of Lord Otto of Arkel and his wife, Elisabeth of Bar-Pierrepont. H ...
(1362–1428)
stadtholder In the Low Countries, a stadtholder ( ) was a steward, first appointed as a medieval official and ultimately functioning as a national leader. The ''stadtholder'' was the replacement of the duke or count of a province during the Burgundian and ...
of Holland, Zeeland and West Frisia * Henry of Gorkum (– 1431) a Dutch theologian * Willem Hessels van Est (1542–1613) a Dutch Catholic theologian * The
Martyrs of Gorkum The Martyrs of Gorkum () were a group of 19 Dutch people, Dutch Catholic clerics, secular and religious, who were hanged on 9 July 1572 in the town of Brielle by militant Dutch Calvinists during the European wars of religion, 16th-century relig ...
a group of 19 Dutch Catholic clerics who were hanged in 1572 *
Thomas van Erpe Thomas van Erpe, also known as Thomas Erpenius (September 11, 1584November 13, 1624), Dutch Orientalist, was born at Gorinchem, in Holland. He was the first European to publish an accurate book of Arabic grammar. After completing his early educ ...
(1584–1624) a Dutch Orientalist, published a book of Arabic grammar * Dirk Rafelsz Camphuysen (1586–1627) theologian, poet, painter *
Johannes van Neercassel Johannes Baptista van Neercassel (Gorinchem, 1626 – Zwolle, 6 June 1686) served as apostolic vicar of the Dutch Mission, heir of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Utrecht, from 1661 to 1686. Life Neercassel was born in Gorinchem, where his fat ...
(1625–1686) Archbishop of Utrecht 1661 to 1686. * Hendrik Hamel (1630–1692) seafarer and writer *
Aegidius van Braam Aegidius van Braam (30 July 1758 in Gorinchem – 17 May 1822 in Delft) was a Dutch naval officer who attained the rank of vice-admiral. When the Dutch Republic was overrun by French Revolutionary troops in 1795, he remained loyal to the House of ...
(1758–1822) a Dutch naval vice-admiral *
Pierre van Paassen Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...
(1895–1968) a Dutch–Canadian-American journalist, writer, and Unitarian minister * Roger van Boxtel (born 1954) a retired Dutch politician and businessman, lives in Gorinchem


The arts

*
Abraham Bloemaert Abraham Bloemaert (25 December 1566 – 27 January 1651) was a Dutch painter and printmaker who used etching and engraving. He initially worked in the style of the " Haarlem Mannerists", but by the beginning of the 17th-century altered his style ...
(1566–1651) Dutch painter and printmaker in etching and engraving *
Anthonie Verstraelen Anthonie Verstraelen or Van Stralen (Gorkum, 1593/1594 - Amsterdam, 1641) was a Dutch landscape painter, best known (with Hendrik Avercamp and his nephew Barend Avercamp) for his winter scenes. Gillis van Stralen, Antonie's father, was a textil ...
(1593/1594–1641) a Dutch landscape painter of winter scenes *
Aert van der Neer Aert van der Neer, or Aernout or Artus ( – 9 November 1677), was a landscape painter of the Dutch Golden Age, who specialized in small night scenes lit only by moonlight and fires, and snowy winter landscapes, both often looking down a canal ...
(–1677) 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 ...
landscape painter * Cornelis Saftleven (ca.1607–1681) a Dutch painter, worked in many genres *
Jacob van der Ulft Jacob van der Ulft (; 1621–1689) was a Dutch painter, glass painter, print artist, architect and mayor. He was known for his architectural and city views, landscapes and topographical views.Hendrik Verschuring (1627–1690) 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 ...
landscape painter * Jan van der Heyden (1637–1712) a Dutch Baroque-era painter, glass painter, draughtsman and printmaker *
Ida Gerhardt Ida Gerhardt (11 May 1905 in Gorinchem – 15 August 1997 in Warnsveld) was a classicist and Dutch poet of a post-symbolist tradition. Life In her hometown Rotterdam Ida Gerhardt attended the Erasmus Gymnasium, where the poet J.H. Leopold was h ...
(1905–1997) a classicist and Dutch poet of a post-symbolist tradition *
A. Teeuw Andries Teeuw (12 August 1921 – 18 May 2012), better known as A. Teeuw in scholarly circles and Hans Teeuw to his friends, was a Dutch critic of Indonesian literature. Biography Teeuw was born in Gorinchem, Netherlands, on 12 August 1921 ...
(1921–2012) a Dutch critic of Indonesian literature * Jan van Munster (1939–2024) a Dutch sculptor and installation artist * Dinand Woesthoff (born 1972) a Dutch musician, lead singer with Dutch band
Kane Kane or KANE may refer to: Art, entertainment and media Fictional entities *Kane (comics), the main character of the eponymous comic book series by Paul Grist * Kane (''Command & Conquer''), Tiberium universe character in the ''Command & Conquer'' ...
* Nikos Vertis (born 1976) a Greek singer * Boaz de Jong (born 1988) stage name '' Boaz van de Beatz'', a Dutch record producer and DJ * Chu Lan-ting (born 1990) stage name '' Diana Wang'', a Dutch-born Taiwanese singer and film actress


Science & business

* Gerard Boate (1604–1650) physician and author of ''The Natural History of Ireland'' and his brother *
Arnold Boate Arnold Boate, originally called de Boot (1606–1653) was a Dutch physician, writer and Hebraist who spent much of his life abroad, and lived for several years in Dublin. There he married Margaret Dongan, a judge's daughter, whom he portrayed lovi ...
(1606–1653) a Dutch physician and Hebrew scholar *
Louis Jérôme Reiche Louis Jérôme Reiche (20 December 1799, Gorinchem, Batavian Republic – 16 May 1890, Neuilly-sur-Seine), was a French merchant, manufacturer and entomologist. Reiche travelled widely in Europe making a large insect collection principally of bee ...
(1799–1890) a French merchant, manufacturer and entomologist *
Berend George Escher Berend George Escher (4 April 1885 – 11 October 1967) was a Dutch geologist. Escher had a broad interest, but his research was mainly on crystallography, mineralogy and volcanology. He was a pioneer in experimental geology. He was a half-bro ...
(1885–1967) a Dutch geologist and vulcanologist *
Frans Michel Penning Frans Michel Penning (12 September 1894 – 6 December 1953) was a Dutch experimental physicist. He received his PhD from the University of Leiden in 1923, and studied low pressure gas discharges at the Philips Laboratory in Eindhoven, developing ...
(1894–1953) a Dutch experimental physicist


Sport

* Ab Oord (1885–1961) a Dutch weightlifter, competed at the
1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad () and officially branded as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The opening ceremony was held on 5 July, but some competitions had al ...
* Hadriaan van Nes (born 1942) a retired rower, team silver medallist at the
1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Mexico 1968 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 October 1968, in Mexico City, Mexico. These were the first Ol ...
*
Ruud Brood Ruud Brood (born 19 October 1962) is a Dutch football manager and a former player who was most recently the manager of TOP Oss. Football career Player Brood was born in Gorinchem. After joining the Feyenoord youth academy from hometown amateur ...
(born 1962) a football manager and former player with over 300 club caps * Arie Loef (born 1969) a retired speed skater, competed at the
1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...
and
1994 Winter Olympics The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games (; ) and commonly known as Lillehammer '94, were an international winter multi-sport event held from 12 to 27 February 1994 in and around Lillehammer, Norway. Hav ...
* Marco van Hoogdalem (born 1972) a retired Dutch football player with over 350 club caps *
Henk Norel Henk Norel (born 17 September 1987) is a Dutch retired basketball player. He currently is a performance coach for the Heroes Den Bosch of the Dutch Basketball League (DBL). He was drafted with the 47th overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft by the ...
(born 1987) a Dutch basketball player, 79 games with the
Netherlands national basketball team The Netherlands men's national basketball team () represents the Netherlands in international basketball matches. The national team is governed by Basketball Nederland. The Dutch have reached the European Basketball Championship on 16 occasi ...
*
Frenkie de Jong Frenkie de Jong (; born 12 May 1997) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays primarily as a midfielder for club Barcelona and the Netherlands national team. He is widely regarded as one of the best midfielders of his generation and as one ...
(born 1997) a Dutch football player who is currently playing for
FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly known as FC Barcelona and colloquially as Barça (), is a professional Football club (association football), football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of ...
.


International relations

Gorinchem is twinned with


Gallery

Image:Gorichem, Grote Kerk foto1 2010-06-27 13.37.JPG, Gorinchem, church: de Grote Kerk File:Gorinchem 2019 2.jpg, Gorinchem Image:Gorinchem, monumentaal pand 2006-06-13 15.14.JPG, Gorinchem, historic building Image:Gorinchem, molen 2007-03-15 15.43.JPG, Gorinchem, windmill Image:Tussen Gorinchem en Arkel, de Haarbrug foto3 2010-06-27 12.36.JPG, between Gorinchem and Arkel, bridge: de Haarbrug


References


External links


Official website
* {{Authority control Municipalities of South Holland Populated places in South Holland Alblasserwaard