Gouda () is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the west 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 ...

, between

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...

and

Utrecht Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...

, in the

province A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

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. ...

. Gouda has a population of 75,000 and is famous for its

Gouda cheese Gouda cheese (, , ; , "cheese from Gouda") is a creamy, yellow cow's milk cheese originating from the Netherlands. It is one of the most popular and produced cheeses worldwide. The name is used today as a general term for numerous similar che ...

, stroopwafels, many ,

smoking pipe A smoking pipe, often simply referred to as a pipe, is used to inhale (or taste) the smoke of a burning substance, typically (though not exclusively) used to consume a Psychoactive drug, psychoactive substance; this most commonly refers to a to ...

s, and its 15th-century

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 ...

. Its array of historic churches and other buildings makes it a very popular day-trip destination. In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

the family founded a settlement at the location of the current city and built a fortified

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

alongside the banks of the Gouwe River, from which the family and the city took their names. Locals long called the settlement , or or ' for short. The area, originally

marshland In ecology, a marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous plants rather than by woody plants.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p More in general ...

, developed over the course of two centuries. By 1225, a

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...

was linked to the Gouwe and its estuary became a harbour. In 1272

Floris V, Count of Holland Floris V (24 June 1254 – 27 June 1296) reigned as Count of Holland and Zeeland from 1256 until 1296. His life was documented in detail in the Rijmkroniek by Melis Stoke, his chronicler. He is credited with a mostly peaceful reign, modern ...

granted the city

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 ...

History

Around the year 1100, the area of present-day Gouda was swampy and covered with a

peat Peat is an accumulation of partially Decomposition, decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, Moorland, moors, or muskegs. ''Sphagnum'' moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most ...

forest, crossed by small creeks such as the

Gouwe Gouwe is a hamlet in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Opmeer, and lies about 11 km northwest of Hoorn Hoorn () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the N ...

. Along the shores of this stream near the current market and city hall, peat harvesting began in the 11th and 12th centuries. In 1139, the name ''Gouda'' was first mentioned in a document of the

Bishop of Utrecht List of bishops and archbishops of the diocese and archdioceses of Utrecht. Medieval diocese from 695 to 1580 Founders of the Utrecht diocese * * * * * Bishops * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ...

. In the 13th century, the Gouwe was connected to the Oude Rijn (Old Rhine) by means of a canal and its mouth at the

Hollandse IJssel The Hollandse or Hollandsche IJssel (; "Holland IJssel", as opposed to the 'regular' or Gelderland IJssel) is a branch of the Rhine delta that flows westward from Nieuwegein on river Lek through IJsselstein, Gouda and Capelle aan den IJssel ...

was developed into a harbour. Castle Gouda was built to protect this harbour. This shipping route was used for trade between

Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...

and France with

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 ...

and the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by the countries of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden, and the North European Plain, North and Central European Plain regions. It is the ...

. In 1272,

, granted

to Gouda, which by then had become an important location. City-canals () were dug and served as transport ways through the town. Great fires in 1361 and 1438 destroyed the city. In 1572, the city was occupied by

les Gueux ''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 the Spanish King) who also committed arson and destruction. In 1577 the demolition of Castle Gouda began. 1551 marked the founding of the oldest still-functioning inn,

De Zalm De Zalm is the oldest inn in Gouda city, South Holland, Netherlands. In 1551, the inn was called the ''Old Salm'' or ''Gilded Salm''. In 1688, the historic Waag building was built by the architect Pieter Post located next to the tavern. The w ...

, located on Markt 34, near the historic Waag building. In 1574, 1625, 1636, and 1673, Gouda suffered from deadly plague epidemics, of which the last one was the most severe: 2995 persons died, constituting 20% of its population. In the last quarter of the 16th century, Gouda had serious economic problems. It recovered in the first half of the 17th century and even prospered between 1665 and 1672. However, its economy collapsed again when the

Franco-Dutch War The Franco-Dutch War, 1672 to 1678, was primarily fought by Kingdom of France, France and the Dutch Republic, with both sides backed at different times by a variety of allies. Related conflicts include the 1672 to 1674 Third Anglo-Dutch War and ...

broke out in 1672 and the plague decimated the city in 1673, even affecting the pipe industry. After 1700, Gouda enjoyed a period of progress and prosperity until 1730. Then another recession followed, resulting in a long period of decline that lasted well into the 19th century. Gouda was one of the poorest cities in the Netherlands during that period: the terms "Goudaner" and "beggar" were considered synonymous. Starting in 1830, demolition of the city walls began. The last city gate was torn down in 1854. Only from the second half of the 19th century onward did Gouda start to profit from improved economic conditions. New companies, such as ''Stearine Kaarsenfabriek'' (Stearine Candle Factory) and ''Machinale Garenspinnerij'' (Mechanized Yarn Spinnery), gave impetus to its economy. In 1855, the Gouda-

railway began operations. At the beginning of the 20th century, large-scale development began, extending the city beyond its moats. First the new neighbourhoods Korte Akkeren, Kort Haarlem and Kadebuurt were built, followed by , , and after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. From 1940 on, back-filling of the city moats and city-canals, the

gracht ''Gracht'' (; plural: ''grachten'') is a Dutch word for a canal within a city. ''Grachten'' often have a round shape, and form a circle around the city cores in the Netherlands, Belgium, and northern Germany. Outside the Netherlands, the word '' ...

en, began: the Nieuwehaven, Raam, Naaierstraat, and Achter de Vismarkt. However, because of protests from city dwellers and revised policies of city planners, Gouda did not continue back-filling moats and city-canals, now considered historically valuable. In 1944, the railway station was damaged during an Allied bombardment which killed eight and wounded ten persons. This bombardment was intended to destroy the railroad connecting The Hague and Rotterdam to Utrecht. After the war, the city started to expand and nearly tripled in size. New neighbourhoods, such as Gouda-Oost, Bloemendaal and Goverwelle were built. In recent years there has been a shift from expanding the city towards urban renewal and

gentrification Gentrification is the process whereby the character of a neighborhood changes through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents (the "gentry") and investment. There is no agreed-upon definition of gentrification. In public discourse, it has ...

Demographics

Economy

Gouda is known for its

, which is still traded on its cheese market, held each Thursday. Gouda is also known for the fabrication of candles, smoking pipes, and

stroopwafel A ''stroopwafel'' (; ) is a thin, round cookie made from two layers of sweet baked dough held together by syrup filling.

s. Gouda used to have a considerable

linen Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is very strong and absorbent, and it dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. Lin ...

industry and several beer breweries.

is not made in the city itself, but rather in the surrounding region. It derives its name from being traded in Gouda where the city council imposes stringent quality controls. The economy of the city centre is based on tourism, leisure and retail, while offices are located at the outskirts of the city. Currently, there are over 32,000 jobs in the city, mainly in commercial and healthcare services.

Attractions

* Old City Hall at the Markt square - built between 1448 and 1450, one of the oldest

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, a Germanic people **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Gothic alphabet, an alphabet used to write the Gothic language ** Gothic ( ...

city halls in the Netherlands; * The ''Waag'' (

weigh house A weighhouse or weighing house is a public building at or within which goods are weighed. Most of these buildings were built before 1800, prior to the establishment of international standards for weights, and were often a large and representative ...

) - built in 1667 across from the Old City Hall, this building was used for weighing goods (especially cheese) to levy taxes. It now is a national monument. It currently hosts a small cheese museum; * Grote or St. Jans Kerk (Great or Saint John's Church) - longest church in the Netherlands, famous for its

stained glass Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...

windows which were made between 1530 and 1603, considered the most significant stained glass collection in the Netherlands. Even in the 17th century, it already was a tourist attraction; * - museum about the history and arts of the city; *

Verzetsmuseum The Resistance Museum () is a museum located in the Plantage neighbourhood in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The Dutch Resistance Museum, chosen as the best historical museum of the Netherlands, aims to tell the story of the Dutch people in World W ...

- a museum about the Dutch

resistance during World War II During World War II, resistance movements operated in German-occupied Europe by a variety of means, ranging from non-cooperation to propaganda, hiding crashed pilots and even to outright warfare and the recapturing of towns. In many countries, r ...

, the collection currently in storage as museum building closed in November 2018; * Museumhaven Gouda - small harbour with historic ships; * Goudse Schouwburg - large theatre; * Waaiersluis (Waaier Locks) - a historic

lock Lock(s) or Locked may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainme ...

on the Hollandse IJssel just east of Gouda.

Events

* Gouda Cheese & Craft Market, every Thursday from 10:00 - 13:00h (April–August). According to ''Stichting Goudse Kaas'', it attracted 60,000 tourists each year (as of 2017). * Gouda Ceramics Days, a yearly two-day event of ceramists from the Netherlands and several other countries. Several exhibitions. May 29 10:00 - 17:00h and May 30 10:00 - 16:00h around the Old City Hall. * Gouda's Monmartre, antique/curio/flea/collector's market, weekly on Wednesdays around the Old City Hall during summer from June 4 - Sept. 10, 2014. * Gouda Water City Festival weekend of June 21, 2014 * Gouda by Candlelight - an annual Christmas event held in mid-December, featuring attractions in the city centre. In the evening, a Christmas tree, an annual gift from the sister city of Kongsberg, is lit in the market place. Carols are sung by famous Dutch singers accompanied by choirs. The windows of the Old City Hall and the surrounding houses are lit by Gouda candles.

Music

Warmaster ''Warmaster'' is a ruleset for tabletop wargames written by Rick Priestley, published by Specialist Games (a division of Games Workshop), and set in the '' Warhammer Fantasy'' setting. It is different from ''Warhammer Fantasy Battles'' in ...

, old school death metal band

Transport

Gouda is served by two railway stations, Gouda and Gouda Goverwelle. The main railway station is served by Intercity services to

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

, and

and local trains to

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

and

Alphen aan den Rijn Alphen aan den Rijn (; or "Alphen on the Rhine") is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The city is situated on the banks of the river Oude Rijn (Utrecht and South Holland), Oude Rijn (Old Rhine ...

Leiden Leiden ( ; ; in English language, English and Archaism, archaic Dutch language, Dutch also Leyden) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Nethe ...

. The city also lies alongside the A12 and A20 motorways.

Twin towns – sister cities

Gouda is twinned with: *

Kongsberg Kongsberg () is a historical mining town and municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The city is located on the river Numedalslågen at the entrance to the valley of Numedal. Kongsberg has been a centre of silver mining, arms production and fo ...

, Norway (since 1956) *

Solingen Solingen (; ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, 25 km east of Düsseldorf along the northern edge of the Bergisches Land, south of the Ruhr. After Wuppertal, it is the second-largest city in the Bergisches Land, and a member of ...

, Germany (since 1957) Gouda was also twinned with

Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city, non-metropolitan district and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West England, South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean ...

in England, but this twinning ended in 2015.

Notable people

Public thinking and public service

Gerard Leeu Gerard or Gheraert Leeu, ''Leew, Lyon'', or ''Leonis'', (between 1445 and 1450, Gouda - 1492, Antwerp) was a Dutch printer of incunabula. Leeu printed his first (liturgical) book in May 1477 in his shop in Gouda, where between 1477 and 1484 he ...

(1445–1493) was a Dutch printer of the

incunabulum An incunable or incunabulum (: incunables or incunabula, respectively) is a book, pamphlet, or broadside that was printed in the earliest stages of printing in Europe, up to the year 1500. The specific date is essentially arbitrary, but the ...

period *

Desiderius Erasmus Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus ( ; ; 28 October c. 1466 – 12 July 1536), commonly known in English as Erasmus of Rotterdam or simply Erasmus, was a Dutch Christian humanist, Catholic priest and Catholic theology, theologian, educationalist ...

(1466–1536) a Dutch philosopher and Christian humanist, scholar of the

northern Renaissance The Northern Renaissance was the Renaissance that occurred in Europe north of the Alps, developing later than the Italian Renaissance, and in most respects only beginning in the last years of the 15th century. It took different forms in the vari ...

* Cornelius Loos (1546–1595) a Roman Catholic priest, theologian and professor of theology * brothers

Cornelis de Houtman Cornelis de Houtman (2 April 1565 – 11 September 1599) was a Dutch merchant seaman who commanded the first Dutch expedition to the East Indies. Although the voyage was difficult and yielded only a modest profit, Houtman showed that the ...

(1565–1599) and

Frederick de Houtman Frederick de Houtman ( – 21 October 1627) was a Dutch explorer, navigator, and colonial governor who sailed on the first Dutch expedition to the East Indies from 1595 until 1597, during which time he made observations of the southern cel ...

(1571–1627) were explorers on the

first Dutch expedition to the East Indies The First Dutch Expedition to the East Indies () was an expedition that took place from 1595 to 1597. It was instrumental in opening up the Indonesian spice trade to the merchants that eventually formed the Dutch East India Company, and ...

Adriaen Maertensz Block Adriaen Maertensz Block (c.1582, Gouda – 7 March 1661, Lisse) was successively captain, commander, and governor of Ambon between 1614 and 1617, administrator of the Council of the Indies for the Kamer of the Dutch East India Company in Ams ...

(ca.1582-1661) commander and governor of Ambon 1614-1617, *

Hieronymus van Beverningh Hieronymus van Beverningh (sometimes spelled Beverningk) (Gouda, South Holland, Gouda, April 25, 1614 – Oud Teylingen, October 30, 1690) was a prominent Netherlands, Dutch Regenten, regent, diplomat, amateur botanist, and patron of the arts, wh ...

(1614–1690) a diplomat, amateur botanist and patron of the arts * Roemer Vlacq (1637–1703) a Dutch naval captain, who blew up his ship to save it from capture * Hieronymus van Alphen (1746–1803) a jurist and wrote poems for children *

Gerard Van Helden Gerard Jacob Van Helden (c. 1848 – 12 June 1901) was a police detective who became Detective Superintendent in the Birmingham City Police Force in Birmingham, West Midlands, Birmingham, England. Overview Gerard Van Helden was born in the Nethe ...

(1848–1901) Detective Superintendent in the Birmingham City Police Force * Gerard van Leijenhorst (1928–2001) a politician and chemistry teacher in Gouda 1955 to 1971 *

Wim Deetman Willem Joost "Wim" Deetman (born 3 April 1945) is a retired Dutch politician and teacher who served as Minister of Education and Sciences from 1982 to 1989, Speaker of the House of Representatives from 1989 to 1996 and Mayor of The Hague from ...

(born 1945) a politician, teacher and municipal councillor in Gouda 1974 to 1981 * Jan Oosterhaven (born 1945) economist and university professor * Hans van Leeuwen (born 1946) an educator, engineer, inventor, researcher and entrepreneur *

Ad Melkert Adrianus Petrus Wilhelmus "Ad" Melkert (; born 12 February 1956) is a Dutch politician and diplomat of the Labour Party (Netherlands), Labour Party (PvdA) who has served as a Council of State (Netherlands), Member of the Council of State since 2 ...

(born 1956) a Dutch politician, diplomat and nonprofit director

Science and business

Adriaan Vlacq Adriaan Vlacq (1600–1667) was a Dutch book publisher and author of mathematical tables. Born in Gouda, South Holland, Gouda, Vlacq published a table of logarithms from 1 to 100,000 to 10 decimal places in 1628 in his ''Arithmetica logarit ...

(1600–1667) a Dutch author of mathematical tables and book publisher *

Nicolaas Hartsoeker Nicolaas Hartsoeker (26 March 1656 – 10 December 1725) was a Dutch mathematician and physicist who invented the screw-barrel simple microscope . Biography He was the son of Anna van der Meij and Christiaan Hartsoeker (1626–1683), a Remonst ...

(1656–1725) a mathematician and physicist, invented the screw-barrel microscope * Gualtherus Johannes Cornelis Kolff (1826–1881) co-founder of G. Kolff & Co., a publishing company in

Batavia, Dutch East Indies Batavia was the capital of the Dutch East Indies. The area corresponds to present-day Jakarta, Indonesia. Batavia can refer to the city proper or its suburbs and hinterland, the , which included the much larger area of the Residency of Batavia ...

Pieter Johannes van Rhijn Pieter Johannes van Rhijn (24 March 1886 – 9 May 1960) was a Dutch astronomer. Born in Gouda, he studied at Groningen. He served as director at the Sterrenkundig Laboratorium ( Kapteyn Astronomical Institute) in Groningen. He died in Groning ...

(1886—1960) a Dutch astronomer * Jan Schilt (1894–1982) a Dutch-American astronomer, invented the Schilt

photometer A photometer is an instrument that measures the strength of electromagnetic radiation in the range from ultraviolet to infrared and including the visible spectrum. Most photometers convert light into an electric current using a photoresistor, ...

Jan Gonda Jan Gonda (14 April 1905 – 28 July 1991) was a Dutch Indologist and the first Utrecht professor of Sanskrit. He was born in Gouda, in the Netherlands, and died in Utrecht. He studied with Willem Caland at Rijksuniversiteit, Utrecht (since 19 ...

(1905–1991) a Dutch

Indologist Indology, also known as South Asian studies, is the academic study of the history and cultures, languages, and literature of the Indian subcontinent, and as such is a subset of Asian studies. The term ''Indology'' (in German, ''Indologie'') is ...

and academic *

Leo Vroman Leo Vroman (April 10, 1915 – February 22, 2014) was a Dutch-American hematologist, a prolific poet mainly in Dutch and an illustrator. Life and work Vroman, who was Jewish, was born in Gouda, South Holland, Gouda and studied biology in Utrech ...

(1915-2014) a Dutch-American

hematologist Hematology ( spelled haematology in British English) is the branch of medicine concerned with the study of the cause, prognosis, treatment, and prevention of diseases related to blood. It involves treating diseases that affect the production ...

, poet and illustrator *

Peter van Mensch Peter van Mensch (born June 7, 1947, in Gouda, Netherlands) is a Dutch scholar in the field of museology, and previously a professor of Cultural Heritage at Amsterdam University of the Arts. Biography Peter van Mensch earned an MSc degree in Z ...

(born 1947) a Dutch scientist in the field of

museology Museology (also called museum studies or museum science) is the study of museums. It explores the history of museums and their role in society, as well as the activities they engage in, including curating, preservation, public programming, and ed ...

Peter Stas Peter Stas (born 1963) is a Dutch entrepreneur and author. In 1988, after he completed his studies in Business Economics at the Erasmus University and worked as Product-Marketing Manager for Royal Philips Electronics, he founded, with his wife Al ...

(born 1963) a Dutch entrepreneur and author, CEO of

Frédérique Constant Frédérique Constant SA is a Swiss ''manufacture'' of luxury wristwatches based in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva. Originally established in 1988 by Dutch married couple Peter Stas and Aletta Stas-Bax, it was acquired in 2016 by Citizen Holdings of ...

The arts

* brothers

Dirk Crabeth Dirk (or Dirck) Pietersz Crabeth (1501 – 1574) was a Dutch Renaissance glass painter, tapestry designer, and mapmaker. He was employed by the Janskerk (Gouda) during the 16th century, where he created eight of the stained glass windows durin ...

(1501—1574) &

Wouter Crabeth I Wouter Pietersz Crabeth (1510–1590) was a Dutch Renaissance glass painter. He was employed by the Sint Janskerk (Gouda) during the Protestant Reformation, where he created six of the stained glass windows during the years 1555 to 1571. His win ...

(1510-1590),

Dutch Renaissance The Renaissance in the Low Countries was a cultural period in the Northern Renaissance that took place in around the 16th century in the Low Countries (corresponding to modern-day Belgium, the Netherlands and French Flanders). Culture in the Low ...

glass painters *

Pieter Pourbus Pieter Jansz. Pourbus (c. 1523–1584) was a Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting, Flemish Renaissance painter, draftsman, engineer and cartographer who was active in Bruges during the 16th century. He is known primarily for his religious and p ...

(ca.1523–1584) a

Flemish Renaissance painter Dutch and Flemish Renaissance painting represents the 16th-century response to Italian Renaissance art in the Low Countries, as well as many continuities with the preceding Early Netherlandish painting. The period spans from the Antwerp Manneri ...

of portraits and religious scenes *

Cornelis Ketel Cornelis or Cornelius Ketel (18 March 1548 – 8 August 1616) was a Dutch Mannerist painter, active in Elizabethan London from 1573 to 1581, and in Amsterdam till his death. Ketel, known essentially as a portrait-painter, was also a poet ...

(1548–1616) a Dutch

Mannerist Mannerism is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, when the Baroque style largely replaced it ...

painter *

Cornelis Engelsz Cornelis Engelsz (1575–1650) was a Dutch Golden Age painter and the father of Johannes Cornelisz Verspronck. Biography Engelsz was born in Gouda. According to Houbraken, he was a pupil of Karel van Mander and a colleague of Frans Hals ...

(1575–1650) 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 *

Jacob Block Jacob Roger Block, or Jacob Reyersz. Block (1580–1646) was a Dutch Golden Age painter from Gouda. He went to Italy when he was very young, and applied himself particularly to the study of architecture and perspective. He made designs of the fi ...

(1580–1646) a

painter *

Daniël Tomberg Daniël Tomberg (1603, Gouda – 1678, Gouda), was a Dutch Golden Age glass painter. Biography According to Houbraken he was the son of the Remonstrant minister Hermboldus Tombergen and the father of the glass painter and author Willem Tom ...

(1603–1678) a

glass painter *

Frederick de Wit Frederik de Wit (born Frederik Hendriksz; – July 1706) was a Dutch cartographer and artist. Early years Frederik de Wit was born Frederik Hendriksz. He was born to a Protestant family in about 1629, in Gouda, a small city in the ...

(ca.1630–1706) a cartographer and artist, drew, printed and sold maps * Hendrik Bary (ca.1632–1707) a Dutch engraver * Pieter Donker (1635–1668) a

painter * Jan Willem van Borselen (1825-1892) a Dutch landscape painter of the

Hague School The Hague School () is a group of artists who lived and worked in The Hague between 1860 and 1890. Their work was heavily influenced by the realist painters of the French Barbizon school. The painters of the Hague school generally made use of re ...

* Cornelis Verwoerd (1913–2000) a Dutch Delftware painter, modeler, and ceramist * Koos de Bruin (1941-1992) a Dutch painter, draftsman, sculptor and graphic artist *

Rozalie Hirs Rozalie Hirs (born 7 April 1965) is a Dutch composer of contemporary classical music and a poet. The principal concerns of her work are the adventure of listening, reading, and the imagination. Biography Rozalie Hirs studied piano and voice from ...

(born 1965) a Dutch composer of contemporary classical music and a poet * Marco de Goeij (born 1967), composer, reconstructed ''

Concerto for Group and Orchestra ''Concerto for Group and Orchestra'' is a live album by Deep Purple and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Malcolm Arnold. Recorded at London's Royal Albert Hall in September 1969, it consists of a concerto composed by Jon Lord, w ...

'' by

Jon Lord John Douglas "Jon" Lord (9 June 194116 July 2012) was an English keyboardist and composer. In 1968, Lord co-founded the hard rock band Deep Purple. Lord performed on most of the band's most popular songs; he and drummer Ian Paice were the only ...

Léon de Jong Léon Willem Evert de Jong (born 31 August 1982) is a Dutch politician and singer and a former musician and salesman. As a member of the Party for Freedom (Partij voor de Vrijheid), he sits in the House of Representatives, firstly from 17 June 2 ...

(born 1982) a Dutch politician and singer, a former musician and salesman

Sport

Dick van Dijk Dirk Wouter Johannes "Dick" van Dijk (15 February 1946 – 8 July 1997) was a Dutch professional footballer who played as a forward for FC Twente and Ajax Amsterdam. He was a member of Ajax's European Cup victory in 1971. He earned seven caps ...

(1946–1997) football player with 250 club caps * Harry van der Laan (born 1964) a retired Dutch football striker with over 350 club caps *

Ed de Goey Eduard Franciscus "Ed" de Goeij (; born 20 December 1966), anglicised to de Goey, is a Dutch former professional football goalkeeper. In a 20-year career, he played for Sparta Rotterdam, Feyenoord, Chelsea, Stoke City and Ilkeston Town FC. He ...

(born 1966) former goalkeeper with 569 club caps, 31 caps with

Netherlands national football team The Netherlands national football team ( or simply ''Het Nederlands elftal'') has represented the Netherlands in international men's football matches since 1905. The men's national team is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNV ...

Marcel van Vliet Marcel van Vliet (born 7 October 1970, Gouda) is a Dutch truck racer, best known for participating in the Dakar Rally, in which he finished third in 2010 and seventh in 2011. In the 2012 edition he won the first stage. He has 3 daughters and he ...

(born 1970) a Dutch truck racer * Gillian van den Berg (born 1971) a water polo player, team gold medallist at the

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes fro ...

* Andrea Nuyt (born 1974) a retired speed skater, competed at the

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...

and

2002 Winter Olympics The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially the XIX Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Salt Lake 2002 (; Gosiute dialect, Gosiute Shoshoni: ''Tit'-so-pi 2002''; ; Shoshoni language, Shoshoni: ''Soónkahni 2002''), were an international wi ...

Ellen Hogerwerf Elisabeth Wilhelmina "Ellen" Hogerwerf (born 10 February 1989) is a Dutch rower. She is a three time Olympian and an Olympic silver medalist in the coxless four at Tokyo 2020. Hogerwerf placed eighth in the double sculls at the 2012 Olympi ...

(born 1989) a rower and team silver medallist at the

2020 Summer Olympics The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...

* Froukje Wegman (born 1979) a rower and team bronze 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 ...

Michel Breuer Michel Breuer (; born 25 May 1980) is a retired Dutch footballer who, during his career, played in his home country for Excelsior, SC Heerenveen, NEC Nijmegen and Sparta Rotterdam. His father, Martin Breuer, played professionally for FC Den Bosch ...

(born 1980) a retired Dutch footballer with 519 club caps *

Paulien van Deutekom Paulien van Deutekom (4 February 1981 – 2 January 2019) was a Dutch champion speed skating, speed skater who specialised in the middle to long distances, over 1000 and 1500 metres. Biography In November 2005, Van Deutekom surprised when she ...

(1981-2019) a Dutch champion speed skater, competed at the

2006 Winter Olympics The 2006 Winter Olympics (), officially the XX Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February in Turin, Italy. This marked the second time Italy had hosted the Winter O ...

* Bianca de Jong-Muhren (born 1986) a Dutch chess Woman Grandmaster (WGM) * Mieke Cabout (born 1986) a water polo player, team gold medallist at the

Ted-Jan Bloemen Ted-Jan Bloemen (born 16 August 1986) is a Dutch-Canadian long track speed skater. He started competing for the Canadian national speed skating team during the 2014–15 season, but before that, he competed for the Netherlands in international c ...

(born 1986) a Dutch-Canadian long track speed skater, gold and silver medallist at the

2018 Winter Olympics The 2018 Winter Olympics (), officially the XXIII Olympic Winter Games (; ) and also known as PyeongChang 2018 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held between 9 and 25 February 2018 in Pyeongchang County, South Ko ...

* Lex van Haeften (born 1987) a Dutch professional footballer *

Michael van der Mark Michael van der Mark (born 26 October 1992) is a motorcycle road racer based in the Netherlands. He competes in the Superbike World Championship with a BMW M1000RR. He was the 2012 European Superstock 600 champion. In 2013 and 2014 he won the ...

(born 1992) a Dutch motorcycle racer *

Christiaan Messemaker Christiaan Messemaker (24 May 1821 – 16 November 1905) was a Dutch chess player, two-times unofficial Dutch Chess Championship winner (1882, 1884). Life Christiaan Messemaker was born one day after the wedding of his parents, Jacobus Messem ...

(1821–1905) a Dutch chess master

Gallery

Gouda, vanuit de lucht met stadhuis RM16843 en de Grote of Sint Janskerk RM16722 foto1 2014-03-09 10.40.jpg, Town center from the sky with townhall and church (de Grote of Sint Janskerk) Gouda haven.jpg,

Gracht ''Gracht'' (; plural: ''grachten'') is a Dutch word for a canal within a city. ''Grachten'' often have a round shape, and form a circle around the city cores in the Netherlands, Belgium, and northern Germany. Outside the Netherlands, the word '' ...

in Gouda Gouda waaggebouw februari 2003.jpg, The ''Waag'' (

) Gouda, straatzicht op de Lange Tiendeweg met 't Kaaswinkeltje en 't Grendeltje RM16837 poging2 foto8 2017-04-30 13.13.jpg, Street view at the Lange Tiendeweg with the cheese shop ('t Kaaswinkeltje) and 't Grendeltje Gouda, molen 't Slot RM16919 langs de Hollandse IJssel IMG 0252 2021-08-05 15.16.jpg, Windmill: molen 't Slot

Notes

References

* Abels, P.H.A.M. (2002) ''Duizend jaar Gouda: een stadsgeschiedenis'' (''Thousand year Gouda: A history of the city'') Verloren, Hilversum, , in Dutch * Denslagen, W.F. and Akkerman, Chris (2001) ''Gouda'' Rijksdienst voor de Monumentenzorg, Zeist, NL, , in Dutch * * Schouten, Jan and de Wit, Bob (1960) ''Gouda'' (translated from the Dutch by Flora van Os-Gammon) W. van Hoeve, The Hague , in English

External links

Official website for the city of Gouda
(in Dutch)
A collection of old pictures and drawings of Gouda. (A journey through the past)

Virtual Tour of St. Johns church (Sint Janskerk) Gouda
* {{Authority control Cities in the Netherlands Municipalities of South Holland Populated places in South Holland

History

Demographics

Economy

Attractions

Events

Music

Transport

Twin towns – sister cities

Notable people

Public thinking and public service

Science and business

The arts

Sport

Gallery

Notes

References

Further reading

External links