Kerkrade (; Ripuarian: ; ; or ''Kirchrath'') is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

and a

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 southeast of

Limburg Limburg or Limbourg may refer to: Regions * Limburg (Belgium), a province since 1839 in the Flanders region of Belgium * Limburg (Netherlands), a province since 1839 in the south of the Netherlands * Diocese of Limburg, Roman Catholic Diocese in ...

, the southernmost province 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 ...

. It forms part of the

Parkstad Limburg Parkstad Limburg (; Ripuarian language, Ripuarian and ) is a conurbation of seven municipalities of the Netherlands, municipalities in the southern part of the province of Limburg (Netherlands), Limburg in the Netherlands. Consisting of Heerlen, ...

agglomeration. Kerkrade is the western half of a

divided city ''Divided City'' is a novel written by Theresa Breslin and published on 5 May 2005 by Doubleday. The novel is written for teenagers and adults concerning the problems of sectarianism in Glasgow and racism against asylum seekers.

; until 1795 the city was part of the

Austrian Netherlands The Austrian Netherlands was the territory of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire between 1714 and 1797. The period began with the acquisition by the Austrian Habsburg monarchy of the former Spanish Netherlands under the Treaty of Ras ...

and from 1795 to 1815 it was part of the French Empire. In 1815, the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...

created the current Dutch-German border and divided the town into the Dutch ''Kerkrade'' and the

Prussian Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, the House of Hohenzoll ...

(

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

)

Herzogenrath Herzogenrath (; ; ) is a municipality in the district of Aachen in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It borders the Dutch town of Kerkrade, the national border in one section running along the middle of a main road and even directly ...

.Jan Buursink and Nicole Ehlers
"The Binational City of Eurode"
.

University of Nijmegen Radboud University (abbreviated as RU, , formerly ) is a public research university located in Nijmegen, Netherlands. RU has seven faculties and more than 24,000 students. Established in 1923, Radboud University has consistently been included in ...

. This means that the eastern end of ''Kerkrade'' marks the international border. The two towns, including outlying suburban settlements, have a population approaching 100,000, of which nearly 47,000 are in Kerkrade.

History

The history of Kerkrade is closely linked with that of the adjacent town of

, just across the German border. Herzogenrath began as a settlement, called Rode, near the river

Worm Worms are many different distantly related bilateria, bilateral animals that typically have a long cylindrical tube-like body, no limb (anatomy), limbs, and usually no eyes. Worms vary in size from microscopic to over in length for marine ...

(or Wurm in German) in the 11th century. In 1104 Augustinian monks founded an abbey, called Kloosterrade, to the west of this settlement. It was called '' 's-Hertogenrode'' or '' 's-Hertogenrade'' (Dutch: ''the Duke's Rode'') after the

duchy of Brabant The Duchy of Brabant, a Imperial State, state of the Holy Roman Empire, was established in 1183. It developed from the Landgraviate of Brabant of 1085–1183, and formed the heart of the historic Low Countries. The Duchy comprised part of the Bu ...

took control over the region; in French it was called ''Rolduc (Rode-le-duc)''. As is the case for many parts of the

Southern Netherlands The Southern Netherlands, also called the Catholic Netherlands, were the parts of the Low Countries belonging to the Holy Roman Empire which were at first largely controlled by Habsburg Spain (Spanish Netherlands, 1556–1714) and later by the ...

, the place changed hands several times in the last few centuries. It was under

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...

control from 1661,

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ** Austria-Hungary ** Austria ...

between 1713 and 1785 and

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

between 1795 and 1813. In 1815, when the kingdom of the Netherlands was formed (see

Vienna Congress The Congress of Vienna of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon, Napol ...

), the border was drawn through Herzogenrath, the western part being Kerkrade. In the 18th century the monks of Rolduc began small-scale

coal mines Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...

. More modern exploitation by others started in 1860, causing Kerkrade to grow significantly, especially as a consequence of the permanent settlement of mainly Southern-European miners in this Northern-European place. When the Willem Sophia mine was opened around 1900, the town grew even more rapidly, absorbing old villages like Chèvremont. In the decades following 1960, all the mines in Limburg were closed. One of the oldest buildings in the municipality is Erenstein, a castle the origins of which lie in the 14th century.

The border along Nieuwstraat/Neustraße

One part of the border between the Netherlands and Germany runs along the middle of the street Nieuwstraat/Neustraße. The border was heavily fortified by the Germans during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and

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 ...

, but because of relatively unrestricted cross-border travel within the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

, following World War II marked only with a low wall, about 30 cm high, running along the length of the street (borders were at that time designed to be unpassable by vehicles, except at border crossing, but no fence for pedestrians). There was a separate 2-way road on each side, and cars had to pass through the official crossing points, but pedestrians could readily step over the wall (although there were signs informing of the border). In 1995, the wall was removed completely as part of the new

Schengen Area The Schengen Area ( , ) encompasses European countries that have officially abolished border controls at their common borders. As an element within the wider area of freedom, security and justice (AFSJ) policy of the European Union (EU), it ...

agreement. Nieuwstraat/Neustraße is now a single two-way road, with the extra space now occupied with trees and bicycle lanes. The border is unmarked, and is crossed even when going round a roundabout or overtaking a vehicle. The two towns now share some of their public services, and promote themselves as a binational "City of Eurode" for economic development purposes. They share a binational office complex which uses the Eurode name, and is built so that the border passes directly through the centre of the building's main lobby, with one wing of the building in Kerkrade and the other in Herzogenrath.

Population centres

Kerkrade's outlying neighborhoods and housing developments include: * Bleijerheide * Chevremont *

Eygelshoven Eygelshoven (, , Ripuarian: ) is a village, since 1982 part of the town of Kerkrade, in the southeast of the Netherlands, close to the German and Belgian borders. It has two former coal mines, ''Laura'' and ''Julia'', which were named after th ...

* * Haanrade * Holz * Hopel * Kaalheide * Mucherveld * Nulland *

Rolduc Rolduc is a medieval abbey located on the edge of the town of Kerkrade in the far south-east of the Netherlands. It is today a Roman Catholic seminary with an affiliated conference center. The abbey is a ''rijksmonument'' (Dutch national herit ...

* Rolduckerveld * Spekholzerheide *

Music

Every fourth year the

World Music Contest The world is the totality of entities, the whole of reality, or everything that exists. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the world as unique, while others talk of a "plu ...

, a competition for amateur, professional, and military bands, is held in Kerkrade. Also, for the last three years, the Drum Corps Europe championships have been held here.

Transportation

Kerkrade has 4 railway stations: * Kerkrade Centrum * Chevremont *

* Eygelshoven Markt Another station, Kerkrade West or Spekholzerheide, closed for public rail in 1988, and since 1992 it is in use by a museum-railway company, ZLSM.

Reservoir

The building of a dam in the Anstel, a brook flowing west of Kerkrade, has led to the formation of a reservoir with an area of about 20 ha. This and its surroundings are very rich in flora and fauna. It is the only reservoir in the Netherlands.

Sports

Roda JC Sportvereniging Roda Juliana Combinatie Kerkrade (; ), shortly as Roda JC Kerkrade () or commonly Roda JC or simply Roda, is a Dutch professional football club based in Kerkrade, Netherlands. Roda JC Kerkrade plays in the Eerste Divisie. The c ...

(soccer) * Powerarea (racing kartcircuit)

Notable people

Gabriël Grupello Gabriël Grupello (also Gabriël de Grupello or Gabriël Reppeli; 22 May 1644 – 20 June 1730) was a Flemish Baroque sculptor who produced religious and mythological sculptures, portraits and public sculptures. He worked in Flanders, France and ...

(1644–1730) a sculptor who produced religious and mythological sculptures, portraits and public sculptures * Jozef Weidmann (1899–1962) a Dutch-Surinamese Catholic priest, politician and union leader *

Louk Hulsman Lodewijk Henri Christian Hulsman, known as Louk Hulsman (8 March 1923 in Kerkrade – 28 January 2009 in Dordrecht) was a Dutch legal scientist and criminologist. Life According to Hulsman, his childhood and adolescence were marked by the tim ...

(1923–2009) a Dutch legal scientist and criminologist *

Frans Wiertz Franciscus Jozef Maria (Frans) Wiertz (December 2, 1942) is a prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was bishop of Roermond from 1993 until 2017. Early life Born in Kerkrade as the oldest in a family of nine, Wiertz studied at the Minor semi ...

(born 1942) a prelate of the Roman Catholic Church,

Bishop of Roermond The Diocese of Roermond () is a diocese of the Latin Church of the Catholic Church, located in the Netherlands. The diocese is one of the seven suffragan dioceses in the ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archbishop of Utrecht. The ter ...

1993-2017 * Thijs Wöltgens (1943-2008) a Dutch politician, Mayor of Kerkrade 1994-2000 *

Gerd Leers Gerardus Bernardus Maria "Gerd" Leers (born 12 July 1951) is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party. He is the acting Mayor of Brunssum since 1 January 2018. Biography Politics On 4 September 1990 Leers became a Mem ...

(born 1951) a Dutch politician, Minister for immigration, Mayor of Maastricht 2002-2010 *

Heintje Simons Hendrik Nikolaas Theodoor "Heintje" Simons (born 12 August 1955) in Heerlen, later known as Hein Simons, is a Dutch schlager singer and actor. Background Heintje was born the son of a coal miner who had to retire because of silicosis, reduci ...

(born 1955) a Dutch schlager singer and actor IMDb Database
retrieved 16 January 2020 *

Yvonne Timmerman-Buck Yvonne Elisabeth Marie Antoinette Timmerman-Buck (born 26 July 1956) is a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and jurist. She was a Member of the Council of State from 1 November 2009 until 2018. Early life Timmerman ...

(born 1956) a Dutch politician and jurist, President of the Senate 2003-2009 *

Hubertus van Megen Hubertus Matheus Maria van Megen (born 4 October 1961) is a Dutch prelate of the Catholic Church who works in the diplomatic service of the Holy See. Biography Hubertus van Megen was born on 4 October 1961 in Eygelshoven, the Netherlands. He ...

(born 1961) a prelate of the Catholic Church, diplomat in the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

* Janine Kitzen (born 1978) a soprano singer in opera and musical theatre *

Emma Kok Emma Kok (born 12 March 2008) is a Dutch singer. She rose to prominence in 2021 after winning the tenth season of ''The Voice Kids''. In 2023, her performance of " Voilà" with André Rieu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra went viral, amassing ...

(born 2008) a singer and winner of ''

The Voice Kids ''The Voice Kids'' is a version of '' The Voice'' TV series franchise in which children participate. Versions The first such variation was '' The Voice Kids'' from the Netherlands, which was followed by other international variants: : Franchise ...

'' in 2021

Sport

Wiel Coerver Wiel Coerver (; 3 December 1924 – 22 April 2011) was a Dutch football manager and the developer of the "Coerver Method", a football coaching technique. Playing career Coerver played five years for local side Rapid JC, with whom he won the Du ...

(1924-2011) a footballer and manager *

Willy Brokamp Willy Brokamp (born 25 February 1946) is a former football player for MVV Maastricht in the 1960s and 1970s who recruited him from RKVV Chèvremont (in the community of Kerkrade). His nickname was "The blond arrow". He ranked highly in the ''Fo ...

(born 1946) a former footballer, with about 400 club caps *

Pierre Vermeulen Pierre Vermeulen (born 16 March 1956 in Kerkrade) is a Dutch footballer who was active as a forward. Vermeulen made his professional debut at Roda JC and also played for Feyenoord Rotterdam, MVV Maastricht, Paris Saint-Germain FC, Tours FC, and ...

(born 1956) a retired Dutch footballer with about 400 club caps *

Gène Hanssen Gène Hanssen (born 9 January 1959) is a former Dutch football player. Hanssen spent most of his playing career with Eredivisie club Roda JC. At the end of his career, he had a brief spell with Verdy Kawasaki, but he left the club during its ...

(born 1959) a former Dutch football player with about 400 club caps *

René Trost René Hubertus Johannes Trost (born 31 January 1965) is a Dutch professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Eerste Klasse club Chevremont. Career Trost played fifteen seasons at Roda JC; in between he spent half a ...

(born 1965) a former Dutch footballer with 323 club caps and football manager *

Sieb Dijkstra Sybrandus Johannes Andreas Dijkstra (born 20 October 1966) is a Dutch football coach and former professional footballer, who is goalkeeping coach at Fortuna Sittard. As a player, he was a goalkeeper who notably played in the Premier League for ...

(born 1966) a Dutch retired football goalkeeper with over 200 club caps *

Jörg Müller Jörg Müller (, ; born 3 September 1969) is a Dutch-born German BMW factory driver. Racing career Born in Kerkrade, Netherlands, Müller won the titles in 1989 German Formula Opel Lotus Challenge and in 1989 European Formula Ford 1600. Th ...

(born 1969) a Dutch-born German BMW factory driver *

Mark Flekken Mark Flekken (born 13 June 1993) is a Dutch professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen and the Netherlands national team. Early years Flekken grew up in Bocholtz, Limburg, Netherlands on the German bo ...

(born 1993) a Dutch footballer *

Joshua Brenet Joshua Benjamin Brenet (born 20 March 1994) is a professional association football, footballer who plays for Al-Rayyan SC, Al-Rayyan as a full-back (association football), full-back. Brenet played two friendlies for the Netherlands national foot ...

(born 1994) a Dutch footballer *

Jannah Sonnenschein Jannah Sonnenschein (born 24 April 1996) is a Dutch–Mozambican swimmer. She competed in the women's 100 metre butterfly event at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Personal life Sonnenschein was born in the Dutch town of Kerkrade, but is originally f ...

(born 1996) a Dutch–Mozambican swimmer, competed at the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...

Jade Suvrijn Jade Suvrijn (born 27 April 1995) is an inactive French tennis player. Biography On 23 June 2014, she achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 345. On 25 June 2018, she peaked at No. 551 in the doubles rankings. Suvrijn has won five s ...

(born 1995) a French tennis player

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Cities in the Netherlands Mining communities in the Netherlands Municipalities of Limburg (Netherlands) Populated places in Limburg (Netherlands) South Limburg (Netherlands) Divided cities Germany–Netherlands border crossings