Stevensweert is a village in the
Dutch province of
Limburg. It is located in the municipality of
Maasgouw. It lies on the right bank of the river
Meuse
The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a ...
, which forms the border with
Kessenich in
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
. There was also a ferry to this village.
History
The village was first mentioned in 1221 as in Werde, and means "land near water dedicated to
Saint Stephen
Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ''Stéphanos'', meaning "wreath, crown" and by extension "reward, honor, renown, fame", often given as a title rather than as a name; c. 5 – c. 34 AD) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first ...
".
With
Ohé en Laak, Stevensweert is situated on an island in the Meuse.
The Spanish built a fortress in 1633 during the
Eighty Years War
The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) ( c.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 Re ...
,
this is still apparent in the street plan of the town. Stevensweert once was part of the
Duchy of Guelders. In 1702, it was conquered by the
Dutch Republic
The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands ( Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...
.
The Catholic St Stephanus is a cruciform church built in 1781 as a replacement of the 13th century church. It was damaged in 1944 and 1945, and restored and enlarged by . The church contains a Roman
baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture used for baptism.
Aspersion and affusion fonts
The fonts of many Christian denominations are for baptisms using a non-immersive method, such as aspersion (sprinkling) or affusion (pouring) ...
from around 1200. The Dutch Reformed church is a little aisleless church built in 1822. In 1951, the war damage was repaired.
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 Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...
Hompesche Molen was built in 1722 as part of the castle complex, and is the only remaining part.
The top of the sail measures making it the tallest wind mill in the province of Limburg.
In October 1944, it was hit several times by British artillery from the liberated Belgian side. The wind mill was restored between 1948 and 1949. In the 1950s, the mill went out of service. Between 1975 and 1977, it was restored and returned to occasional service. The barn next to the mill contains a
brasserie
In France, Flanders, and the Francophone world, a brasserie () is a type of French restaurant with a relaxed setting, which serves single dishes and other meals. The word ''brasserie'' is also French for "brewery" and, by extension, "the brew ...
.
Stevensweert was home to 600 people in 1840. It was an independent municipality until 1991 when it was merged into
Maasbracht. In 2007, it became part of the municipality of
Maasgouw.
Gallery
File:Juli 2012 Stevensweert 098.JPG, Street view
File:Jan van Steffeswertplein 14, Stevensweert.JPG, House in Stevensweert
File:Jan von Steffeswert Plein.jpg, Square
File:Juli 2012 Stevensweert 014.JPG, House in Stevensweert
References
{{Authority control
Populated places in Limburg (Netherlands)
Former municipalities of Limburg (Netherlands)
Maasgouw