North Brabant
North Brabant
Noord-Brabant (Dutch) | |
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Muslim 4.5% | |
HDI (2019) | 0.944[4] very high · 3rd of 12 |
Website | www.brabant.nl |
North Brabant (
History
The Duchy of Brabant was a state of the Holy Roman Empire established in 1183 or 1190.[6] It developed from the Landgraviate of Brabant and formed the heart of the historic Low Countries, part of the Burgundian Netherlands from 1430 and of the Habsburg Netherlands from 1482, until it was split up after the Dutch revolt. After the War of Independence, Catholics in the Southern Netherlands were systematically and officially discriminated against by the Northern Protestant government until the second half of the 19th century, which had a major influence on the economic and cultural development of the southern part of the Netherlands.
Present-day North Brabant (Staats-Brabant) was adjudicated to the Generality Lands of the Dutch Republic according to the 1648 Peace of Westphalia, while the reduced duchy remained in existence with the Southern Netherlands until it was conquered by French Revolutionary forces in 1794.
Until the 17th century, the area that now makes up the province of North Brabant was mostly part of the Duchy of Brabant, of which the southern part is now in Belgium. During the 14th and 15th centuries, the area experienced a golden age—especially the now-Belgian cities of Brussels, Mechelen, Leuven and Antwerp, and the Dutch cities of Breda, Bergen op Zoom and 's-Hertogenbosch.
After the
Attempts to introduce Protestantism into the region were largely unsuccessful; North Brabant remained strongly Catholic. For over a century, North Brabant served mainly as a military buffer zone. In 1796, when the
In 1815, Belgium and the Netherlands were united in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the province of North Brabant was established and so named to distinguish it from Central Brabant and South Brabant in present-day Belgium, which seceded from the Kingdom in 1830. This boundary between the Netherlands and Belgium is special in that it does not form a contiguous line, but leaves a handful of tiny enclaves (and enclaves inside enclaves) on both sides of the border. In fact, the Dutch government generally used the pre-Napoleonic borders in 1815 to divide its provinces, in hommage to the principle of Restoration. A few of these irregularities were corrected (Luyksgestel was exchanged for Lommel), Huijbergen became totally Dutch, but some remain, notably Baarle-Hertog (Belgian) and Baarle-Nassau (Dutch).
When the present province was instituted, its territory was expanded with a part of the province of Holland and the former territory of Ravenstein, which had previously belonged to the Duchy of Cleves, as well as several small, formerly autonomous entities.
In World War II the area was liberated by the allies during Operation Pheasant between October 20 to November 4, 1944.
The period from 1900 until the late 1960s is called Het Rijke Roomse Leven (translated as 'the rich Roman life', with 'Roman' meaning 'Roman Catholic'), an era of strong religious belief.[citation needed] Het Rijke Roomse Leven came about as result of the emancipatory drive of the province's disadvantaged Catholic population and was supported by a Roman Catholic pillar, which was directed by the clergy, and not only encompassed churches, but also Roman Catholic schools and hospitals, which were run by nuns and friars. In those days every village in North Brabant had a convent from which the nuns operated. Politically, the province was dominated by Catholic parties: the Roman Catholic State Party and its post-war successor, the Catholic People's Party, which often held around 75% of the vote.
In the 1960s secularisation and the actual emancipation of the Catholic population brought about the gradual dissolution of the Catholic pillar, as church attendance decreased in North Brabant as elsewhere in Western Europe. The influence of Het Rijke Roomse Leven (The Rich Roman [Catholic] Life) remains in the form of education where some schools are still Roman Catholic (today run by professional teachers and not by nuns) and in North Brabant's culture, politics, mentality and customs, such as carnival.[citation needed]
The interpretation of the Roman Catholic identity in North Brabant has shifted during the last 65 years from religious to
Geography
With a population density of 501/km2, North Brabant is above average urbanized.
Like most of the Netherlands, North Brabant is mostly flat but nearly every part of North Brabant is above sea level; therefore, there are not as many canals as in the lower parts of The Netherlands. Although most of the population lives in urban areas, the province is scattered with villages around which most of the land is cultivated.
National Parks in North Brabant are:
- De Biesbosch; National Park; North Brabant / South Holland; 7.100 ha; 1994
- De Antwerp(Belgium); 3.750 ha; 2001
- De Loonse en Drunense Duinen; National Park; North Brabant; 3.400 ha; 2002
- De Grote Peel; National Park; North Brabant / Limburg; 1.340 ha; 1993
De Biesbosch
The
De Kempen
The historical region of Kempen occupies the southern part of the province of Noord-Brabant and extends south of Eindhoven far into northern Belgium. To the east it reaches as far as the Meuse valley. The surface topography of De Kempen is very uniform. Most of it lies between 5 m (15 ft) and 35 m (115 ft) above sea level. The basement rocks are Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments, which are overlaid by Ice Age gravels and sands carried here by rivers of melt-water from the retreating glaciers. It is a typical area of sandy heathland. The infertile soil is suitable only for undemanding crops such as rye, oats, potatoes and fodder plants; this limits the profitability of agriculture. Until a few decades ago Kempen was a region of
De Peel
In the east of Noord-Brabant, near the Limburgish border, is the Peel area, an expanse of moorland extending from Eindhoven to Venlo, on the border with Limburg. Southeast of Asten is a nature reserve (1,300 hectares (3,250 acres); visitor center at Ospeldijk) which has escaped destruction by peat cutting. Mostly boggy, it will appeal to nature lovers with its interesting flora and fauna. Apart from this small area almost the whole of the Peel has been brought into cultivation.[10]
Rivers and deltas
The province is bordered by the river
Municipalities
North Brabant has been divided into 56 municipalities since 2022. Traditionally, almost every town was a separate municipality, but their number was reduced greatly in the 1990s by incorporating smaller towns into neighbouring cities or by other mergers. The municipalities in North Brabant are:
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Municipal reclassifications
The following municipal reclassifications took place in the 21st century:
On 1 January 2003 the municipality of Ravenstein merged into the existing municipality of Oss.
On 1 January 2004 the municipalities of Geldrop and Mierlo merged into a new municipality called Geldrop-Mierlo.
On 1 January 2011 the municipality of
On 1 January 2015 the municipality of Maasdonk merged into the existing municipalities of 's-Hertogenbosch and Oss.
On 1 January 2017 the municipalities of Veghel, Schijndel, and Sint-Oedenrode merged into a new municipality called Meierijstad, creating the largest municipality of the province of North Brabant in terms of land area.[11]
On 1 January 2019 the municipalities of Aalburg, Werkendam, and Woudrichem merged into a new municipality called Altena, an even larger municipality in terms of land area.
On 1 January 2021 the municipality of Haaren merged into the existing municipalities of Boxtel, Oisterwijk, Tilburg, and Vught.
On 1 January 2022 the municipalities of Landerd and Uden merged into the new municipality of Maashorst, and the municipalities of Boxmeer, Cuijk, Grave, Mill en Sint Hubert, and Sint Anthonis merged into the new municipality of Land van Cuijk.
Economy
The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the province was 116.1 billion € in 2018, accounting for 15.0% of the Netherlands economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was €39,900 or 132% of the EU27 average in the same year.[12]
Employment is found in the
An important economical activity is electronics industry, which developed as a spin-off from
Other important industries are automobile production (e.g.
, textile and shoes.In the 20th century, tourism has become an important sector for North Brabant. A tourist attraction is theme park Efteling in Kaatsheuvel, the largest of the Benelux. [14]
Safaripark Beekse Bergen is an Safaripark located between Tilburg and Hilvarenbeek. In terms of area, it is the largest Safaripark in the Benelux. More than 150 animal species are kept, ranging from small mammals to large birds. It is best known for its diversity. You can explore the park on foot, by boat, bus or with your own car. [15]
Language
Culture
There are many museums, especially in the larger towns which include the
Events
Some yearly cultural events in North Brabant are:
- Carnaval, (February)
- national day(27 April)
- Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven, international school festival (October)
- GLOW Festival Eindhoven in Eindhoven, (November)[19]
- STRP Festival, art & technology festival in Eindhoven (March)[20]
- Breda Jazz Festival in Breda (May / June)
- Redhead Day (Roodharigendag) in Breda (first weekend of September)
- Incubate in Tilburg (September)
- Roadburn Festival in Tilburg (April)
- Tilburgse Kermis in Tilburg since 1567 (July)
- Equestrian event Indoor Brabant, (Dressage and Show jumping) in 's-Hertogenbosch (March)
- International Vocal Competition 's-Hertogenbosch (September)
- Jazz in Duketown in 's-Hertogenbosch(June)
- Art & Antiques Fair 's-Hertogenbosch (April)
- Erasmusfestival (Even years) in 's-Hertogenbosch(Fall)
- Jazz in Catstown in Helmond (June)
- Kasteeltuinconcerten (Castle Garden Concerts) in Helmond (July, August)
- Extrema Outdoor in Best (July)
- Paaspop in Schijndel (April)
- Mosh meeting in Roosendaal (March)
- Monsters of Mariaheide in Veghel (February)
Museums
List of museums in North Brabant
Museums of the main cities:
- 's-Hertogenbosch
- Museum Quarter
- Noordbrabants Museum (History and art)
- Design Museum Den Bosch
- Southern waterline locations[21]
- Kruithuis (Fortress Museum)
- Bastionder (information center fortifications)
- Bolwerk St. Jan (information center Stronghold and Citygate)
- Fort Orthen, Fort Isabella and the Citadel (Historic Fortresses)
- Maurick Castle
- Zwanenbroedershuis (Historical Brotherhood Museum)
- Huize de Loet (Brabantian Mansion Museum)[22]
- Sint-Jansmuseum (Historical and Architectural Museum)
- Het Oeteldonks Gemintemuzejum (carnaval museum)
- Jheronimus BoschArt Center
- Museum Slager (Museum in honor of the Artist Family)
- Museum Hertogsgemaal (Archaeological and Paleontological Museum)
- Museum Gemaal Caners (Watermanagement Museum)
- concentration camp (actually in Vught)
- Geniemuseum (actually in Vught)
- Vughts Museum (actually in Vught)
- Eindhoven
- There are two museums dedicated to the major topics of the city's industrial heritage: the lightbulbworkshop.
- The Designhuis, a public podium and interaction area for modern design and innovation in the former district court house.
- The Kempenlandregion in objects, documents, paint and educational activities. Museum Kempenland's old location, the Steentjeskerk, is closed.
- Inkijkmuseum ("Look-In museum"; housed in an old linen factory in the Dommelstraat) is a small but special museum: it offers ever-changing exhibits, which are to be viewed through the building's windows.
- The Mondriaan, and Chagall.
- Wings of Liberation Museum / Bevrijdende Vleugels documents the liberation of the southern Netherlands
- Breda
- Stedelijk Museum Breda, resulting from a 2017 merger of the Breda's Museum and the MOTI (Museum of the Image)
- BegijnhofBreda Museum
- General Maczek Museum
- Beer Commercial Museum
- NAC Museum (football)
- Local History Museum / Heemkunde Museum Paulus van Daesdonck
- Museum Oorlog & Vrede (War and Peace Museum)
- Stichting Princenhaags Museum
- Tilburg
- Museum of Modern Art – De Pont Foundation
- Nature museum Brabant
- Textile Museum
- Museum of Charity
- Museum brewery de Roos Hilvarenbeek
- Museum the Town doctor Hilvarenbeek
- Liquor and soda museum Hilvarenbeek
- Boekorgelmuseum Hilvarenbeek
- Agricultural museum Hilvarenbeek
Cuisine
The Southern Dutch cuisine constitutes the cuisine of the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and Limburg and the Flemish Region in Belgium. It is renowned for its many rich pastries, soups, stews, and vegetable dishes and is often called "Burgundian", which is a Dutch idiom invoking the rich Burgundian court which ruled the Low Countries in the Middle Ages and was renowned for its splendor and great feasts.
It is the only Dutch culinary region which developed an haute cuisine, as it is influenced by both German cuisine and French cuisine, and it forms the base of most traditional Dutch restaurants including typical main courses such as Biefstuk, Varkenshaas, or Ossenhaas, which are premium cuts of meat, generally pork or beef, accompanied by various sauces and potatoes which have been double fried in the traditional Dutch (or Belgian) manner.
Stews, such as .
Pastries are abundant, often with rich fillings of cream, custard or fruits. Cakes, such as the
The traditional alcoholic beverage of the region is beer. There are many local brands, ranging from Trappist to Kriek. Beer, like wine in French cuisine, is also used in cooking, often in stews.
Sports
Association football
North Brabant is home to 8
Hockey
North Brabant is home to 3 hockey clubs that play in the Hoofdklasse. HC Den Bosch ('s-Hertogenbosch), Oranje Zwart (Eindhoven) and MOP (Vught). Oranje Zwart is the most successful of these clubs with many prizes, in the regular competition as well as in Europe. The most recent prizes are National Champions in 2014–2015, 2015-2016 and European Champions in 2014–2015.
Politics
The
The daily affairs of the province are taken care of by the
States-Provincial
Results in North Brabant in the elections for the
Parties | 2007 | 2011 | 2015 | 2019 |
---|---|---|---|---|
VVD | 11 | 12 | 10 | 10 |
Forum for Democracy
|
- | - | - | 9 |
CDA | 18 | 10 | 9 | 8 |
SP | 12 | 8 | 9 | 5 |
D66 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 5 |
GreenLeft
|
2 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
PVV | - | 8 | 7 | 4 |
PvdA | 8 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
50PLUS | - | 1 | 2 | 2 |
Party for the Animals | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
ChristianUnion-SGP
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Local Brabant | - | - | 1 | 1 |
other parties | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 55 | 55 | 55 | 55 |
- See also: States of North Brabant(more information)
Provincial-Executive
As of 7 May the Provincial-Executive of North Brabant is composed of the following individuals.
Name | Title/Portfolio | Party | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Ina Adema | King's Commissioner
|
• Administrative Coordination • Administrative Integrity • European Committee of the Regions • Government Duties • Province Register • Taskforce Brabant-Zeeland |
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy | |
Christophe van der Maat | Executive
|
• Mobility • Finance • Organization • First Deputy King's Commissioner |
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy | |
Eric de Bie | Executive
|
• Energy • Heritage • Administrative Renewal • Second Deputy King's Commissioner |
Forum for Democracy | |
Erik Ronnes | Executive
|
• Space • Living • Third Deputy King's Commissioner |
Christian Democratic Appeal | |
Wil van Pinxteren | Executive
|
• Leisure • Culture • Sports •. Fourth Deputy King's Commissioner |
Locally Brabant | |
Martijn van Gruijthuisen | Executive
|
• Economy • Knowledge • Talent Development • Fifth Deputy King's Commissioner |
People's Party for Freedom and Democracy | |
Peter Smit | Executive
|
• Water • Soil • Sixth Deputy King's Commissioner |
Forum for Democracy | |
Elies Lemkes - Straver | Executive
|
• Agriculture • Food • Nature • Seventh Deputy King's Commissioner |
Christian Democratic Appeal |
Voting results for the House of Representatives
In North Brabant the inhabitants voted as follows for the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer):
Partij | 2006 |
2010 |
2012
|
---|---|---|---|
Votes in % | Votes in % | Votes in % | |
VVD | 14.5 | 21.0 | 28.8 |
PvdA | 17.8 | 16.1 | 21.5 |
SP | 20.4 | 13.4 | 13.8 |
PVV | 6.2 | 17.4 | 11.0 |
CDA | 31.8 | 16.2 | 9.1 |
D66 | 1.6 | 6.6 | 7.8 |
50PLUS | - | - | 2.4 |
GreenLeft |
3.4 | 5.5 | 1.8 |
Party for the Animals | 1.4 | 1.1 | 1.6 |
ChristianUnion |
1.5 | 1.0 | 0.9 |
SGP | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 |
other parties | 1.0 | 1.3 | 0.9 |
Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
Turn-out | 78.5 | 73.7 | 72.7 |
Religion
Traditionally the province of North Brabant was strongly
In 2015 slightly less than half (48%) of the Brabantian people reported adhering to Catholicism, while 5.6% adhered to the Protestant Church in the Netherlands, 4.4% to Islam, 3.3% to other churches or faiths. More than a third (38.8%) of the population identified as non-religious.
Although much of the population identifies as Catholic, regular attendance at Mass is low. For example, in the
See also
- Brabantian
- Brabantse Stedenrij
- BrabantStad
- Campine
- De Peel
- Generality Lands
- Samenwerkingsverband Regio Eindhoven
- Uden-Veghel
References
- ^ Statistieken provincie Noord-Brabant - Gegevens over meer dan 100 onderwerpen!, AlleCijfers.nl
- ^ a b "CBS Statline". opendata.cbs.nl.
- ^ "EU regions by GDP, Eurostat". Retrieved 18 September 2023.
- ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "CBS Statline". opendata.cbs.nl.
- ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- ^ "Kerkgebouwen en parochies". KASKI. January 2024.
- ^ Kerncijfers 2006 uit de kerkelijke statistiek van het Rooms-Katholiek Kerkgenootschap in Nederland, Rapport nr. 561 oktober 2007, Jolanda Massaar- Remmerswaal dr. Ton Bernts, KASKI, onderzoek en advies over religie en samenleving
- ^ De gemiddelde bevolkingsdichtheid van Nederland bedraagt 403/km² (2012).
- ^ "10 Top-Rated Tourist Attractions in Eindhoven". planetware.com.
- ^ CBS (30 December 2016). "In twintig jaar bijna 240 gemeenten minder". www.cbs.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 30 December 2016.
- ^ "Regional GDP per capita ranged from 30% to 263% of the EU average in 2018". Eurostat.
- ^ "Brabant in Europese top 5 van octrooi-aanvragen". 7 March 2018.
- ^ "Dit zijn de 13 populairste dagattracties van Nederland". 20 April 2017.
- ^ "Beekse Bergen Safari Park". www.visitbrabant.com.
- ^ Maertens, Christophe (18 January 2019). "Burgemeesters van Ieper, Poperinge, Diksmuide en Veurne voorzichtig positief over 'Westhoek City'". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch).
- ^ Windhorst, Peter Pim (26 May 2016). "Wie weet er nou het beste wat BrabantStad is? BrabantStad zelf of de minister?". Omroep Brabant (in Dutch).
- ^ "Taal in Nederland .:. Brabants". phileon.nl. Archived from the original on 19 June 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2014.
- ^ "Glow Eindhoven". Glow Eindhoven. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
- ^ "STRP Festival". Strp.nl. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
- ^ "De oudste en langste waterlinie". Zuiderwaterlinie.
- ^ "Welkom - Stichting Huizinghe De Loet". www.deloet.com.
- ^ Helft Nederlanders is kerkelijk of religieus, CBS, 22 December 2016
- ^ Kerncijfers 2006 uit de kerkelijke statistiek van het Rooms-Katholiek Kerkgenootschap in Nederland, Rapport nr. 561 oktober 2007, Jolanda Massaar- Remmerswaal dr. Ton Bernts, KASKI, onderzoek en advies over religie en samenleving
- ISBN 9789025957407
External links
- Media related to North Brabant at Wikimedia Commons
- North Brabant travel guide from Wikivoyage
- Official website (in Dutch)
- BOM Foreign Investments - Background information economy Brabant
- Deltaworks Online - Flood protection of North Brabant and Deltaregion