Boekel

Municipality

Boekel town hall

Flag

Coat of arms

Location in North Brabant

Coordinates: 51°36′N 5°40′E / 51.600°N 5.667°ECoordinates: 51°36′N 5°40′E / 51.600°N 5.667°E

Government

• Body

Municipal council

• Mayor

Pierre Bos (CDA)

Area

• Total

34.52 km² (13.33 sq mi)

• Land

34.51 km² (13.32 sq mi)

• Water

0.01 km² (0.004 sq mi)

Elevation

16 m (52 ft)

Population (May 2014)

• Total

10,107

• Density

293/km² (760/sq mi)

• Uden-Veghel

175,119

Time zone

CET (UTC+1)

• Summer (DST)

CEST (UTC+2)

Postcode

5427–5428

Area code

0492

Website

www.boekel.nl

Boekel ( pronunciation ) is a municipality and a town in the southern Netherlands.

The name Boekel can be explained bij the word "loo" the Dutch word for forest from de heeren Boc and fits in the same category as places like Boxmeer and Boxtel. The heeren Boc was seen as the first lord of van Boxmeer, but has no connection to the other two places.

In present time is presumed that the name is derived from Beukeloo or Beukenbos.

Boekel is founded somewhere in the Middle Ages as a settlement of a number of farms.

In the 13th century Boekel was part of de heerlijkheid Uden. In 1233 a separation took place between the Land van Cuijk () and the Land van Herpen () and Uden. At that time Uden together with Herpen formed a form of government called a heerlijkheid. Until the foundation of the city of Ravenstein, Herpen was the main city of this region. Rutger van Herpen sold or leased 1313 of 1314 the community rights (gemene gronden) to the residents of Boekel and Volkel. When the noble lord wanted to improve its cash position, then he charges the use of any of its soils, beginning with the wasteland in his heerlijkheid. This common land should particularly think of marshy land and barren higher grounds, such as heaths.

In 1324 the heerlijkheid of Uden administratively belonged to the Land of Ravenstein under the rule of the House of Valkenburg until 1396.

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Wikipedia