Culemborg

City and municipality

Culemborg market square

Flag

Coat of arms

Location in Gelderland

Coordinates: 51°57′N 5°14′E / 51.950°N 5.233°ECoordinates: 51°57′N 5°14′E / 51.950°N 5.233°E

Government

• Body

Municipal council

• Mayor

Roland van Schelven (D66)

Area

• Total

31.14 km² (12.02 sq mi)

• Land

29.42 km² (11.36 sq mi)

• Water

1.72 km² (0.66 sq mi)

Elevation

5 m (16 ft)

Population (February 2017)

• Total

27,568

• Density

937/km² (2,430/sq mi)

Demonym(s)

Culemborger

Time zone

CET (UTC+1)

• Summer (DST)

CEST (UTC+2)

Postcode

4100–4107

Area code

0345

Website

www.culemborg.nl

Culemborg (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈkyləmbɔrx]; formerly also spelled Kuilenburg or Kuylenburgh) is a municipality and a city in the centre of the Netherlands. The city is situated just south of the Lek River. The cities of Utrecht and 's-Hertogenbosch can be reached easily by train.

It received city rights in 1318. For a long time, Culemborg was independant from any counties or duchies in the Netherlands. The city had gained the right of toll collection and the right of asylum: it was a so called 'Vrijstad' (free city). In pratice, this meant that people who had fled to Culemborg from other cities (for example due to bankruptcy) could evade their creditors in Culemorg. The creditors would not be allowed entry into the city. This did not mean that criminals could escape justice in Culemborg: the city had it's own justice system which could sentence criminals. In Amsterdam, the phrase 'Naar Culemborg gaan' (Going to Culemborg) became synonimous with going bankrupt.

In Joan Blaeu's map of 1649, Culemborg remains entirely enclosed by walls behind its city moat-like encircling canals. The moated castle stands outside the city walls. Houses present a united front along streets and the two canals that cut the city in three sections, but they all face gardens behind, and market gardens are plentiful within the city walls.

In the beginning of the 18th century, Culemborg effectively lost it's independance as it was incorporated into the Nijmegen Quarter, although it regained some sovereign rights. Later, it was gifted to stadholder Willem IV. To this day, the Dutch king Willem-Alexander remains count of Culemborg. In 1795, the city was occupied by French forces, who left the castle in such a despicable state it was demolished after the French had left. A few years later it was completely incorperated in the Bataafse Republiek, and losing it's sovereign rights.

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Wikipedia