Heusden
| Heusden | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Municipality | |||
Old harbour in Heusden
|
|||
|
|||
.svg) Location in North Brabant |
|||
| Coordinates: 51°41′N 5°8′E / 51.683°N 5.133°ECoordinates: 51°41′N 5°8′E / 51.683°N 5.133°E | |||
| Country | Netherlands | ||
| Province | North Brabant | ||
| Government | |||
| • Body | Municipal council | ||
| • Mayor | Jan Hamming (PvdA) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 81.22 km2 (31.36 sq mi) | ||
| • Land | 78.87 km2 (30.45 sq mi) | ||
| • Water | 2.35 km2 (0.91 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 4 m (13 ft) | ||
| Population (May 2014) | |||
| • Total | 43,199 | ||
| • Density | 548/km2 (1,420/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postcode | 5150–5154, 5250–5256 | ||
| Area code | 0416, 073 | ||
| Website | www |
||
Heusden ([ˈɦøːzdə(n)]) is a municipality and a town in the South of the Netherlands. It is located between the towns Waalwijk and 's-Hertogenbosch. The municipality of Heusden, including Herpt, Heesbeen, Hedikhuizen, Doeveren, and Oudheusden, fused with Drunen and Vlijmen in 1997, giving the municipality its current form.
The settlement of Heusden on the river Meuse (Maas) started with the construction of a fortification to replace the castle destroyed by the Duke of Brabant in 1202. This fortification was quickly expanded with water works and a donjon (castle keep). The city of Heusden received city rights in 1318. Heusden's castle had belonged to successive dukes of Brabant; in 1357 it passed into the hands of the counts of Holland. ramparts and moats were constructed, bringing the castle within the city's fortifications and result in the loss of its function as a stronghold. The donjon was then used as a munition depot. On 24 July 1680, a terrible thunderstorm hit Heusden, and lightning struck the donjon. Sixty thousand pounds of gunpowder and other ammunition exploded, destroying the castle. It took seven weeks to clear the rubble and debris. The castle was never fully rebuilt. However, outlines of the main features were restored in 1987.
At the beginning of the Eighty Years War (1568-1648), Heusden was occupied by the Spanish. In 1577, however, following the Pacification of Ghent, the people of Heusden allied with William, Prince of Orange. William consolidated the town's strategic position near the river Meuse, and ordered fortification works to be constructed. Work started in 1579 with the digging of moats and the construction of bastions, walls, and ravelins, and was completed in 1597.
...
Wikipedia