Scherpenzeel, Gelderland
| Scherpenzeel | |||
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| Municipality | |||
Monumental home in Scherpenzeel
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.svg) Location in Gelderland |
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| Coordinates: 52°5′N 5°28′E / 52.083°N 5.467°ECoordinates: 52°5′N 5°28′E / 52.083°N 5.467°E | |||
| Country | Netherlands | ||
| Province | Gelderland | ||
| Government | |||
| • Body | Municipal council | ||
| • Mayor | Ben Visser (CU) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 13.81 km2 (5.33 sq mi) | ||
| • Land | 13.79 km2 (5.32 sq mi) | ||
| • Water | 0.02 km2 (0.008 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 5 m (16 ft) | ||
| Population (February 2017) | |||
| • Total | 9,474 | ||
| • Density | 687/km2 (1,780/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postcode | 3925 | ||
| Area code | 033 | ||
| Website | www |
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Scherpenzeel (
pronunciation ) is a municipality and a town in the Dutch province of Gelderland. As of 2017, it has a population of 9,474, with approximately 6,000 possessing suffrage. The community of Scherpenzeel also contains a part of the hamlet Moorst.
Dutch topographic map of the municipality of Scherpenzeel, June 2015
Centuries ago, what is now the Netherlands was still a collection of small states, ruled by bishops, earls, dukes, and lords. These rulers were constantly at war over territory, causing fortifications and defenses to be built in border areas. This was the case in the Veluwe hills, which lay along the border of what is now Utrecht and Gelderland, where many castles and fortresses were constructed as safe havens. Hence, the name "Scherpenzeel", formerly known as "Scarpenzele", allows us to infer that there was a settlement built around a house ("zele") with sharpened poles ("scarpen"), the prototype of an old castle.
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Wikipedia