Brielle Brill | |
|---|---|
 Historic town centre | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
.svg) Location in South Holland | |
| Coordinates:51°54′N4°10′E / 51.900°N 4.167°E /51.900; 4.167 | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Province | South Holland |
| Municipality | Voorne aan Zee |
| Area | |
• Total | 31.14 km2 (12.02 sq mi) |
| • Land | 27.55 km2 (10.64 sq mi) |
| • Water | 3.59 km2 (1.39 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 2 m (7 ft) |
| Population (January 2021)[3] | |
• Total | 17,439 |
| • Density | 633/km2 (1,640/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Briellenaar |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postcode | 3230–3232 |
| Area code | 0181 |
| Website | www |
Brielle (pronounced[ˈbrilə]ⓘ), also calledDen Briel in Dutch andBrill in English, is a town and historic seaport in the westernNetherlands, in the province ofSouth Holland, on the north side of the island ofVoorne-Putten, at the mouth of the New Maas. The former municipality covered an area of 31.14 km2 (12.02 sq mi) of which 3.59 km2 (1.39 sq mi) was water. In 2021 its population was 17,439.
The former municipality of Brielle also included the communities ofVierpolders andZwartewaal.
On 1 January 2023, the municipality of Brielle merged withHellevoetsluis andWestvoorne into the new municipality ofVoorne aan Zee.
Brielle, New Jersey was named after Brielle by the Dutch colonists of New Jersey, originallyNew Netherland.
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Brielle is a very old, fortified town. Its name is derived from the Celtic wordbrogilo (meaning "closed area" or "hunting grounds"). The oldest writings about Brielle indicate that the current location is the "new" Brielle.Den ouden Briel (Old Brill) must have been situated somewhere else on theVoorne-Putten Island. It grew into a town of prestige in the 14th century. In 1330, Gerard van Voorne, independent Lord of Voorne and Viscount of Zeeland, grantedtown rights to Brielle. This gave the town governmental and jurisdictional powers and certain trading rights, such as the right to trade fish and collect port taxes.[4] The town was for a long time the seat of the Lords of Voorne, until thisfiefdom was added to theCounty of Holland in 1371. It had its own harbour and traded with the countries around theBaltic Sea. Brielle even had its own trading colony inSweden.
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During theEighty Years' War between the Netherlands and Spain, theCapture of Brielle on April 1, 1572, by Protestant rebels, theWatergeuzen, marked a turning point in the conflict, as many towns in Holland then began to supportWilliam of Orange against the Spanish DukeFernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba who was sent to pacify The Netherlands. This event is still celebrated each year on April 1 and the night before (known as Chalk Night (kalknacht) when the town is defaced with chalk - and now also white paint). Dutch students are taught a short rhyme to remember this fact, which rhyme refers toApril Fools' Day:
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In Dutch, "de bril" is the word for "the glasses," and closely rhymes with Den Briel; as does "Fles" which stands for the town ofVlissingen or Flushing, the next town to be captured by the Dutch rebels.
After the capture of Brielle the Protestant rebels tortured and murdered the CatholicMartyrs of Gorkum and Brielle has become a pilgrimage location since then.
In August 1585, Brielle wasone of the three Dutch towns that became an English possession by theTreaty of Nonsuch whenQueen Elizabeth I received it as security of payment for 5000 soldiers (led by theEarl of Leicester) and used by the Dutch in their struggle against the Spanish. The first English governor of Brielle wasThomas Cecil, 1st Earl of Exeter, succeeded byEdward Conway, 1st Viscount Conway who named his daughterBrilliana in honour of the town. English garrisons were stationed here and atFlushing.[5]Edmund Sheffield, 3rd Baron Sheffield governed the town from 1598. In 1617, these cities returned to the Netherlands.
Brielle istwinned with:
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Places adjacent to Brielle | |
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