Thorn | |
|---|---|
City | |
 The Daalstraat (daalstreet) in Thorn | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Thorn Location in the Netherlands Show map of Netherlands Thorn Location in the province of Limburg in the Netherlands Show map of Limburg, Netherlands | |
| Coordinates:51°10′N5°50′E / 51.167°N 5.833°E /51.167; 5.833 | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Province | Limburg |
| Municipality | Maasgouw |
| Area | |
• Total | 6.69 km2 (2.58 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 24 m (79 ft) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
• Total | 2,490 |
| • Density | 372/km2 (964/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 6017[1] |
| Dialing code | 0475 |
Thorn (Dutch:[tɔr(ə)n]ⓘ;Limburgish:Toear orThoear) is acity in the municipality ofMaasgouw, in theDutch province ofLimburg. It lies on the riversMeuse and Witbeek. It is known as 'the white city' for its white-washed brick houses in the centre of town. It used to be part of theImperial Abbey of Thorn.
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The region of Thorn was originally a swamp nearby theRoman road betweenMaastricht andNijmegen. But the region was drained and about 975,BishopAnsfried of Utrecht founded a Benedictine nunnery. This monastery developed since the 12th century into a secularstift orconvent. The principal of thestift was theabbess. She was assisted by a chapter of at most twenty ladies of thenobility.
Previously the abbess and the chapter were endowed with religious tasks but, since the 12th century, they served secular matters and formed the government of a truly sovereign miniatureprincipality, a smaller independentstate in theGermanHoly Roman Empire, approximately 250 x 250 metres. Besides Thorn,Ittervoort,Grathem,Baexem,Stramproy,Ell,Haler andMolenbeersel belonged to this principality. After the French invasion in the winter of 1794–95 and the formal abolition in 1797 made an end to the existence of the abbey and theprincipality of Thorn; Thorn was first part of the department ofMeuse-Inférieure, and after theVienna Congress it became a municipality of theUnited Kingdom of the Netherlands.
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