Woudrichem | |
|---|---|
City and formermunicipality | |
 Martin Church and houses in 2015 | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Woudrichem Location in the province of North Brabant in the Netherlands Show map of North Brabant Woudrichem Woudrichem (Netherlands) Show map of Netherlands | |
| Coordinates:51°49′N5°0′E / 51.817°N 5.000°E /51.817; 5.000 | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Province | North Brabant |
| Municipality | Altena |
| Merged | 2019 |
| Area | |
• Total | 7.55 km2 (2.92 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
• Total | 4.680 |
| Demonym | Woudrichemmer |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postcode | 4285[1] |
| Area code | 0183 |
| Website | www |
Woudrichem (Dutch pronunciation:[ˈʋʌudriɣəm]ⓘ;Brabantian:Woerkum) is acity and formermunicipality in the province ofNorth Brabant in theNetherlands.
Woudrichem originated in the ninth century. A marketplace emerged on ariverbank where Hoogstraat and Molenstraat are now located. Around the year 1000, several settlements, mostly north of the Alm, appeared and were centered around Woudrichem. Initially, theMaas did not flow past Woudrichem. The main course of this river first flowed approximately through the bed of the currentBergsche Maas; later, the Alm was the main course, and later still, the currentAfgedamde Maas, until the Bergsche Maas was dug in 1904.
Woudrichem was strategically located at the confluence of theMaas andWaal rivers, within the spheres of influence of theDuchy of Brabant,Gelre, and theCounty of Holland. In 1322, theLand of Altena was incorporated into theCounty of Holland, only to be assigned to the newly formed province ofNorth Brabant in 1815.
In the fourteenth century, the town had grown so much that the Lord of Altena, Willem VII van Horne, granted city rights to Woudrichem in 1356. In the same year, theCount of Holland moved the comital river toll from Niemandsvriend, located inSliedrecht, to Woudrichem. As a result, and due to other privileges such as the fishing rights granted in 1362 byDirk Loef of Horne, the builder ofLoevestein Castle, the town flourished.
During this time, the Martin church was also built. In 1386, construction of thecity wall began. It was in this year that the Count of Holland annexed the Land of Altena. Negotiations betweenJohn IV of Brabant andJohn VI of Bavaria led to the Treaty of Woudrichem (1419). After this, the economy began to decline when the toll was moved toGorinchem in 1420 and theSaint Elizabeth's flood caused devastation in 1421. The situation further deteriorated, partly due to military activities.
Due to its strategic location, Woudrichem was frequentlybesieged. The city was attacked by the Arkels in 1405 and by the Gelders in 1511. In 1572, Woudrichem sided withWilliam of Orange. In 1573, theGeuzen deemed the city indefensible and set it on fire.
Between 1583 and 1588, a fortification belt was built around the city, although it enclosed a smaller area than the former city wall. The fortification was designed by Adriaen Antonisz. van Alkmaar. With the help of surrounding cities, the town was rebuilt. Nevertheless, the economic situation remained poor, and in 1700, Woudrichem was granted tax exemption.
In 2006, Woudrichem celebrated '650 years of city rights.' Residents dressed in historical costumes and performed various scenes from past centuries over a weekend in August.
.jpg)
There are several explanations for the origin of the name Woudrichem. The first and most likely explanation suggests that the place name comes from 'wald' and 'heim,' indicating a wooded area. A second explanation is that a Lord Waldrik built a house on the bank of theWaal. Over time, Woudrichem has been pronounced and written in various ways. Several variants have been displayed on the facade of a building on Kerkstraat in Woudrichem. Some of these variants are as follows:
In the region, people now usually say Woerkum or Woerkem.
The municipality is located at51°49′N5°0′E / 51.817°N 5.000°E /51.817; 5.000 in the north ofNorth Brabant just south of the center of theNetherlands. It is part of the region ofLand van Heusden en Altena.
The city of Woudrichem is the largest settlement in the municipality. It is situated on the south bank of where the riversWaal andAfgedamde Maas join to form theBoven Merwede. The other population centres in the municipality were:
East of the city liesLoevestein Castle, on the other side of the river in the province ofGelderland.
Themunicipal council of Woudrichem had 15 members. Themayor wasArie Noordergraaf of theReformed Political Party. On January 1sth 2019 it joinedWerkendam andAalburg in the new municipality ofAltena.
Media related toWoudrichem at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
|---|---|
| Geographic | |
