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BREDA
- For other uses see Breda (disambiguation).
Breda is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. By population it's the ninth largest city in the Netherlands. The rivers Mark and Aa come together here.
Population centres
- Breda (~140,000)
- Ginneken (former village absorbed by city agglomeration)
- Princenhage (former village absorbed by city agglomeration)
- Zandberg (former hamlet absorbed by city agglomeration)
- Prinsenbeek (~11,500) (added at the municipal redividing in 1997)
- Bavel (~7,00) (added at the municipal redividing in 1997)
- Teteringen (~6,500) (added at the municipal redividing in 1997)
- Ulvenhout (~4,700) (added at the municipal redividing in 1997)
As well as these small hamlets:
- The rest of this article deals with the city of Breda alone.
The city of Breda
History
Breda was a fortified city of strategic significance in North Brabant. Many events transpired in the city.
In the 11th century Breda was a direct fief of the Holy Roman Emperor, its earliest known lord being Henry of Brunesheim (1080 - 1125). In 1327 Breda was sold by Adelheid of Gaveren to John III, Duke of Brabant. In 1350 the fief was resold to John II of Wassenaar (d. 1377). In 1403 the heiress of his line, Johanna of Polanen (1392 - 1445), married Engelbert I of Nassau (1370 - 1442). Henceforth it remained in the house of Nassau, passing ultimately to William I of Orange (1533 - 1584), the first stadtholder of the Netherlands. Thus the baron of Breda was also count of Nassau, Germany, Prince of Orange and stadtholder of the Dutch Republic (from 1572-1650, 1672-1702, 1747-1795). Breda remained part of the barony Breda until it was extinguished by French revolutionary forces in 1795.
The city of Breda obtained a municipal charter in 1252. It was fortified in 1534 by Count Henry III of Nassau-Breda and remained an impregnable stronghold of the line of fortresses along the Meuse. In the same year (1534) however, Breda suffered a huge fire which destroyed about 1300 houses, churches and chapels along with the town hall. Only 150 houses were left after the fire along with Breda's main church, the Grote Kerk. Breda was captured by surprise by the Spaniards in 1581, but in 1590 it fell again into the hands of Maurice of Nassau, 68 picked men contriving to get into the town concealed under the turf in a peat-boat, a daring plan of Adriaen van Bergen. The surrender of Breda in 1625, after a ten months siege, to the Spaniards under Spinola was memorialized by Diego Velasquez. In 1637 Breda was recaptured by Frederick Henry of Orange after a four months siege, and in 1648 it was finally ceded to the Netherlands by the Treaty of Westphalia.
The exiled Stuart pretender Charles II of England resided in Breda during most of his exile in the ongoing Cromwellian Commonwealth and Protectorate, thanks to the proximity of Charles's sister Mary, Princess Royal, the widow of Prince William II of Orange. Based mostly on suggestions by Parliamentarian General George Monck, Charles II's Declaration of Breda (1660) made known the conditions of his acceptance of the crown of England which he was to accept/resume later in the same year.
The Treaty of Breda was signed in the city, July 31, 1667, bringing to an end the Second Anglo-Dutch War.
Breda was the site of one of the first panopticon prison establishments.
During the World War II the city was under German occupation. It was liberated following a successful outflanking manouevre planned and performed by forces of 1st Polish Armoured Division of Gen. Maczek on October 29, 1944.
Administration
The city has the following suburban neighbourhoods: Princenhage (former village), Ginneken (former village), de Haagse Beemden, de IJpelaar, Heuzenhout or Heusdenhout, Belcrum, and de Hoge Vucht.
Economy
Economic activities are mainly industrial. Breda traditionally was, and still is, a center of the candy industry, its best-known product being Mentos. Breda also has a sugar factory, supplying the candy industry, and used to house one of the biggest breweries in the Netherlands (Oranjeboom). Interbrew, the owner of the brewery decided in 2002 to close down the brewery in 2004.
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