Culemborg
Encyclopedia
Culemborg is a municipalityMunicipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
and a city in the centre of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The city is situated just south of the Lek River
Lek River
The Lek is a river in the western Netherlands of some 60 km in length. It is the continuation of the Nederrijn after the Kromme Rijn branches off at the town of Wijk bij Duurstede. The main westbound waterway is hereafter called the Lek River...
. The cities of Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
and 's-Hertogenbosch can easily be reached by train.
It received city rights
City rights in the Netherlands
City rights are a medieval phenomenon in the history of the Low Countries. A liegelord, usually a count, duke or similar member of high nobility, granted a settlement he owned certain town privileges that settlements without city rights did not have....
in 1315.
In Joannes Blaeu's map of 1649, Culemborg remains entirely enclosed by walls behind its city moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
-like encircling canals. The moated castle stands outside the city walls. Houses present a united front along streets and the two canals that cut the city in three sections, but they all face gardens behind, and market garden
Market gardening
A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. It is distinguishable from other types of farming by the diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically, from under one acre ...
s are plentiful within the city walls.
In 1995, Culemborg was one of the cities which was temporarily evacuated because of the risk of flooding.
Transportation
Culemborg is served by Culemborg railway stationCulemborg railway station
Culemborg is a railway station in Culemborg, The Netherlands. The station opened on 1 November 1868 and is on the Utrecht–Boxtel railway. The station is in the southern end of the town, on the edge of the Pavijen industrial estate.-Train services:...
, which offers trains to Utrecht (city)
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
4x per hour and 2x per hour to 's-Hertogenbosch and Tiel
Tiel
' is a municipality and a town in the middle of the Netherlands.The town is enclosed by the Waal river and the Linge river on the south and the north side, and the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal on the east side. The city was founded in the 5th century AD....
each.
Race riots
On new years eve 2009/2010 longer existing tensions between Dutch-Moroccan and Dutch-MoluccanSouth Moluccas
The Republic of South Maluku , was a self-proclaimed republic in the Maluku Islands, which was founded on 25 April 1950. The main islands were Seram, Ambon, and Buru. The RMS on Ambon was defeated by Indonesian forces in November 1950, however, armed struggle continued on the island of Seram until...
youth culminated in violent race riots in the district of Terweijde.
The race riots began when a group of 5 Moroccans drove a car into a group of Moluccans standing in a garden in front of a house.
Stringent measures were taken to prevent further escalation of violence. Terweijde was subjected to emergency regulations and a ban on large public gatherings was brought into effect in the wake of the increased tension between the two ethnic groups.
Notable people from Culemborg
- Anthony van DiemenAnthony van DiemenAnthony van Diemen , Dutch colonial governor, was born in Culemborg in the Netherlands, the son of Meeus Anthonisz van Diemen and Christina Hoevenaar. In 1616 he moved to Amsterdam, in hope of improving his fortune as a merchant; in this he failed and was declared bankrupt...
(1593–1645), Governor-General of the Dutch East IndiesGovernor-General of the Dutch East IndiesThe Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies represented the Dutch rule in the Dutch East Indies between 1610 and Dutch recognition of the independence of Indonesia in 1949.The first Governors-General were appointed by the Dutch East India Company... - Jan van RiebeeckJan van RiebeeckJohan Anthoniszoon "Jan" van Riebeeck was a Dutch colonial administrator and founder of Cape Town.-Biography:...
(1619–1677), colonial administrator and founder of Cape TownCape TownCape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
(South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
) - Wilhelmina CooperWilhelmina CooperWilhelmina Cooper was a model who began with Ford Models and, at the peak of her success, founded her own agency, Wilhelmina Models, in New York City in 1967.-Life:...
(May 1, 1939 – March 1, 1980), fashion model and founder of Wilhelmina Models, New York - Rudi Martinus van DijkRudi Martinus van DijkRudi Martinus van Dijk was a Dutch composer of classical orchestral, chamber and vocal music, often featuring violin or piano....
(1932–2003), classical composer - Elly van HulstElly van HulstElisa Maria van Hulst is a former middle distance runner from the Netherlands, who competed for her native country at three consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1984....
(born 1959), middle distance runner - Arjan VermeulenArjan VermeulenArjan Vermeulen is a Dutch former football defender.-References:*...
(born 1969), footballer - Patrick PothuizenPatrick PothuizenPatrick Pothuizen is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for amateur club, De Treffers. Pothuizen is a defender who was born in Culemborg and made his debut in professional football, being part of the Vitesse squad in the 1992–93 season...
(born 1972), footballer - Jelka van HoutenJelka van HoutenJelka van Houten is a Dutch actress of film, stage, and television, though she is perhaps best known for being the sister of fellow actress Carice van Houten. She is currently nominated for a Gouden Notekraker; the judge's who nominated her have said that "her surprising début holds a lot in store...
(born 1978), actress - Michiel ElijzenMichiel ElijzenMichiel Elijzen is a Dutch former professional road bicycle racer. He was born in Culemborg. He retired from competition after the 2010 season to become a sporting director for , the team for which he last rode competitively.-Races won:20052007-External links:...
(born 1982), bicycle racer
Demographics
- DutchWhite peopleWhite people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
: 79.4% - Black peopleBlack peopleThe term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
: 1.9% - EuropeanEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
: 8.6% - Arabs: 7.9%
- Other non Western: 4.0%:
External links
Official website Map- Site focusing on SinterklaasSinterklaasSinterklaas is a traditional Winter holiday figure still celebrated today in the Low Countries, including the Netherlands and Belgium, as well as French Flanders and Artois...
in Culemborg. Only online in Sinterklaas periods.