Geffen (Netherlands)
Encyclopedia
Geffen had been an independent town in the Netherlands until 1993, when it became a part of Maasdonk in the province of North Brabant
.
Archeological findings show that the area had been inhabited since the Stone age
(2000 B.C.). The date of settlement is not known. The first time Geffen was mentioned in official documents was on the October 1, 1246. There have been many different names for Geffen, including Ghiffen and Gheneffen. Gheneffen most probably had been created as a fusion between "gen" + "effa", which means "on the water's edge". In the year 1298, Duke Jan II of Brabant granted the town of Geffen rights for peat harvesting.
In the following centuries, Geffen became a fiefdom
. The Vassal of Geffen resided in the castle of Geffen close to the border of Nuland
. During a French raid in the 18th century this castle was destroyed and at this time only the ditch and its fortifications can be found.
started to become a true city and many facilities moved away. Geffen itself grew in every direction except north; this is mainly because of the railway embankment which protects Geffen from flooding from the Meuse
. With the creation of the A50 highway, a dig site was opened at the border of Oss, Heesch and Geffen. After the construction of the highway was completed this area was reformed into a swimming point (the Geffenseplas) and a small forest.
One of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in North Brabant
can be found in Geffen. As early as 1693 the archives speak of this cemetery and until 1908, 20 years after the founding of a new regional cemetery, it was in use. Over 300 people are buried here, including many forefathers of the Van den Bergh, Hartog and Zwanenberg families.
or Den Bosch is a possibility.
North Brabant
North Brabant , sometimes called Brabant, is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country, bordered by Belgium in the south, the Meuse River in the north, Limburg in the east and Zeeland in the west.- History :...
.
Archeological findings show that the area had been inhabited since the Stone age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
(2000 B.C.). The date of settlement is not known. The first time Geffen was mentioned in official documents was on the October 1, 1246. There have been many different names for Geffen, including Ghiffen and Gheneffen. Gheneffen most probably had been created as a fusion between "gen" + "effa", which means "on the water's edge". In the year 1298, Duke Jan II of Brabant granted the town of Geffen rights for peat harvesting.
In the following centuries, Geffen became a fiefdom
Fiefdom
A fee was the central element of feudalism and consisted of heritable lands granted under one of several varieties of feudal tenure by an overlord to a vassal who held it in fealty in return for a form of feudal allegiance and service, usually given by the...
. The Vassal of Geffen resided in the castle of Geffen close to the border of Nuland
Nuland
Nuland is a village in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is located in the municipality of Maasdonk, about 8 km east of 's-Hertogenbosch....
. During a French raid in the 18th century this castle was destroyed and at this time only the ditch and its fortifications can be found.
After the Second World War
Up until the Second World War things didn't really change in Geffen; it maintained a population of roughly 1,200. In 1956 the first planned neighbourhood began construction. During this time, neighbouring OssOss
Oss is a municipality and a city in the southern Netherlands, in the province of Noord Brabant.- Population centres :-Transportation:* Railway stations: Oss, Oss West, Ravenstein- The city of Oss :...
started to become a true city and many facilities moved away. Geffen itself grew in every direction except north; this is mainly because of the railway embankment which protects Geffen from flooding from the Meuse
Meuse
Meuse is a department in northeast France, named after the River Meuse.-History:Meuse is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
. With the creation of the A50 highway, a dig site was opened at the border of Oss, Heesch and Geffen. After the construction of the highway was completed this area was reformed into a swimming point (the Geffenseplas) and a small forest.
Education
There are two schools in Geffen, both are Catholic schools. The Aloysiusschool, which can be found between town hall and the local supermarket, and the Mariaschool, which lies next to the church and has a more religious background. In march 2009, the building of a new school started. The former Aloysius- and Mariaschool will merge to create a new school, of which the name has yet to be decided.Religion
Around 1450 the bell tower of the Maria Magdalena Church was built. The church survived numerous fires and floods, even the burning of Geffen by Karel of Gelder in 1487. At the end of the Second World War, the German military tried to blow up the church like they did with the churches of Nuland, Heesch and Vinkel. At the ceiling level, the marks of this are still visible.One of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in North Brabant
North Brabant
North Brabant , sometimes called Brabant, is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country, bordered by Belgium in the south, the Meuse River in the north, Limburg in the east and Zeeland in the west.- History :...
can be found in Geffen. As early as 1693 the archives speak of this cemetery and until 1908, 20 years after the founding of a new regional cemetery, it was in use. Over 300 people are buried here, including many forefathers of the Van den Bergh, Hartog and Zwanenberg families.
Present
Geffen is a typical town of east Brabant with close to 5,000 inhabitants. The biggest sportclub is Nooit Gedacht Geffen, a footballclub founded in 1929. Every year a farmers' market is organized under the name of 'effe noar geffe'. Every year more people visit this festival and in 2004 more than 35,000 people were welcomed. Because of mismanagement of funds, among other problems, integration into OssOss
Oss is a municipality and a city in the southern Netherlands, in the province of Noord Brabant.- Population centres :-Transportation:* Railway stations: Oss, Oss West, Ravenstein- The city of Oss :...
or Den Bosch is a possibility.
Famous Geffenaren
- Simon van den BerghSimon van den BerghSimon van den Bergh was a Dutch businessperson. He founded a margarine factory in the Netherlands that became world-famous....
(1819) Industrial magnate, father of Samuel van den BerghSamuel van den BerghSamuel van den Bergh was one of the main European margarine and soap manufacturers in the early 20th century....
, co-founder of UnileverUnileverUnilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products.... - Ruud van NistelrooyRuud van NistelrooyRutgerus Johannes Martinus "Ruud" van Nistelrooy, , is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Málaga CF in Spain's La Liga. He is the second-highest goalscorer in Champions League history with 60 goals...
(1976) Football player, born in OssOssOss is a municipality and a city in the southern Netherlands, in the province of Noord Brabant.- Population centres :-Transportation:* Railway stations: Oss, Oss West, Ravenstein- The city of Oss :...
Literature
- Jacob Becker: Het smouse Kerkhof te Geffen, 1693-1903, Stichting Iacobus Judeaus, Uden 1987
External links
- Geffen from above Map of the former municipality, around 1868.
- Pictures of Geffen
- Effe noar Geffe
- Nooit Gedacht Geffen