Munstergeleen
Encyclopedia
Munstergeleen is a village in the Dutch
province of Limburg
. It is located in the municipality of Sittard-Geleen
, and it lies in the Western Mine Region (Westelijke Mijnstreek in Dutch).
and the Dutch word munster can refer to a monastery. In the second half of the 12th century
Munstergeleen was home to a Roman Catholic institution (called a proosdij in Dutch) that was commonly associated with a monestary. Evidence for Munstergeleen's early existence is provided by an explicit mention of Munstergeleen in the records of Cloister of St. Gerlach, in Houthem, Netherlands, in the year 1202. The context of the records makes it clear that Munstergeleen had already existed for some time by the beginning of the 13th century
.
Munstergeleen was a separate municipality until 1982, when it was merged with Sittard
.
During the time that it was a separate municipality, Munstergeleen had its own flag consisting of two equally wide stripes of blue and red and a yellow hoist-triangle along the left-hand edge. A white sword symbolizing Saint Pancratius is centered on the blue stripe, a white pair of pliers symbolizing Saint Apollonia
is on the red stripe, and a black snakehead cross from the Sittard Coat of Arms is in the yellow hoist-triangle. This flag is depicted at the "Flags of the World
" website.
Roman Catholic masses are also performed in the Pater Karelkapel (Father Karel Chapel, i.e., Saint Charles of Mount Argus). This chapel was established in 1954, in the barn associated with a half-timbered double watermill. The first of the watermills was built in 1287 on Geleenbeek (Geleen Creek) and the buildings were substantially rebuilt in 1797. Father Karel Houben's birthplace is located in this watermill complex.
Munstergeleen includes the neighborhood called Abshoven, which was named for a monestary that was built starting in 1716 and has been in ruins since it burned in 1995.
A nature preserve called Heemtuin Munstergeleen (meaning "Munstergeleen's garden of native flora" in Dutch) is a popular place to walk along well-marked paths through the forest and adjacent farmlands. The Heemtuin is home to at least 500 different kinds of plants as well as a farmer's herb garden. The Pieterpad
, the most well-known walking path in The Netherlands, runs through the farmlands just outside Munstergeleen.
Munstergeleen is almost rural in character; the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics rates Munstergeleen as a 4 on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is completely urban and 5 is completely rural.
and SABIC
in Geleen
, the Orbis Medical Center in Geleen, the NATO installation in Brunssum
, the US Army installation in Schinnen
, and the NedCar
auto manufacturing plant in Born.
14% of Munstergeleen's residents are considered to be immigrants, but this percentage is smaller than the immigrant population of the municipality of Sittard-Geleen, the province of Limburg, or the Netherlands as a whole. Also, Munstergeleen's immigrants are more likely to be of western than non-western origin, to a greater degree than the immigrant population of these larger groups. These differences are illustrated in the table below, from the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics.
The housing stock in Munstergeleen is usually worth more, on average, than the residential real estate in the municipality and the province. The following table shows a comparison of values for 2006 and 2007, also from the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics.
(1977-), as well as St. Charles of Mount Argus (1821-1893).
lives one part of the year with his wife in Munstergeleen.
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...
province of Limburg
Limburg (Netherlands)
Limburg is the southernmost of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands. It is located in the southeastern part of the country and bordered by the province of Gelderland to the north, Germany to the east, Belgium to the south and part of the west, andthe Dutch province of North Brabant partly to...
. It is located in the municipality of Sittard-Geleen
Sittard-Geleen
Sittard-Geleen is a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It was formed in 2001 from the former municipalities Sittard, Geleen and Born....
, and it lies in the Western Mine Region (Westelijke Mijnstreek in Dutch).
History
No one knows exactly how Munstergeleen was named. However, it is near the city of GeleenGeleen
Geleen is a city in the southern part of the province of Limburg in the Netherlands. With 33,960 inhabitants, it is part of the municipality of Sittard-Geleen. Geleen is situated along the river Geleenbeek, a right tributary to the river Meuse. The town centre is situated at about 60 m above sea...
and the Dutch word munster can refer to a monastery. In the second half of the 12th century
12th century
As a means of recording the passage of time, the 12th century is the period from 1101 to 1200 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian/Common Era. In the history of European culture, this period is considered part of the High Middle Ages and is sometimes called the Age of the...
Munstergeleen was home to a Roman Catholic institution (called a proosdij in Dutch) that was commonly associated with a monestary. Evidence for Munstergeleen's early existence is provided by an explicit mention of Munstergeleen in the records of Cloister of St. Gerlach, in Houthem, Netherlands, in the year 1202. The context of the records makes it clear that Munstergeleen had already existed for some time by the beginning of the 13th century
13th century
As a means of recording the passage of time, the 13th century was that century which lasted from 1201 through 1300 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian/Common Era...
.
Munstergeleen was a separate municipality until 1982, when it was merged with Sittard
Sittard
Sittard is a city in the Dutch province of Limburg, which is the southernmost province of the Netherlands.On the east Sittard borders on Germany . It has some 48,400 inhabitants . Sittard is part of the municipality of Sittard-Geleen...
.
During the time that it was a separate municipality, Munstergeleen had its own flag consisting of two equally wide stripes of blue and red and a yellow hoist-triangle along the left-hand edge. A white sword symbolizing Saint Pancratius is centered on the blue stripe, a white pair of pliers symbolizing Saint Apollonia
Saint Apollonia
Saint Apollonia was one of a group of virgin martyrs who suffered in Alexandria during a local uprising against the Christians prior to the persecution of Decius. According to legend, her torture included having all of her teeth violently pulled out or shattered...
is on the red stripe, and a black snakehead cross from the Sittard Coat of Arms is in the yellow hoist-triangle. This flag is depicted at the "Flags of the World
Flags of the World
Flags of the World is an Internet-based vexillological association and resource. Its principal project is the Internet's largest website devoted to vexillology, containing comprehensive information about all kinds of flags, and an associated mailing list...
" website.
Churches
Since the majority of people in the province of Limburg are Roman Catholics, it's not surprising that both houses of worship in Munstergeleen are Roman Catholic. The primary Roman Catholic church in Munstergeleen is Pancratiuskerk (Pancratius Church) and was built in 1924-25. The church was designed by Nico Ramakers and contains leaded-glass windows by Jacques Verheyen.Roman Catholic masses are also performed in the Pater Karelkapel (Father Karel Chapel, i.e., Saint Charles of Mount Argus). This chapel was established in 1954, in the barn associated with a half-timbered double watermill. The first of the watermills was built in 1287 on Geleenbeek (Geleen Creek) and the buildings were substantially rebuilt in 1797. Father Karel Houben's birthplace is located in this watermill complex.
Munstergeleen includes the neighborhood called Abshoven, which was named for a monestary that was built starting in 1716 and has been in ruins since it burned in 1995.
Environment
The modern-day Munstergeleen is bordered by farmland on the northeast, east and south; and by the city of Sittard/Geleen in the northwest and west. This village occupies 1.8 square miles (4.64 square kilometers) of land area.A nature preserve called Heemtuin Munstergeleen (meaning "Munstergeleen's garden of native flora" in Dutch) is a popular place to walk along well-marked paths through the forest and adjacent farmlands. The Heemtuin is home to at least 500 different kinds of plants as well as a farmer's herb garden. The Pieterpad
Pieterpad
The Pieterpad is a long distance walking route in the Netherlands. The trail runs from Pieterburen, in the northern part of Groningen, south through the eastern part of the Netherlands to end just south of Maastricht, on the top of Mount Saint Peter , at a height of...
, the most well-known walking path in The Netherlands, runs through the farmlands just outside Munstergeleen.
Munstergeleen is almost rural in character; the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics rates Munstergeleen as a 4 on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is completely urban and 5 is completely rural.
Economy
With exceptions such as the Jan Theelen Recording Studio, Munstergeleen does not have much industry of its own and is known as a quiet bedroom community. Residents of Munstergeleen work (for example) in chemical plants such as those operated by DSMDSM
-Business:* DSM , an international life science and performance materials company from the Netherlands* Delhi school of music, a music school in India...
and SABIC
SABIC
SABIC is a diversified manufacturing company, active in chemicals and intermediates, industrial polymers, fertilizers and metals. It is the largest public company in Saudi Arabia as listed in Tadawul, but the Saudi government still owns 70% of its shares...
in Geleen
Geleen
Geleen is a city in the southern part of the province of Limburg in the Netherlands. With 33,960 inhabitants, it is part of the municipality of Sittard-Geleen. Geleen is situated along the river Geleenbeek, a right tributary to the river Meuse. The town centre is situated at about 60 m above sea...
, the Orbis Medical Center in Geleen, the NATO installation in Brunssum
Brunssum
Brunssum is a municipality and a town in the province of Limburg, the Netherlands. Brunssum was formerly a center of coal mining in the Netherlands and there are a few active mines remaining in the area...
, the US Army installation in Schinnen
Schinnen
Schinnen is a municipality and a town in the province of Limburg, the Netherlands. It is home to US Army Garrison Schinnen, a support base for US personnel assigned to nearby Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum...
, and the NedCar
NedCar
NedCar, officially Netherlands Car B.V. and a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Motors, is the only large-scale automaker in the Netherlands. Based in Born on a 927,000 m2 site, it has a capacity of approximately 200,000 vehicles, and produced its millionth vehicle, a Mitsubishi Space Star, on October...
auto manufacturing plant in Born.
Statistics
Of the 5090 inhabitants of Munstergeleen, 26% are 25 years of age or younger, 55% are between 25 and 65, and 19% are over 65.14% of Munstergeleen's residents are considered to be immigrants, but this percentage is smaller than the immigrant population of the municipality of Sittard-Geleen, the province of Limburg, or the Netherlands as a whole. Also, Munstergeleen's immigrants are more likely to be of western than non-western origin, to a greater degree than the immigrant population of these larger groups. These differences are illustrated in the table below, from the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics.
| Immigrant Type | Munstergeleen (%) | Sittard-Geleen (%) | Limburg (%) | The Netherlands (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western | 12 | 16 | 14 | 9 |
| Non-western | 2 | 6 | 6 | 11 |
The housing stock in Munstergeleen is usually worth more, on average, than the residential real estate in the municipality and the province. The following table shows a comparison of values for 2006 and 2007, also from the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics.
| 2006 (Median price, 1000's Euros) | 2007 (Median price, 1000's Euros) | |
|---|---|---|
| Munstergeleen | 207 | 213 |
| Sittard-Geleen | 165 | 178 |
| Limburg | 180 | 195 |
| The Netherlands | 201 | 217 |
Community Activities
A civic center called “Gemeenschaaphuis ‘Trefpunt Munstergeleen,” which translates to “Munstergeleen Municipal Hall Meeting Point,” was built in 1981. The large rooms in this facility are used frequently by community groups or are rented by individual Munstergeleen residents for activities, meetings and parties. Examples of community groups are listed below.The Arts
- Fanfare Juliana Munstergeleen is an organization that includes a marching band, drum corps, youth marching band, and youth recorder (wooden flute) choir. It was formed in 1908.
- Schildersclub Munstergeleen (Munstergeleen Painting Club) has been in existence since 1992.
- Toneelgroep Pancratius (Pancratius Theater Group) was formed in 1928.
- Zaate Hermenie Bôntj & Blauw was formed in 1990 for the purpose of playing traditional Limburg music.
Scouting
- Scoutinggroep Munstergeleen (Munstergeleen Scout Group) has seven programs for boys and girls from ages 5 and up.
Special Interest Groups
- De Edelzanger Munstergeleen, a birdwatching group, began in 1959.
- Institute Voor Natuurbeschermingseducatie (IVN) Munstergeleen is Munstergeleen’s chapter of the IVN, which translates to the Institute for Environmental Protection Education.
- Oldtimerclub Munstergeleen was formed in 1998 for collecting and riding antique motorized bicycles.
- Zij Actief Limburg is a province-wide women’s service club with a chapter in Munstergeleen.
Sports
- Badminton Vereniging Munstergeleen (Munstergeleen Badminton Association)
- Boksclub de Amateur (The Amateur Boxing Club)
- Dartvereniging Bullseye (Bullseye Darts Association)
- Handbalvereniging Sport Vereniging Munstergeleen (Munstergeleen Handball Association)
- Sportsociëteit Reuvers (Reuvers Sports Society; for fitness, swimming, and saunas)
- Tennisclub Munstergeleen (Munstergeleen Tennis Club)
- Voetbalvereniging Sport Vereniging Munstergeleen (Munstergeleen Soccer Association)
Born in Munstergeleen
Munstergeleen was the birthplace of Olympic pole vaulter Rens BlomRens Blom
Rens Blom is a former Dutch athlete competing in pole vault.-Biography:He achieved the result of 5.75 as early as in 2000, but five years passed without much progression. However, on June 8, 2004 in Zaragoza he set the current Dutch record with 5.81...
(1977-), as well as St. Charles of Mount Argus (1821-1893).
Famous inhabitants
American singer George McCraeGeorge McCrae
George McCrae is an American soul and disco singer, most famous for his 1974 hit "Rock Your Baby".-Early life and career:...
lives one part of the year with his wife in Munstergeleen.