Thorn, Netherlands
Encyclopedia
Thorn is a town
in the municipality of Maasgouw
, in the Dutch
province of Limburg
. It lies on the rivers Meuse
and Witbeek. It's known as 'the white village' for its white-washed brick houses in the centre of town.
between Maastricht
and Nijmegen. But the region had been drained and about 975, Bishop
Ansfried of Utrecht
founded a Benedictine nunnery. This monastery
developed since the 12th century into a secular stift or convent
. The principal of the stift was the abbess
. She was assisted by a chapter of at most twenty ladies of the highest nobility
.
Previously the abbess and the chapter were endowed with religious tasks but, since the 12th century, they served secular matters and formed the government of a truly sovereign miniature principality
, the smallest independent state
in the German
Holy Roman Empire
. Besides Thorn, Ittervoort
, Grathem
, Baexem
, Stramproy
, Ell
, Haler and Molenbeersel belonged to this principality. After the French invasion in the winter of 1794–95 and the formal abolition in 1797 made an end to the existence of the abbey and the principality of Thorn; Thorn was first part of the department of Meuse-Inférieure
, and after the Vienna Congress it became a municipality of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands
.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in the municipality of Maasgouw
Maasgouw
Maasgouw is a municipality in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is located on both banks of the river Meuse southwest of the city of Roermond. It was formed in a merger of the former municipalities of Heel, Maasbracht and Thorn on January 1, 2007....
, in the Dutch
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 lies on the rivers 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...
and Witbeek. It's known as 'the white village' for its white-washed brick houses in the centre of town.
History
First, the region of Thorn was a swamp nearby the Roman roadRoman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
between Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
and Nijmegen. But the region had been drained and about 975, Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
Ansfried of Utrecht
Ansfried of Utrecht
Saint Ansfried of Utrecht was Count of Huy and the sword-bearer for Otto I, Holy Roman Emperor....
founded a Benedictine nunnery. This monastery
developed since the 12th century into a secular stift or convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
. The principal of the stift was the abbess
Abbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
. She was assisted by a chapter of at most twenty ladies of the highest nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
.
Previously the abbess and the chapter were endowed with religious tasks but, since the 12th century, they served secular matters and formed the government of a truly sovereign miniature principality
Principality
A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of prince or princess, or by a monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince....
, the smallest independent state
Sovereign state
A sovereign state, or simply, state, is a state with a defined territory on which it exercises internal and external sovereignty, a permanent population, a government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other sovereign states. It is also normally understood to be a state which is neither...
in the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. Besides Thorn, Ittervoort
Ittervoort
Ittervoort is a village in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is located in the municipality of Leudal.Ittervoort was a separate municipality until 1942, when it was merged with Hunsel.-External links: Map of the former municipality in 1868....
, Grathem
Grathem
Grathem is a village in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is located in the municipality of Leudal, about 10 km west of Roermond.Grathem was a separate municipality until 1991, when it was merged with Heythuysen....
, Baexem
Baexem
Baexem is a town in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is a part of the municipality of Leudal, and lies about 9 kilometres northwest of Roermond.In 2001, Baexem had 1961 inhabitants...
, Stramproy
Stramproy
Stramproy is a village in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is located in the municipality of Weert.Stramproy was a separate municipality until 1998, when it was merged with Weert.-External links: Map of the former municipality, around 1868....
, Ell
Ell
An ell , is a unit of measurement, approximating the length of a man's arm.Several national forms existed, with different lengths, includingthe Scottish ell ,the Flemish ell ,the French ell...
, Haler and Molenbeersel belonged to this principality. After the French invasion in the winter of 1794–95 and the formal abolition in 1797 made an end to the existence of the abbey and the principality of Thorn; Thorn was first part of the department of Meuse-Inférieure
Meuse-Inférieure
Meuse-Inférieure is the name of a département of the First French Empire in present Belgium, Netherlands and Germany. It is named after the river Meuse. Its capital was Maastricht....
, and after the Vienna Congress it became a municipality of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands
United Kingdom of the Netherlands
United Kingdom of the Netherlands is the unofficial name used to refer to Kingdom of the Netherlands during the period after it was first created from part of the First French Empire and before the new kingdom of Belgium split out in 1830...
.