Alem is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland . It is a part of the municipality of Maasdriel , and lies about 10 km north of 's-Hertogenbosch .
67-537: It used to part of the province in North Brabant . In 1934, it became part of Gelderland. Until 1958, Alem, Maren en Kessel was a separate municipality. The villages of Maren and Maren-Kessel are now part of the municipality of Lith . It was first mentioned in 1107 as Aleym. The etymology is unclear. The village developed along the Maas . The Dutch Reformed Church has probably been built around 1719 using material from
134-499: A Brabantian dialect is spoken. The default language having been developed around this time, it therefore had mainly Brabantian influences. The early modern Dutch written language was initially influenced primarily by Brabantian, with strong influence from Hollandic emerging after the 16th century. Since the Brabantian dialect has developed faster than 16th- and 17th-century Dutch, it has become more diverse than modern Standard Dutch but
201-458: A city declared their support for Roman Catholic Spain. During the following months of 1579, other states signed the treaty as well, such as Ghent , cities from Friesland , as well as three of the quarters of Guelders ( Nijmegen Quarter , Veluwe Quarter , Zutphen County ). In the summer of 1579, Amersfoort from the province of Utrecht also joined, together with Ypres , Antwerp , Breda and Brussels . In February 1580, Lier , Bruges and
268-555: A majority of the population in the province of North Brabant. Only 1–2% of the total population of the Catholic area attend mass , and these churchgoers consist mostly of people over 65 years old. With a population density of 501/km , North Brabant is above average urbanized. The urbanization is at the center of the province at largest, where the 'kite' (the Brabantse Stedenrij Breda, Tilburg, Eindhoven and 's-Hertogenbosch)
335-677: A pause in what became known as the Eighty Years' War , effectively acknowledging Dutch independence. As Pieter Geyl puts it, the truce marked "an astonishing victory for the Dutch," who surrendered no lands and did not agree to halt their attacks on Spanish colonies and the Spanish trade empire. In return the Spanish granted the United Provinces de facto independence by describing them as "Free lands, provinces and states against whom they make no claim" for
402-606: A previous church lost in a 1717 flood. In 1840, it was home to 307 people. In 1925, the canalisation of the Maas resulted in Alem becoming a river island. In 1934, it became part of the province of Gelderland. This Gelderland location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . North Brabant North Brabant ( Dutch : Noord-Brabant [ˌnoːrd ˈbraːbɑnt] ; Brabantian : Broabant [ˈbrɑːban] ), also unofficially called Brabant ,
469-441: A stew of onions , beef and a thick gravy, contain a lot of flavour and require hours to prepare. Vegetable soups are made from richly flavored stock or bouillon and typically contain small meatballs alongside a variety of different vegetables. Asparagus and witlo(o)f are highly prized and traditionally eaten with cheese and/or ham . Pastries are abundant, often with rich fillings of cream, custard or fruits. Cakes, such as
536-991: Is a province in the south of the Netherlands . It borders the provinces of South Holland and Gelderland to the north, Limburg to the east, Zeeland to the west, and the Flemish provinces of Antwerp and Limburg to the south. The northern border follows the Meuse westward to its mouth in the Hollands Diep strait , part of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta . North Brabant had a population of about 2,626,000 as of January 2023. Major cities in North Brabant are Eindhoven (pop. 231,642 ), Tilburg (pop. 217,259), Breda (pop. 183,873), its provincial capital 's-Hertogenbosch (pop. 154,205), and Helmond (pop. 94,967) The Duchy of Brabant
603-435: Is a partnership between the municipalities of Breda , Eindhoven , Helmond , 's-Hertogenbosch and Tilburg and the province of North Brabant. According to national rules, BrabantStad is defined as the area of Eindhoven, 's-Hertogenbosch and Tilburg. Brabantian is not a minority language in the Netherlands . It can be divided in two main dialects: East Brabantian and West Brabantian [ nl ] . Along with
670-558: Is an area with farmlands and forests. In Heeze , also south of Eindhoven, are the heath areas the Groote Heide (333 ha) and Strabrechtse Heath (1500 ha) located. The Strabrechtse Heide holds also the largest fen of the Netherlands. The Beuven (Beu fen) measures 85 hectares. Like most of the Netherlands, North Brabant is mostly flat but nearly every part of North Brabant is above sea level; therefore, there are not as many canals as in
737-593: Is elected by the inhabitants, the Commissioner is appointed by the King and the cabinet of the Netherlands. With 10 seats, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is the largest party in the council, closely followed by Christian Democratic Appeal and Socialist Party , both with 9 seats. The daily affairs of the province are taken care of by the Provincial-Executive ( Gedeputeerde Staten ), which are also headed by
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#1732876837221804-512: Is home to 8 professional football clubs, more than any other province in the Netherlands. Two clubs ( PSV and RKC Waalwijk ) play in the Eredivisie , the highest professional football league in the Netherlands. Six clubs ( Helmond Sport , Willem II , FC Den Bosch , FC Eindhoven , TOP Oss and NAC Breda ) play in the Eerste Divisie , the second-highest division of professional football in
871-417: Is influenced by both German cuisine and French cuisine , and it forms the base of most traditional Dutch restaurants including typical main courses such as Biefstuk , Varkenshaas , or Ossenhaas , which are premium cuts of meat, generally pork or beef , accompanied by various sauces and potatoes which have been double fried in the traditional Dutch (or Belgian) manner. Stews, such as hachee ,
938-550: Is located, the rest of the province has a more rural character. The province has preserved some of its scenic nature well. National parks are found at the Loonse and Drunen Dunes , De Biesbosch and De De Groote Peel , on the marshes of the Meierij at Oisterwijk and Boxtel (within an area called Het Groene Woud ), the border park Zoom-Kalmthoutse Heide , and in the forested area around Breda . Also, south of Eindhoven named De Kempen
1005-745: Is regarded as the foundation of the Republic of the Seven United Provinces , which was not recognized by the Spanish Empire until the Twelve Years' Truce in 1609. The treaty was signed on 23 January by Holland , Zeeland , Utrecht (but not all of Utrecht), and the province (but not the city) of Groningen . The treaty was a reaction of the Protestant provinces to the 1579 Union of Arras (Dutch: Unie van Atrecht ), in which two southern provinces and
1072-509: Is still quite similar and very understandable. About one third of the Dutch-speaking population lives in the Brabantian dialect zone. Both in large Brabantian towns such as Breda and Eindhoven and in rural areas many people still speak the original dialect or colloquial Dutch with a typical "southern" tongue. Tilburg and 's-Hertogenbosch have a large number of people speaking the Brabantian dialect. There are many museums, especially in
1139-426: Is still the pattern in much of the region. In recent years, however, the rapid advance of industry has brought about profound changes in this agricultural region. The origins of this industrial development go back 70–100 years. The main concentrations of industry are along the southern frontier of the Netherlands, e.g., at Eindhoven , Helmond , Tilburg , Breda , 's-Hertogenbosch . In the east of Noord-Brabant, near
1206-618: Is the most successful of these clubs with many prizes, in the regular competition as well as in Europe. The most recent prizes are National Champions in 2014–2015, 2015–2016 and European Champions in 2014–2015. The States of North Brabant ( Staten van Noord-Brabant ) have 55 seats and are headed by the King's Commissioner ( Commissaris van de Koning ), currently Ina Adema . Whereas the provincial council (the States-Provincial - Provinciale Staten )
1273-528: Is theme park Efteling in Kaatsheuvel , the largest of the Benelux. Safaripark Beekse Bergen is an Safaripark located between Tilburg and Hilvarenbeek . In terms of area, it is the largest Safaripark in the Benelux. More than 150 animal species are kept, ranging from small mammals to large birds. It is best known for its diversity. You can explore the park on foot, by boat, bus or with your own car. BrabantStad
1340-599: Is why the treaty in question is also seen as a first version or precursor of a later constitution. The Union of Utrecht complemented the so-called General Union of 1576 , established by the Pacification of Ghent , which is why it is also referred to as the Further Union. The signing of the treaty for the Union of Utrecht, during the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648), was preceded by a whole series of unions, edicts and covenants. At
1407-503: The Moorkop and Bossche Bol from Brabant, are typical pastries. There are also savory pastries, especially the popular worstenbroodje (a roll with a sausage of ground beef ). The traditional alcoholic beverage of the region is beer. There are many local brands, ranging from Trappist to Kriek . Beer, like wine in French cuisine, is also used in cooking, often in stews. North Brabant
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#17328768372211474-616: The High Tech Campus Eindhoven . In 2017, Brabantian companies applied for 3655 patents , earning a spot in the regional top 5 in Europe. Other important industries are automobile production (e.g. General Motors in Breda , Tesla in Tilburg ) and DAF in Eindhoven , textile and shoes. In the 20th century, tourism has become an important sector for North Brabant. A tourist attraction
1541-506: The Hollandic dialects it is one of the two most spoken versions of Dutch. Brabantian has, as compared to the other main Dutch dialects, had a big influence on the development of Standard Dutch. This is because Brabant was the dominant region in the Netherlands when the standardization of Dutch started in the 16th century. The first major formation of standard Dutch also took place in Antwerp , where
1608-498: The Limburgish border, is the Peel area, an expanse of moorland extending from Eindhoven to Venlo , on the border with Limburg. Southeast of Asten is a nature reserve (1,300 hectares (3,250 acres); visitor center at Ospeldijk) which has escaped destruction by peat cutting. Mostly boggy, it will appeal to nature lovers with its interesting flora and fauna. Apart from this small area almost
1675-606: The Netherlands , and the Effenaar in Eindhoven offer concerts by major artists. Smaller venues like Mezz Breda , W2 Concert in 's-Hertogenbosch and the smaller halls of the 013 and the Effenaar offer concerts by emerging artists and bigger names in an intimate setting. Some yearly cultural events in North Brabant are: List of museums in North Brabant Museums of the main cities: The Southern Dutch cuisine constitutes
1742-629: The Roman Catholic State Party and its post- war successor, the Catholic People's Party , which often held around 75% of the vote. In the 1960s secularisation and the actual emancipation of the Catholic population brought about the gradual dissolution of the Catholic pillar, as church attendance decreased in North Brabant as elsewhere in Western Europe. The influence of Het Rijke Roomse Leven (The Rich Roman [Catholic] Life) remains in
1809-530: The Union of Dordrecht , on 4 July 1575, William of Orange was appointed stadholder of Holland and Holland and Zeeland decided to cooperate. These areas – except for Amsterdam and Middelburg, among others – were largely free of Spanish troops in the years 1572–1576, and there leaders with the Calvinist faith gained the upper hand. The Spanish sack of Antwerp on 4 November 1576, in which Spanish troops looted and reduced
1876-657: The Union of Utrecht was signed in 1579, Brabant became a battlefield between the Protestant Dutch Republic and Catholic Spain , which occupied the southern Netherlands. As a result of the Peace of Westphalia, the northern part of Brabant became part of the Netherlands as the territory of Staats-Brabant (Statal Brabant) under federal rule, in contrast to the founding provinces of the Dutch Republic , which were self-governing. Attempts to introduce Protestantism into
1943-478: The 21st century: On 1 January 2003 the municipality of Ravenstein merged into the existing municipality of Oss . On 1 January 2004 the municipalities of Geldrop and Mierlo merged into a new municipality called Geldrop-Mierlo . On 1 January 2011 the municipality of Lith merged into the existing municipality of Oss . On 1 January 2015 the municipality of Maasdonk merged into the existing municipalities of 's-Hertogenbosch and Oss . On 1 January 2017
2010-534: The Commissioner; its members (commissioners - gedeputeerden ) can be compared with ministers. Results in North Brabant in the elections for the States-Provincial : As of 7 May the Provincial-Executive of North Brabant is composed of the following individuals. In North Brabant the inhabitants voted as follows for the House of Representatives ( Tweede Kamer ): Religion in North Brabant (2015) Traditionally
2077-558: The Netherlands were united in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands , and the province of North Brabant was established and so named to distinguish it from Central Brabant and South Brabant in present-day Belgium , which seceded from the Kingdom in 1830. This boundary between the Netherlands and Belgium is special in that it does not form a contiguous line, but leaves a handful of tiny enclaves (and enclaves inside enclaves) on both sides of
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2144-468: The Netherlands. PSV Eindhoven is the biggest club of North Brabant, and most successful with 25 Eredivisie titles , 1 European Cup and 1 UEFA Cup , among many other domestic cups, and is one of the traditional " big three " clubs in the Netherlands. North Brabant is home to 3 hockey clubs that play in the Hoofdklasse. HC Den Bosch ('s-Hertogenbosch), Oranje Zwart (Eindhoven) and MOP (Vught). Oranje Zwart
2211-613: The Northern Protestant government until the second half of the 19th century, which had a major influence on the economic and cultural development of the southern part of the Netherlands. Present-day North Brabant ( Staats-Brabant ) was adjudicated to the Generality Lands of the Dutch Republic according to the 1648 Peace of Westphalia , while the reduced duchy remained in existence with the Southern Netherlands until it
2278-478: The Spanish . Flanders was almost entirely conquered by the Spanish troops, as was half of Brabant. The United Provinces still recognized Spanish rule after the Union of Utrecht. However, the union contributed to the deterioration in the relationship between the provinces and their lord, and in 1581 the United Provinces declared their independence of the king in the Act of Abjuration . The Twelve Years' Truce of 1609 marked
2345-675: The Union of Utrecht actually sought to uphold the General Union / Pacification of Ghent of 1576 and did not intend to geographically limit itself to the North, but aimed to include all provinces in the Netherlands. Both the Pacification and the Union of Utrecht were, in fact, treaties between two parties: the Calvinist-governed provinces of Holland and Zeeland and the other 'fifteen' provinces dominated by Catholics. Even Alexander Farnese (Parma),
2412-537: The Union of Utrecht laid the foundation for the Dutch Republic, also known as the Seven United Provinces, which would be formed a few years later. However, these seven states within a state only became a unified state during the time of the Batavian Republic two centuries later. Until the early 20th century, most Dutch and Belgian historians, such as P. L. Muller (1867) and Henri Pirenne (1911), believed that
2479-625: The Union of Utrecht was initially intended as a "Calvinist alliance" of the "seven" "Northern provinces" that separated themselves from the General Union (the Pacification of Ghent and the Unions of Brussels), and "seceded from the South". The few Southern cities that joined the Union of Utrecht were considered more like "honorary members" rather than fully integrated members of the "Northern" Union. Flemish researcher Leo Delfos further investigated and openly challenged this view from 1929 onwards. He concluded that
2546-424: The border. In fact, the Dutch government generally used the pre-Napoleonic borders in 1815 to divide its provinces, in hommage to the principle of Restoration . A few of these irregularities were corrected ( Luyksgestel was exchanged for Lommel ), Huijbergen became totally Dutch, but some remain, notably Baarle-Hertog (Belgian) and Baarle-Nassau (Dutch). When the present province was instituted, its territory
2613-481: The city to ashes and killed thousands of citizens, caused a stir in the Netherlands. The States of Holland , the States of Zeeland and the other regions, which were predominantly Catholic , reconciled on 8 November with the Pacification of Ghent in their aversion to the Spanish presence. They declared at the Pacification that they would cooperate in resisting interventions by King Philip II but remain obedient to him. There
2680-679: The cuisine of the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and Limburg and the Flemish Region in Belgium . It is renowned for its many rich pastries, soups, stews , and vegetable dishes and is often called " Burgundian ", which is a Dutch idiom invoking the rich Burgundian court which ruled the Low Countries in the Middle Ages and was renowned for its splendor and great feasts. It is the only Dutch culinary region which developed an haute cuisine , as it
2747-487: The duration of the truce. The Union of Utrecht allowed complete personal freedom of religion and was thus one of the first unlimited edicts of religious toleration . An additional declaration allowed provinces and cities that wished to remain Roman Catholic to join the union. Many people view the Union of Utrecht as the beginning of the Netherlands as a single state. This is not entirely accurate. It can be said that
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2814-423: The emancipatory drive of the province's disadvantaged Catholic population and was supported by a Roman Catholic pillar , which was directed by the clergy, and not only encompassed churches, but also Roman Catholic schools and hospitals, which were run by nuns and friars. In those days every village in North Brabant had a convent from which the nuns operated. Politically, the province was dominated by Catholic parties:
2881-418: The form of education where some schools are still Roman Catholic (today run by professional teachers and not by nuns) and in North Brabant's culture, politics, mentality and customs , such as carnival . The interpretation of the Roman Catholic identity in North Brabant has shifted during the last 65 years from religious to cultural , but the province still has a distinct Catholic atmosphere when compared to
2948-435: The large numbers of visitors the natural environment has remained largely unspoiled. The Biesbosch nature reserve can be reached by car only from the east (preferably via Werkendam ). The southwest part of the area, with its three large reservoirs of drinking water, is closed to road traffic. The Biesbosch can also be reached by boat from Drimmelen , Geertruidenberg or Lage Zwaluwe . The historical region of Kempen occupies
3015-795: The larger towns which include the North Brabant Museum in 's-Hertogenbosch , the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven , the Museum of the Image in Breda , Noordbrabants Natuurmuseum in Tilburg . Also a few towns have a large theater like the Chassé Theater in Breda and the Eindhoven Park Theatre. Large, reputable music venues like the 013 in Tilburg , which boasts the largest space of music venues in
3082-488: The lower parts of The Netherlands. Although most of the population lives in urban areas, the province is scattered with villages around which most of the land is cultivated. National Parks in North Brabant are: The Biesbosch (from bies , "rushes", and bosch , "woodland") is an area southeast of Dordrecht formed when the dike on the Meuse burst and the St. Elizabeth's floods on 19 November 1421 engulfed great tracts of land in
3149-411: The municipalities of Veghel , Schijndel , and Sint-Oedenrode merged into a new municipality called Meierijstad , creating the largest municipality of the province of North Brabant in terms of land area. On 1 January 2019 the municipalities of Aalburg , Werkendam , and Woudrichem merged into a new municipality called Altena , an even larger municipality in terms of land area. On 1 January 2021
3216-423: The municipality of Haaren merged into the existing municipalities of Boxtel , Oisterwijk , Tilburg , and Vught . On 1 January 2022 the municipalities of Landerd and Uden merged into the new municipality of Maashorst , and the municipalities of Boxmeer , Cuijk , Grave , Mill en Sint Hubert , and Sint Anthonis merged into the new municipality of Land van Cuijk . The Gross domestic product (GDP) of
3283-424: The principal lords and noblemen.’ Rather than break the Pacification, the prince wanted to raise a second line of defence in a ‘further union’. The concept of the Union of Utrecht was already contained in this proposal to Gelre. However, the predominantly Catholic Gelre saw little point in it; it did not want to depend on intransigent, Calvinist Holland for a possible reconciliation with the king. The Union of Utrecht
3350-484: The province of North Brabant has been strongly Roman Catholic , in contrast to most of the rest of the Netherlands. Following the country's independence, Catholics faced discrimination by the Protestant government until the mid-19th century. During the 1960s the relatively strong demarcation between the Catholic south on one side and the Calvinist west and north on the other side of the Netherlands started to diminish. In
3417-543: The province was 116.1 billion € in 2018, accounting for 15.0% of the Netherlands economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was €39,900 or 132% of the EU27 average in the same year. Employment is found in the agricultural , industrial and service sectors, with agricultural and food processing companies such as Agrifirm , Bavaria , FrieslandCampina , Mars Incorporated , Nutreco , Royal Canin all having large production sites or their headquarters located in
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#17328768372213484-505: The province. The main agricultural products are sweetcorn , wheat and sugar beet , while cows and pigs are held as livestock. An important economical activity is electronics industry, which developed as a spin-off from Philips . Several companies originated from Philips, such as Signify (formerly Philips Lighting), NXP (producer of semiconductors ), and the world's largest supplier of photolithography systems, ASML . There are eight 'innovation campusses' in North Brabant, including
3551-399: The provinces north of the major rivers. A cultural divide is still found between the "Catholic" south and the "Protestant" north, but with a total of 1.5 million people and 20% of the industrial production in the Netherlands the southern "Catholic" area BrabantStad has become one of the major economically important, metropolitan regions of the Netherlands. As of 2010, Catholics were no longer
3618-488: The region were largely unsuccessful; North Brabant remained strongly Catholic. For over a century, North Brabant served mainly as a military buffer zone. In 1796, when the confederate Dutch Republic became the unitary Batavian Republic , Staats-Brabant became a province as Bataafs Brabant . This status ended with the reorganisation by the invading French , and the area was united into the département of Deux-Nèthes (present province of Antwerp ). In 1815, Belgium and
3685-406: The retreating glaciers. It is a typical area of sandy heathland. The infertile soil is suitable only for undemanding crops such as rye, oats, potatoes and fodder plants; this limits the profitability of agriculture. Until a few decades ago Kempen was a region of heathland and sand drifts with a sparse growth of pines, a few scattered villages subsisting on the poor soil and some small towns; and this
3752-510: The sea and subject to changing tide levels. As a result, it developed a flora which tolerated brackish water and was the home of numerous waterfowl. Since the damming of the Haringvliet there is no variation in water level, and both flora and fauna have adapted to the new environment. The Biesbosch is crisscrossed by a network of footpaths and bike paths and by rivers and streams which offer facilities for water sports (sailing, surfing). In spite of
3819-609: The second half of the 20th century a rapid secularization took place in North Brabant. Union of Utrecht The Union of Utrecht ( Dutch : Unie van Utrecht ) was an alliance based on an agreement concluded on 23 January 1579 between a number of Dutch provinces and cities, to reach a joint commitment against the Habsburg prince Philip II . By joining forces, they hoped to force him to stop his harsh administrative measures. In addition, some important political matters were regulated in areas such as defence, taxation and religion, which
3886-459: The southern part of the province of Noord-Brabant and extends south of Eindhoven far into northern Belgium . To the east it reaches as far as the Meuse valley. The surface topography of De Kempen is very uniform. Most of it lies between 5 m (15 ft) and 35 m (115 ft) above sea level. The basement rocks are Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments, which are overlaid by Ice Age gravels and sands carried here by rivers of melt-water from
3953-460: The southwestern Netherlands and altered the geography of the whole area, inundating over 40,000 hectares (100,000 acres) of land. More than four-fifths of the flooded land has been reclaimed since the 18th century. An area of 6,000 hectares (15,000 acres) was left as it was, and now forms the Biesbosch nature reserve and bird sanctuary. Until the end of the 1960s the Biesbosch was directly connected with
4020-479: The surrounding area also signed the treaty. The city of Groningen shifted in favor under influence of the stadtholder for Friesland, George van Rennenberg , and also signed the treaty. The fourth quarter of Guelders, Upper Guelders , never signed the treaty. In April 1580, Overijssel and Drenthe signed on. The parts of the Low Countries that joined: Antwerp was the capital of the union until its fall to
4087-433: The then church- and king-faithful regions outside Holland and Zeeland after 1576. The agreements of the Pacification of Ghent were confirmed at the first Union of Brussels on 6 January 1577, by which the regions wanted to force the new governor Don Juan of Austria to recognise the Pacification; the Spanish soldiers were to leave the country and the regions themselves would take care of maintaining Catholicism, much against
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#17328768372214154-592: The whole of the Peel has been brought into cultivation. The province is bordered by the river Meuse in the north. Its delta flows through De Biesbosch area, a national park. North Brabant has been divided into 56 municipalities since 2022. Traditionally, almost every town was a separate municipality, but their number was reduced greatly in the 1990s by incorporating smaller towns into neighbouring cities or by other mergers. The municipalities in North Brabant are: The following municipal reclassifications took place in
4221-566: The wishes of the Calvinists. The governor finally agreed by signing the Eternal Edict on 12 February, after which Spanish troops began to withdraw, largely to the Duchy of Luxembourg , which had always remained royalist. That same month, William of Orange was already urging Gelre to ‘make a good, firm alliance and alliance in private with those of Hollant and Zeelant, etlycke other provinces with some of
4288-439: Was a state of the Holy Roman Empire established in 1183 or 1190. It developed from the Landgraviate of Brabant and formed the heart of the historic Low Countries, part of the Burgundian Netherlands from 1430 and of the Habsburg Netherlands from 1482, until it was split up after the Dutch revolt. After the War of Independence , Catholics in the Southern Netherlands were systematically and officially discriminated against by
4355-462: Was conquered by French Revolutionary forces in 1794. Until the 17th century, the area that now makes up the province of North Brabant was mostly part of the Duchy of Brabant, of which the southern part is now in Belgium . During the 14th and 15th centuries, the area experienced a golden age—especially the now-Belgian cities of Brussels , Mechelen , Leuven and Antwerp , and the Dutch cities of Breda , Bergen op Zoom and 's-Hertogenbosch . After
4422-572: Was expanded with a part of the province of Holland and the former territory of Ravenstein , which had previously belonged to the Duchy of Cleves , as well as several small, formerly autonomous entities. In World War II the area was liberated by the allies during Operation Pheasant between October 20 to November 4, 1944. The period from 1900 until the late 1960s is called Het Rijke Roomse Leven (translated as 'the rich Roman life', with 'Roman' meaning 'Roman Catholic'), an era of strong religious belief. Het Rijke Roomse Leven came about as result of
4489-423: Was no final settlement of the religious issue. For the time being, the Calvinist religion would be leading in Holland and Zeeland, the Catholic religion in the other regions, but religious peace would be sought in all regions. In Holland and Zeeland, however, Calvinists took little notice of the agreements. And returning Calvinist exiles who had once fled from Alva sometimes caused serious religious disturbances in
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