Etten-Leur (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌɛtə(n) ˈløːr] ) is a municipality in the Dutch province North Brabant. Its name is a combination of the two villages from which the municipality originally acrose: Etten and Leur.

Etten-Leur
Street (Markt) in Etten-Leur
Street (Markt) in Etten-Leur
Flag of Etten-Leur
Coat of arms of Etten-Leur
Highlighted position of Etten-Leur in a municipal map of North Brabant
Location in North Brabant
Coordinates: 51°34′N 4°38′E / 51.567°N 4.633°E / 51.567; 4.633
CountryNetherlands
ProvinceNorth Brabant
Government
 • BodyMunicipal council
 • MayorMiranda de Vries (PvdA)
Area
 • Total
55.92 km2 (21.59 sq mi)
 • Land55.30 km2 (21.35 sq mi)
 • Water0.62 km2 (0.24 sq mi)
Elevation8 m (26 ft)
Population
 (January 2021)[4]
 • Total
43,869
 • Density793/km2 (2,050/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode
4870–4879
Area code076
Websitewww.etten-leur.nl

History

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The villages were always part of one municipality, originally called "Etten c.a." (cum annexis), this later to change to "Etten en Leur". The current name was adopted in 1968. By that time, the villages had grown into one.

Both villages, created in the Middle Ages, were relatively prosperous during the period of the Dutch Republic, the exception being the period of the Eighty Years' War in which the area was a major battleground.[5] This prosperity was caused by the fact that Etten was a centre for the production of peat,[6] and Leur was a local trading port, as it had a harbour.

Decline in economic importance marked both villages during the nineteenth century. In 1836 Arnold Damen left Leur in order to work as a missionary in the United States. The painter Vincent van Gogh briefly lived in Etten,[7] making him the most famous citizen in the history of Etten and Leur. During World War II, the two villages were freed from German occupation in late October 1944 by elements of the U.S. 104th Infantry Division.

The economic decline was halted when, in 1950, the Dutch government decided to encourage population growth and industrial development. As a result of this development, both towns have grown towards each other and merged into one: Etten-Leur.

Topography

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  Dutch topographic map of Etten-Leur (town), March 2014

Education

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Transportation

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Notable people

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References

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Het college van burgemeester en wethouders" [The board of mayor and aldermen] (in Dutch). Gemeente Etten-Leur. Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2020" [Key figures for neighbourhoods 2020]. StatLine (in Dutch). CBS. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Postcodetool for 4875AA". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  4. ^ "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  5. ^ "Grensbataljon [Zuidfront Holland - Mei 1940]". www.zuidfront-holland1940.nl. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
  6. ^ K. A. H. W. LEENDERS. "Etten en de turf" (PDF). deoranjeboom.nl. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-01-14. Retrieved 2019-01-14.
  7. ^ "Location Etten-Leur, Van Gogh Church - Van Gogh Brabant". www.vangoghbrabant.nl. Archived from the original on 2019-01-14. Retrieved 2019-01-14.

Sources

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