Bronkhorst
Encyclopedia
Bronkhorst is a village in the municipality of Bronckhorst
, Gelderland, the Netherlands. Technically, it is a city (see below) and with only 171 inhabitants (2006), it is one of the smallest cities in the Netherlands (after Staverden
, Eembrugge
and Sint Anna ter Muiden
).
.
.
It consisted of a keep
and associated buildings and was surrounded by a thick wall and a wide moat. It was sieged several times, most notably in 1582, when after nine months Dutch troops captured the castle, which was occupied by the Spanish. (See Eighty Years War.) The castle changed hands many times, until its last owner, a merchant, had it demolished in 1828.
to the inhabitants of the village Bronkhorst, which was right next to the castle. Concretely this meant, among other things, that they were given limited self-government and were allowed to administer the law to some extent.
which also contains items purchased from the former Dickens museum at Rochester.
Bronckhorst
Bronckhorst is the name of a municipality in Gelderland, the Netherlands. The municipality is the result of a merger of the former municipalities Hengelo, Hummelo en Keppel, Steenderen, Vorden and Zelhem, on 1 January 2005...
, Gelderland, the Netherlands. Technically, it is a city (see below) and with only 171 inhabitants (2006), it is one of the smallest cities in the Netherlands (after Staverden
Staverden
Staverden is a village in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is located in the municipality of Ermelo, about 5 kilometres east of Ermelo. It received city rights in 1298. With 40 inhabitants, it is today the smallest place with that traditional title in the Netherlands.-References:...
, Eembrugge
Eembrugge
Eembrugge is a small village on the river Eem, east of Baarn. It received city rights in 1300.Eembrugge is partially in the municipailty of Eemnes, partially in Baarn....
and Sint Anna ter Muiden
Sint Anna ter Muiden
Sint Anna ter Muiden is a village about 1 km west of Sluis, in the municipality of the same name. It is located on the westernmost point of the Netherlands, in the province of Zeeland. It has a population of 50 ....
).
Early history
The early history of Bronkhorst is, as is common for Dutch towns, largely unknown. It is possible that in the 7th century farmers settled on and around the hill on which a castle would be built later. The hill formed a refuge amidst the low-lying, fertile clay in the area, which is close to the river IJsselIJssel
River IJssel , sometimes called Gelderse IJssel to avoid confusion with its Hollandse IJssel namesake in the west of the Netherlands, is a branch of the Rhine in the Dutch provinces of Gelderland and Overijssel...
.
Lords of Bronkhorst
Bronkhorst used to be a lordship. The earliest known lord of Bronkhorst was Gijsbert of Bronkhorst, first mentioned in 1140. He and some of his descendants played an important role in the politics of the time. The last Bronkhorst, Joost, died in 1553, after which the domain fell to the widow of Georg of LimburgGeorg of Limburg
Georg of Limburg, count of Limburg , son of Adolf of Limburg, count of Limburg.He married in 1539 Irmgard von Wisch, countess of Bronckhorst Georg of Limburg, count of Limburg (died 1552), son of Adolf of Limburg, count of Limburg.He married in 1539 Irmgard von Wisch, countess of Bronckhorst Georg...
.
Castle
In the Middle Ages, a castle was erected on the aforementioned hill. It is first mentioned in a 14th century document.It consisted of a keep
Keep
A keep is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word keep, but usually consider it to refer to large towers in castles that were fortified residences, used as a refuge of last resort should the rest of the...
and associated buildings and was surrounded by a thick wall and a wide moat. It was sieged several times, most notably in 1582, when after nine months Dutch troops captured the castle, which was occupied by the Spanish. (See Eighty Years War.) The castle changed hands many times, until its last owner, a merchant, had it demolished in 1828.
Town
In a document dated March 13, 1482 Gijsbert VII granted city rightsCity rights in the Netherlands
City rights are a medieval phenomenon in the history of the Low Countries. A liegelord, usually a count, duke or similar member of high nobility, granted a settlement he owned certain town privileges that settlements without city rights did not have....
to the inhabitants of the village Bronkhorst, which was right next to the castle. Concretely this meant, among other things, that they were given limited self-government and were allowed to administer the law to some extent.
Culture
Bronkhorst is known for its picturesque buildings, and houses a museum dedicated to Charles DickensCharles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
which also contains items purchased from the former Dickens museum at Rochester.
Further reading
- Van Ebbenhorst Tengbergen, E.J. van (1965). Bronkhorst — korte historie van stad en heerlijkheid. Zutphen: Walburg Pers. ISBN 90-6011-496-5. (Book in Dutch discussing the history of the domain, the castle and the village.)