Brunssum
Encyclopedia
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 municipality of Brunssum has 29,742 inhabitants as of 2007.
in the inegrated military command structure. The headquarters was known as Headquarters, Allied Forces Central Europe (HQ AFCENT) from its inception in Fontainebleau
, France
and relocation to Brunssum in 1967. The name was changed to Regional Headquarters, Allied Forces Northern Europe (RHQ AFNORTH) when a restructuring in 2000 led to the closing of HQ AFNORTH
in Kolsås
, Norway
. The current title was adopted in 2004 to add flexibility to the military command structure by removing regional restrictions. The main base area, Hendrik Camp, was built on a former coal mine called Hendrik Mine.
Brunssum is also the home of the AFNORTH International School, located just outside of Hendrik Camp. AFNORTH International School is a K-12 school that mainly provides service to American
, British
, Canadian
, and German
dependents of military personnel assigned to JFC Brunssum, the US Army base
in Schinnen
, and NATO Air Base
in Geilenkirchen
, Germany.
The murder of Nicky Verstappen happened here in 1998. The murderer is yet to be identified.
, formerly known as SV Limburgia, which compete at an amateur level. As SV Limburgia the competed in the Eredivisie
(Honorary Division) at various times and finished first in 1950. Upon the introduction of professional football in the Netherlands in 1954, SV Limburgia had little success and was relegated to the lowest level of Dutch football
, Tweede Divisie
(Second Division).
The annual Parelloop
ten kilometer road running
race is held Brunssum. Micah Kogo
from Kenya
won the race in 2009, breaking the world record
for that distance.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
and a town
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 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...
, the Netherlands
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...
. Brunssum was formerly a center of coal mining in the Netherlands and there are a few active mines remaining in the area. The municipality of Brunssum has 29,742 inhabitants as of 2007.
NATO
Brunssum is the current home of Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFC Brunssum), a NATO headquarters one level below SHAPESupreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO military forces. It is located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons...
in the inegrated military command structure. The headquarters was known as Headquarters, Allied Forces Central Europe (HQ AFCENT) from its inception in Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southeast of the centre of Paris. Fontainebleau is a sub-prefecture of the Seine-et-Marne department, and it is the seat of the arrondissement of Fontainebleau...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and relocation to Brunssum in 1967. The name was changed to Regional Headquarters, Allied Forces Northern Europe (RHQ AFNORTH) when a restructuring in 2000 led to the closing of HQ AFNORTH
Allied Forces Northern Europe
Allied Forces Northern Europe was the most northern NATO command located at Kolsås outside Oslo. It was part of Allied Command Europe from around 1952 to 2003...
in Kolsås
Kolsås
Kolsås is a wooded mountain ridge in the municipality of Bærum, Norway. Geologically, Kolsås belongs to the Oslo Graben area. Its two peaks consist of hard rhomb porphyric lava covering softer rocks, forming steep cliffs to the east, south and west....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The current title was adopted in 2004 to add flexibility to the military command structure by removing regional restrictions. The main base area, Hendrik Camp, was built on a former coal mine called Hendrik Mine.
Brunssum is also the home of the AFNORTH International School, located just outside of Hendrik Camp. AFNORTH International School is a K-12 school that mainly provides service to American
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
, British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
, Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and 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...
dependents of military personnel assigned to JFC Brunssum, the US Army base
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
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 NATO Air Base
NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen
NATO Air Base Geilenkirchen is located near Geilenkirchen, Germany. It is the Main Operating Base of the NATO E-3A Component, one of two operational elements of the NATO Airborne Early Warning & Control Force.- Location and history :...
in Geilenkirchen
Geilenkirchen
Geilenkirchen is a town in the district Heinsberg, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated near the border with the Netherlands, on the river Wurm, approx. 15 km north-east of Heerlen and 20 km north of Aachen....
, Germany.
Nature
The Brunssummerheide is a sloping nature landscape with many trails for hiking and running. It is bisected by a brook called Roode Beek (Red Brook). The Brunssumerheide is a protected nature preserve.The murder of Nicky Verstappen happened here in 1998. The murderer is yet to be identified.
Sport
The local football team is BSV LimburgiaSV Limburgia
Sport Vereniging Limburgia was a Dutch football/sports club from the city of Brunssum . Today it exists as BSV Limburgia- History :SV Limburgia was founded on 9 May 1920 by the Limburgian coal mines, under the name Rhenania...
, formerly known as SV Limburgia, which compete at an amateur level. As SV Limburgia the competed in the Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
(Honorary Division) at various times and finished first in 1950. Upon the introduction of professional football in the Netherlands in 1954, SV Limburgia had little success and was relegated to the lowest level of Dutch football
Royal Dutch Football Association
The Royal Dutch Football Association is the governing body of football in the Netherlands. It organises the main Dutch football leagues , the amateur leagues, the KNVB Cup, and the Dutch national football team. It is based in the municipality of Zeist.The KNVB came into being on 8 December 1889...
, Tweede Divisie
Tweede Divisie
The Tweede Divisie was the lowest professional football league in the Netherlands. It was established in 1956, together with the Eredivisie and the Eerste Divisie. Between 1956 and 1960 and between 1962 and 1966, the league consisted of two divisions, Tweede Divisie A and Tweede Divisie B. The...
(Second Division).
The annual Parelloop
Parelloop
Parelloop is an annual 10 kilometres road running competition usually held in late March or early April in Brunssum, the Netherlands. The inaugural edition was held in 1989....
ten kilometer road running
Road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
race is held Brunssum. Micah Kogo
Micah Kogo
Micah Kemboi Kogo is a Kenyan long-distance runner, who specializes in the 10,000 metres. He is the former world record holder in the 10 kilometres road race event with a time of 27:01, which he lost to countryman Leonard Komon on September 27, 2010...
from Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
won the race in 2009, breaking the world record
World records in athletics
World records in the sport of athletics are ratified by the International Association of Athletics Federations. Athletics records comprise the best performances in the sports of track and field, road running and racewalking....
for that distance.
Population centres
- Brunssum
- Bouwberg
- De Kling or Onder-Merkelbeek
- Langeberg
- Rumpen
- Treebeek
People from Brunssum
- Bob AltenaBob AltenaBob Altena is a Dutch decathlete, whose greatest achievement was a ninth place at the 2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics.-External links:*...
(b. 1986), decathlete - Jan DietzJan DietzJean Leonardus Gerardus Dietz is a Dutch computer scientist, and former Professor of Information Systems Design at Delft University of Technology.- Biography :Jan Dietz was born in 1945 in Brunssum. He obtained a M.A...
(b. 1945), computer scientist - Patrick DybionaPatrick DybionaPatrick Stefan Bernard Dybiona is a former freestyle swimmer from the Netherlands, who competed for his native country at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea....
(b. 1963), freestyle swimmer - Edward Ka-SpelEdward Ka-SpelEdward Ka-Spel is an expatriate English singer, songwriter and musician residing in the Netherlands.-Biography:...
(b. 1954), musician