Eijsden
Encyclopedia
Eijsden is a place situated in the southern part of the Dutch
province of Limburg
. Until January 1st, 2011 it was the main village in a municipality with the same name. On that date this municipality merged with a neighbouring one, which resulted in the new Eijsden-Margraten
municipality.
Eijsden is one of the most southerly places in the Netherlands. For in its south the village is extending up to the border between the Netherlands and Belgium
. On its west side the river Meuse
forms the frontier between both mentioned countries.
settlement. In the Middle Ages, this settlement developed to a village. After the (feudal) Middle Ages, in the seventeenth century Eijsden gained in economic strength because of its position near the Dutch-Belgian frontier on the Meuse river. Its function as a trading and shipping centre attracted settlement of well-to-do merchants from Holland. This period of prosperity ended in the Napoleonic era when, for a time, the area ceased to be a frontier.
The other population centres (now all part of "Eijsden-Margraten") were:
In 1870, a zinc white
factory brought industrial activity to the municipality, along with jobs and air pollution. The number of jobs originally was about 700; by now some 300 are left.
In the second half of the 20th century, many orchards were replaced by housing, dairy farming, industry and water (as a result of extended gravel extraction). Nowadays Eijsden is largely residential.
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...
. Until January 1st, 2011 it was the main village in a municipality with the same name. On that date this municipality merged with a neighbouring one, which resulted in the new Eijsden-Margraten
Eijsden-Margraten
Eijsden-Margraten is a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands, in the very south of the province of Limburg. It was formed in 2011 from the former municipalities Eijsden and Margraten...
municipality.
Eijsden is one of the most southerly places in the Netherlands. For in its south the village is extending up to the border between the Netherlands and Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. On its west side the river 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...
forms the frontier between both mentioned countries.
History
Eijsden is one of the older places in the country. Its name is supposed to be derived of the Germanic word for aspen forest. Excavations have revealed a RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
settlement. In the Middle Ages, this settlement developed to a village. After the (feudal) Middle Ages, in the seventeenth century Eijsden gained in economic strength because of its position near the Dutch-Belgian frontier on the Meuse river. Its function as a trading and shipping centre attracted settlement of well-to-do merchants from Holland. This period of prosperity ended in the Napoleonic era when, for a time, the area ceased to be a frontier.
Former municipality
The former Eijsden municipality was composed of several population centres, of which the one named Eijsden was the largest, with 7000 inhabitants.The other population centres (now all part of "Eijsden-Margraten") were:
- GronsveldGronsveldGronsveld is a village in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is part of the municipality of Eijsden and situated southeast of the municipality of Maastricht, to which it is bordering....
- Mariadorp
- MeschMeschMesch is a village in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is located in the municipality of Eijsden, about 10 km south of Maastricht.Mesch was a separate municipality until 1943, when it was merged with Eijsden....
- Oost-MaarlandOost-MaarlandOost-Maarland is a place, situated in the south-eastern part of the province of Limburg in The Netherlands.Since January 1st, 2011 Oost-Maarland is one of the population centres in the Eijsden-Margraten municipality; before it was in the Eijsden municipality, that on the mentioned date has merged...
- RijckholtRijckholtRijckholt is a village in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is located in the municipality of Eijsden.Rijckholt was a separate municipality until 1943, when it was merged with Gronsveld.- External links :*...
- Withuis
Economy
Apart from trading and shipping, the Eijsden economy has had an agricultural character, with a focus on fruit growing. At one time, in Eijsden the Netherland's largest local fruit tree area was situated.In 1870, a zinc white
Zinc oxide
Zinc oxide is an inorganic compound with the formula ZnO. It is a white powder that is insoluble in water. The powder is widely used as an additive into numerous materials and products including plastics, ceramics, glass, cement, rubber , lubricants, paints, ointments, adhesives, sealants,...
factory brought industrial activity to the municipality, along with jobs and air pollution. The number of jobs originally was about 700; by now some 300 are left.
In the second half of the 20th century, many orchards were replaced by housing, dairy farming, industry and water (as a result of extended gravel extraction). Nowadays Eijsden is largely residential.
Sights
- The seventeenth century Renaissance style castle of Eijsden (according to the Unesco-list) is one of the top hundred buildings in the country.
Music
In the municipality of Eijsden two military bands are based ('the blue' and 'the red'), of which the first mentioned belongs to the second highest national division and the last mentioned to the highest.Famous Natives of Eijsden
- Eugène DuboisEugène DuboisMarie Eugène François Thomas Dubois was a Dutch paleoanthropologist. He earned worldwide fame for his discovery of Pithecanthropus erectus , or 'Java Man'...
- Anatomist/Anthropologist
- Jo MaasJo MaasJo Maas was a Dutch professional road bicycle racer. In the 1979 Tour de France, Maas won stage 10 and finished 7th place in the overall classification.- Palmarès :1978*...
, former cyclist, stage winner in and seventh in end-classification of 1978 Tour du Hainaut Occidental.