Lepelstraat
Encyclopedia
Lepelstraat is a small Dutch
community six kilometres north of the city of Bergen op Zoom
, and part of the municipality with that name.
It has 2,342 inhabitants and 30 percent of the municipality consists of farmland. Its earliest records of history date back to 1298 where in a manuscript of landrights it was mentioned as "Den Leepel Straet."
Lepelstraat has always been important in its region's religious history. In 1612 a little church was created in the attic of a farmhouse that was kept from the knowledge of authorities because Roman Catholicism was forbidden at that time. Even though this situation changed later in the 17th century, it existed until 1875 when Lepelstraat got its first real church, with a tower having a height of 68 metres. This tower was blown up near the end of World War II
by retreating German
troops and has never been rebuilt.
During the Netherlands' "Great Flood" in 1953 most of the land around Lepelstraat became flooded, costing almost two thousand lives. The water did not reach Lepelstraat itself, making it a safe haven for the unlucky people who lost their homes, friends, and families.
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...
community six kilometres north of the city of Bergen op Zoom
Bergen op Zoom
Bergen op Zoom is a municipality and a city located in the south of the Netherlands.-History:Bergen op Zoom was granted city status probably in 1266. In 1287 the city and its surroundings became a lordship as it was separated from the lordship of Breda. The lordship was elevated to a margraviate...
, and part of the municipality with that name.
It has 2,342 inhabitants and 30 percent of the municipality consists of farmland. Its earliest records of history date back to 1298 where in a manuscript of landrights it was mentioned as "Den Leepel Straet."
Lepelstraat has always been important in its region's religious history. In 1612 a little church was created in the attic of a farmhouse that was kept from the knowledge of authorities because Roman Catholicism was forbidden at that time. Even though this situation changed later in the 17th century, it existed until 1875 when Lepelstraat got its first real church, with a tower having a height of 68 metres. This tower was blown up near the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
by retreating 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...
troops and has never been rebuilt.
During the Netherlands' "Great Flood" in 1953 most of the land around Lepelstraat became flooded, costing almost two thousand lives. The water did not reach Lepelstraat itself, making it a safe haven for the unlucky people who lost their homes, friends, and families.