Woensel
Encyclopedia
Woensel is a former village in the Dutch
province of North Brabant
, now part of Eindhoven.
An important rural village in North Brabant
, Woensel is mentioned in a document from 1107; it was the seat of a deanage of the diocese of Liège. According to the German mythologist Jacob Grimm
is the name Woensel a reference to the Germanic god Wodan (Odin in Norse mythology). The suffix would have been an abbreviation of either -sala ("hall") or -loo ("forest").
Around 1200, Eindhoven, a fortification on the Dommel
river to the south of Woensel, grew into a local market town that took more political prominence, but never surpassed Woensel in prosperity or population.
Woensel was a separate municipality until the fusion, in 1920, of Eindhoven proper (i.e. within the town walls) and its surrounding villages into a single municipality. Today, Woensel is Eindhoven's largest district
, with about 110,000 inhabitants; it is mostly covered by urban neighbourhoods erected between 1950 and 1990.
Woensel offers very few places of more than local interest, being almost entirely a residential area; Eindhoven's main entertainment
venues and industry are in other parts of town. Until 1998, the international head office of Philips
was located in Woensel. Currently, this building is the seat of the Dutch organisation of Philips.
Known to at least Eindhoven's inhabitants are
There is also a World War II cemetery of the Commonwealth of Nations
.
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 North Brabant
North Brabant
North Brabant , sometimes called Brabant, is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country, bordered by Belgium in the south, the Meuse River in the north, Limburg in the east and Zeeland in the west.- History :...
, now part of Eindhoven.
An important rural village in North Brabant
North Brabant
North Brabant , sometimes called Brabant, is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country, bordered by Belgium in the south, the Meuse River in the north, Limburg in the east and Zeeland in the west.- History :...
, Woensel is mentioned in a document from 1107; it was the seat of a deanage of the diocese of Liège. According to the German mythologist Jacob Grimm
Jacob Grimm
Jacob Ludwig Carl Grimm was a German philologist, jurist and mythologist. He is best known as the discoverer of Grimm's Law, the author of the monumental Deutsches Wörterbuch, the author of Deutsche Mythologie and, more popularly, as one of the Brothers Grimm, as the editor of Grimm's Fairy...
is the name Woensel a reference to the Germanic god Wodan (Odin in Norse mythology). The suffix would have been an abbreviation of either -sala ("hall") or -loo ("forest").
Around 1200, Eindhoven, a fortification on the Dommel
Dommel
The Dommel is a creek in Belgium and the Netherlands, left tributary of the Dieze. It rises in north-eastern Belgium near Peer and flows into the southern part of the Netherlands. The Dommel takes in water from the Keersop, Tongelreep, Run, Gender and Kleine Dommel streams and merges at...
river to the south of Woensel, grew into a local market town that took more political prominence, but never surpassed Woensel in prosperity or population.
Woensel was a separate municipality until the fusion, in 1920, of Eindhoven proper (i.e. within the town walls) and its surrounding villages into a single municipality. Today, Woensel is Eindhoven's largest district
Stadsdeel
A stadsdeel is the name used for city districts in some of the larger municipalities of the Netherlands.Amsterdam calls 7 of its 8 deelgemeenten stadsdeel...
, with about 110,000 inhabitants; it is mostly covered by urban neighbourhoods erected between 1950 and 1990.
Woensel offers very few places of more than local interest, being almost entirely a residential area; Eindhoven's main entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
venues and industry are in other parts of town. Until 1998, the international head office of Philips
Philips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
was located in Woensel. Currently, this building is the seat of the Dutch organisation of Philips.
Known to at least Eindhoven's inhabitants are
- de Woenselse markt, the heart of old Woensel town in classical triangular shape, which hosts Eindhoven's main market every Saturday;
- Winkelcentrum Woensel, a large shopping center at the heart of the Woensel area. It was renamed WoensXL in 2006, but Winkelcentrum Woensel is still in use.
- Eindhoven's two hospitals (Catharina- and Maxima Medisch Centrum))
- EckartEckartEckart is a German surname, and may refer to:* Anselm Eckart* Carl Eckart* Dennis E. Eckart* Dietrich Eckart* William and Jean Eckart...
castle
There is also a World War II cemetery of the Commonwealth of Nations
Commonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
.
External links
- old pictures of Woensel, with explanations (in Dutch) Map of the former municipality, around 1868.