Culemborg

( Listen / i? ; Formerly Kuilenborg or Kuylenburgh called ) Culemborg is a town and comune of the province of Gelderland.

Location and economic

The city is located in the far west of the province, on the river Lek and to the car and railways between Utrecht and 's- Hertogenbosch.

Culemborg has an important function in the service: it is the seat of the Central Boekhuis (central Bücherhaus ). This very large distribution and logistics company, however, has the legal form of a charitable foundation, has an almost total monopoly of the distribution of books in the Dutch language area (also in Belgium), and also manages the International Standard Book Numbers (ISBN ) for books in Dutch.

The city also hosts a number of major factories, metal goods, bricks and furniture are produced. For the economy, tourism is not insignificant.

History

Culemborg emerged in the 12th century as a village on a dune on the south bank of the Lek. The conveniently located place developed into the city and free glory. A Mr. Jan (Johann) van Bosichem (probably: Beusichem ) Culemborg granted on December 6, 1318 city law. Culemborg was a free city. This meant that people who were persecuted elsewhere, in Culemborg could get a right of asylum, although it was careful not to make a haven for criminals of the city. Nevertheless, Culemborg had the reputation that debtors, and even were able to live bankrupts there without being prosecuted or prevented by their creditors.

In the 14th century the then Lord in Culemborg had built a castle. It was destroyed in 1672 by French troops. In the early 16th century Culemborg had a mistress Elizabeth, her beautiful city hall and the city owes (from their inheritance) an orphanage. Emperor Charles V Culemborg rose in 1520 to the county. One of the counts was Floris van Pallandt (1537-1598), a Calvinist who in 1566 in the castle first in the Netherlands approved a non-Catholic worship.

In 1619 the founder of the Cape Colony was in town Jan van Riebeeck, born in South Africa. The county came in 1639 to the noble family of Waldeck- Pyrmont, 1714 to the House of Saxe-Hildburghausen in 1748 and was sold to the duchy of Guelders. It was in 1798 affiliated to the Netherlands. Since then, the Dutch royal family has the right to the title of Count of Culemborg. King Willem- Alexander is now so also Count of Culemborg.

The 19th century brought the city economic growth by connecting to the rail network and the location of cigars and furniture factories, and later, in 1926, the " Centraal Boekhuis ". Culemborg is one of the places for a short time in 1995 had to be evacuated because of the threat of major flooding of the rivers.

Policy

Twinning

• South Africa Villiersdorp, South Africa

Coat of arms

Blazon: " Or, three red wall anchor (2 /1). "

Attractions

The whole cityscape makes Culemborg with its old houses worth a day trip. Outstanding monuments are:

• The 1533 built by Flemish architects Rombout Keldermans Town Hall, now an exhibition and festival building;
• The late Gothic St. Barbara Church;
• The Elisabeth Orphanage ( 1560), now home to the Museum;
• The eastern gate Binnenpoort or Lanxmeerpoort ( 1557 built ).

The foundations of the old castle have been preserved in a park. The town has a marina on the Lek.

Sons and daughters of the town

• Wilhelmina Cooper (1939-1980), model and founder of a modeling agency
• Antonio van Diemen (1593-1645), Governor-General of Dutch East Indies
• Michiel Elijzen ( b. 1982 ), cyclist
• Martijn Vink ( born 1974 ), jazz musician
• Jan van Riebeeck (1619-1677), a Dutch ship's doctor, businessman and colony managers

Trivia

The master of Zweder van Culemborg was a name not yet determinable miniature painter, who in the 15th century, a missal for Zweder van Culemborg, a native of Culemborg chosen bishop of Utrecht painted, and received his Notnamen for this work.