Maasbracht

Town in Limburg, Netherlands

Flag

Coat of arms

51°09′N 5°53′E / 51.150°N 5.883°E / 51.150; 5.883CountryNetherlandsProvinceLimburgMunicipalityMaasgouwArea

^[1]

• Total10.80 km² (4.17 sq mi)Elevation

^[2]

25 m (82 ft)Population

(2021)^[1]

• Total7,050 • Density650/km² (1,700/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)Postal code

6051^[1]

Dialing code0475

Maasbracht (Dutch: [maːzˈbrɑxt] ^ⓘ; Limburgish: Brach [ˈbʀɑx]) is a town in the southeastern Netherlands. It was a separate municipality until 1 January 2007, when it became a part of the new municipality of Maasgouw.

History

The village was first mentioned in 1265 as "de Bragth", and means "newly cultivated land near the river Maas."^[3] Maasbracht developed along the river Maas in the Early Middle Ages. In 1294, it became part of Ambt Montfort. In 1716, it became part of the Dutch Republic.^[4]

The Catholic St Gertrudis Church is a long church with double transept. The tower was built in the 14th century. It was severely damaged in 1944, and a new church was built between 1948 and 1949.^[4]

Maasbracht was home to 305 people in 1840. In 1934, the Juliana Canal was dug as a bypass for the unnavigable parts of the Maas. The canal transformed Maasbracht in a main harbour and it started to industrialise. Maasbracht has the largest inland harbour of the Netherlands.^[5]

It was an independent municipality until 2007 when it was merged into Maasgouw. It is the capital of the municipality of Maasgouw.^[5]

Notable people

Mark van Bommel (born 1977), football player^[6]

Gallery

Sculpture at the roundabout
The village near Julianakanaal and the river Maas
Harbour of Maasbracht
View on Maasbracht

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2021". Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
^ "Postcodetool for 6051AA". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
^ "Maasbracht - (geografische naam)". Etymologiebank (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 April 2022.
^ ^a ^b Sabine Broekhoven, & Ronald Stenvert (2003). Maasbracht (in Dutch). Zwolle: Waanders. ISBN 90 400 9623 6. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
^ ^a ^b "Maasbracht". Plaatsengids (in Dutch). Retrieved 25 April 2022.
^ "Mark van Bommel". World Football. Retrieved 25 April 2022.