Gouda

For other uses, see Gouda (disambiguation).

Gouda's 15th Century Town Hall

Flag of Gouda

[Gouda] (population 71,797 in 2004) is a city in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Gouda, which was granted city rights in 1272, is famous for its Gouda cheese, smoking pipes and its 15th century town hall. The Sint Janskerke also has the most significant stained glass in the Netherlands[link].

The town takes its name from the Van der Goude family, who built a fortified castle alongside the banks of the Gouwe River, from which the family took its name. The area, originally marshland, developed over the course of two centuries. By 1225, a canal was linked to the Gouwe and its estuary was transformed into a harbor.

\"Twin Towns\"

Gloucester, England

Natives of Gouda

Desiderius Erasmus (1466 - 1536), philosopher, humanist (his place of birth is a debatable topic; some people believe that Erasumus was born in Rotterdam. Erasmus, however, wasn't proud of being Dutch at all.)
Adriaan Vlacq (1600-1667), mathematician and publisher.
Pieter Johannes van Rhijn (1886—1960), astronomer.

External links

[Official website for the city of Gouda] (in Dutch)
[Map of the city]
[A collection of old pictures and drawings of Gouda] (in Dutch)

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