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Heerlen

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Heerlen is a municipality and a town in the southeastern Netherlands and the second biggest city in the province of Limburg. It currently is part of Parkstad Limburg.

In the 19th century it became a centre for the coal mining industry. In the 20th century architect Frits Peutz played a major role shaping the city. His most famous design, and a distinctive building in the city centre, is the so-called Glaspaleis (Glass Palace), formerly housing the Schunck department store and now a cultural centre, located next to the Pancratiuskerk. It is a national monument and listed as one of the 1000 most important buildings of the 20th century.

Contents

History

Monument erected on the place of the crossroad
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Monument erected on the place of the crossroad

In 1997 a habitation form the Michelsberg culture (4400 - 3500 BC) was unearthed at the Schelsberg, this was the first time such a found was made in the Netherlands.http://www.vvvzuidlimburg.nl/uploads/i/plaatsen/pdf/57.pdf Even though these signs of earlier habitation exist, the history of Heerlen starts with the arrival of the Romans. They founded a military settlement and named it Coriovallum. The settlement was founded on the crossroad of two main roads : Boulogne sur Mer - Cologne and Xanten - Aachen - Trier. Heerlen and the surroundings still contain a lot of evidence of Romanlife, villas and farms, but most notable is the Thermae, a Roman bathhouse (only a few have been found in the Netherlands), discoverd in 1940. A museum, also housing other Roman finds, has been build over the Thermae and opend its doors in 1977.

Around the 10th century agriculture starts to develop throughout Europe and Heerlen starts to take shape. It is first mentioned in a 1056 document under the name 'Herle'. In 1244 Heerlen came under the authority of the dukes of Brabant, but in 1388 it was split off along with Hoensbroek. It then became part of a front line of Brabant-Burgundy. In 1661, after the Eighty Years' War Heerlen became part of the new Dutch state, ending up on the border with the Spanish territories. In 1793 the French conquered Heerlen. In 1814 it became part of the Netherlands again, then sided with Belgium in the Belgian Revolution in 1830, but became part of the Netherlands again in 1839, when the province of Limburg was split up between the Netherlands and Belgium.

In the 19th century, Limburg didn't industrialise with the rest of the Netherlands (or Europe for that matter) and remained largely agrarian. Only by 1896 did Heerlen get a railway line, to transport coal from the newly established State mines. The population rose sharply from 3497 in 1812, 6646 in 1900, 12.098 1910 to 32.263 in 1930http://www.heerlen.nl/smartsite.dws?id=3297. During the expansion almost all old buildings were demolished. The tallest mine chimney, 'Lange Jan' ('Long John') became a Mayor landmark. This chimney is now demolished and today little is left of the mines, which were closed in the 1960s. During this period of growth and transformation, the mayor of Heerlen was Marcel van Grunsven, who served from 1926 to 1962.

The heart of Heerlen, with the Glaspaleis (on the right), Pancratiuschurch and Music School
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The heart of Heerlen, with the Glaspaleis (on the right), Pancratiuschurch and Music School

In 1935 Heerlen got another, more central, landmark, the Glaspaleis, commissioned by fabric merchant Peter Schunck and built by Frits Peutz. It is an early example of Modern Architecture and has received many awards after it was renovated. It is surrounded by the three central squares and now houses the city's cultural centre. It has become a symbol of the reviving of Heerlen after the closing of the mines.

Heerlen is part of the agglomeration Oostelijke Mijnstreek and of Parkstad Limburg.

Education

Among the education institetus in Heerlen is Zuyd University (or Hogeschool Zuyd in Dutch), which is a University of Profesional Education. The administration office of the Open University of the Netherlands (Open Universiteit or OU in Dutch), which is a university for distance learning. Heerlen was also the location of the now defunct University of Theology and Pastorate (Universiteit van Theologie en Pastoraat or UTP in Dutch). Jokingly it was said that Heerlen was the location of the biggest (the Open University) and the smallest (the UTP) unviversity of the Netherlands (since it was jokingly whether or not the OU has the most students is besides the point)

Health Care

Health care in Heerlen (and the rest of the Parkstad Limburg) is provided by Stichting Gezondheidszorg Oostelijk Zuid-Limburg (G.O.Z.L.). Atrium Medisch Centrum Parkstad (Atrium Medical Center Parkstad), is the name of the different hospitals in the Parkstad, and is part of G.O.Z.L. Atrium Medisch Centrum Parkstad location Heerlen was previosly known as de Wever ziekenhuis named after Frans de Wever, who in 1904, together with mgr. Joseph Savelberg, founded the first hospital in Heerlen.

Huis de Luijff expanded early 19th century.
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Huis de Luijff expanded early 19th century.

Architecture

Heerlens’ best know architectural feature is with out a doubt Frits Peutzs’ Glaspaleis, but it has much more to offer. Although many interesting buildings were demolished around 1900, some buildings from before that period still exist in the centre of Heerlen, for instance a Romanesque style 12th century church (Pancratiuskerk), and a former prison tower from probably the same century (Schelmentoren), a Neoclassical architecture grave chapel (Grafkapel de Loë build in 1848, the only remaining Neoclassical building in Heerlen), a former mansion annex pharmacist left in, almost, the same state as after its 1801–1828 expansion (Huis de Luijff). In the rest of Heerlen, especial around the streams flowing around Heerlen, many more buildings from before 1900 can be found, noticeably a couple of watermills (like the Weltermolen (14th century), Eikendermolen (15th century), Oliemolen (16th century), and Schandelermolen (17th century)), some castles (for instance Kasteel Hoensbroek oldest part 1380, Kasteel Terworm 15th century) and old farms (Geleenhof (dating back to Roman days), Benzeraderhof (13th century, Hoeve Den Driesch (14th century), Overste Douvenrade (largely destroyed and rebuild in 1779) and Hoeve de Bek (1796)).

Architects with significant work

Here follows a list of architects who build important landmarks in Heerlen, and those landmarks.

Notable Heerlenaren

Kasteel Terworm, a, origanily, 15th century castle, most of what can now be seen stems from 1891
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Kasteel Terworm, a, origanily, 15th century castle, most of what can now be seen stems from 1891

The former office of the Oranje Nassau Mijnen, Dirk Roosenburg, 1928, one of the earlist buildings in International style in Heerlen
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The former office of the Oranje Nassau Mijnen, Dirk Roosenburg, 1928, one of the earlist buildings in International style in Heerlen

Statue of Jezus Christ on the Tempsplein, statue by Toon Dupuis with a foot by Drik Roosenburg, revealed October 19, 1924
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Statue of Jezus Christ on the Tempsplein, statue by Toon Dupuis with a foot by Drik Roosenburg, revealed October 19, 1924

A chronological list of notable Heerlenaren (inhabitants of Heerlen) http://www.heerlen.nl/Smartsite.dws?id=3317

Mines

List of mines that where located in, what is now, Heerlen

References

See also

Mayors of Heerlen

External links

 
Municipality Heerlen

Cities and villages: Heerlen | Heerlerbaan | Heerlerheide | Hoensbroek | Welten | Zeswegen | Heerlen-Centrum | Grasbroek | Meezenbroek | De Hees | Molenberg
'''Hamlets: Benzenrade | Ten Esschen | Bovenste Caumer | Heihoven | Hondsrug | Imstenrade | Koningsbeemd | Musschenbroek | Onderste Caumer | Schurenberg | Terschuren | Terworm | Vrank | Vrusschenhusken | Weggebekker
'''Neighbourhoods: Beersdal | Ganzeweide | Heksenberg | Litscherveld | Maria Christinawijk | Nieuw-Einde | Passart | Pronsebroek | Rennemig | Schelsberg | De Stack | Versiliënbosch | Vrieheide | De Dem | Maria Gewanden | Mariarade | Nieuw-Lotbroek | Overbroek | Schuureik | Nieuw Husken | Eikenderveld | Gelein | Lindeveld | Op de Nobel | Hoppergraaf | Musschemig | Schandelen | Palemig | Schaesbergerveld | Bautsch | Giezenveld | De Rukker | Aarveld | Bekkerveld | Caumerveld | De Erk | Heesberg | Heeserveld | Douve Weien | Vrusschemig | Schiffelerveld | De Kommert

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Pictures of Heerlen

Image:DSM_1.JPG Image:Geleenhof_2.JPG Image:Geleenhof_1.JPG Image:ON-I_1.JPG Image:Sarolea_1.JPG Image:HEMA_Heerlen1.JPG Image:Tempsplein1.JPG Image:BioscoopRoyal1.JPG Image:PeutzNight2.JPG Image:PeutzNight1.JPG Image:Schrijnenretraite1.JPG Image:BernardinusCollege2.JPG Image:BernardinusCollege1.JPG Image:Pancratiuskerk4.JPG Image:Pancratiuskerk3.JPG Image:Pancratiuskerk2.JPG Image:Pancratiuskerk1.JPG Image:Anna Kerk.JPG Image:Huize Wijnands.JPG Image:Ambachtsschool1.JPG Image:Weltermolen2.JPG Image:Weltermolen1.JPG Image:Welten1.JPG Image:Savelberg Home.JPG Image:Schelmentoren2.JPG Image:Heerlen Wall.JPG Image:Grafkapel Loe.JPG Image:Schelmentoren.JPG Image:Heerlen CityHall Side.JPG Image:Heerlen CityHall Front.JPG Image:Statue Savelberg.JPG Image:Grunsven Grave.JPG

 

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