North Brabant

North Brabant (Dutch: Noord-Brabant) is a province of the Netherlands, located in the south of the country, bordered by Belgium in the south, the Meuse River (Maas) in the north, Limburg in the east and Zeeland in the west.

History

Until the 17th century, the area that now makes up the province of North Brabant was mostly part of the duchy of Brabant, of which the southern part is in present-day Belgium, although through time several areas have been autonomous entities. In the 14th and 15th century, the area went through a golden age, especially in the cities of Leuven (Louvain), Antwerp (both now in Belgium), Breda and 's-Hertogenbosch (Bois-le-Duc).

Related Topics:
17th century - Brabant - Belgium - 14th - 15th century - Leuven - Antwerp - Breda - 's-Hertogenbosch

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After the Union of Utrecht was signed in 1579, Brabant became a battlefield between the protestant Republic of the Seven United Netherlands and the catholic Spain, which occupied the southern Netherlands. With the Peace of Westphalia, the northern part of Brabant became part of the Netherlands as the territory of Staats-Brabant (State Brabant) under federal rule (the founding provinces of the Dutch Republic were self-governing).

Related Topics:
Union of Utrecht - 1579 - Republic of the Seven United Netherlands - Spain - Peace of Westphalia - Territory - Federal - Province - Dutch Republic

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Attempts to preach protestantism failed, and the area served mainly as a military buffer zone. In 1796, when the Netherlands became the Batavian Republic, Staats-Brabant became a province as Bataafs Brabant. This status ended with the reorganisation by the French, and the area was divided over several departments.

Related Topics:
1796 - Batavian Republic - French

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In 1815, Belgium and the Netherlands were united as the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the province of North Brabant was established, in order to separate it from South Brabant, in present-day Belgium, which separated from the Kingdom in 1830. This boundary between the Netherlands and Belgium is special in that it does not form a contiguous line, but there are a handful of tiny enclaves (and enclaves inside enclaves) on both sides of the border.

Related Topics:
1815 - United Kingdom of the Netherlands - 1830

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From the end of the 19th century, the province grew more and more industrialised. Textile was produced in Tilburg and Helmond, while the town of Eindhoven grew out to a city thanks to the Philips and Van Doorne's Automobiel Fabriek companies.

Related Topics:
19th century - Tilburg - Helmond - Eindhoven - Philips - Van Doorne's Automobiel Fabriek

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