Kaatsheuvel (Dutch pronunciation:[ˈkaːtsˌɦøːvəl]) is a town in the province of North Brabant, Netherlands situated along highways N261 and N628. With a population of roughly 16,600, it is the largest town in and the capital of the municipality of Loon op Zand, which also consists of the villages of De Moer and Loon op Zand.
As Kaatsheuvel is a municipality capital, it has a town hall, located in the town centre. The town hall was torn down in 2010 as part of an ambitious plan to build a lively new town centre. A new town centre has been built, with the title Bruisend Dorpshart (Sparkling Village's Heart). Kaatsheuvel is internationally known for the Efteling theme park and as a gateway to National Park Loonse en Drunense Duinen.
History
13th and 14th century: Duke of Brabant and Lord of Venloon
The Netherlands traditionally consisted of seven provinces. The current province of North Brabant, in which Kaatsheuvel is located, used to be a stand-alone Duchy. The Duchy consisted of a large area with the most important cities: Brussels, 's-Hertogenbosch, Antwerp, Breda, Leuven and Maastricht. Under the leadership of the Duke and his counts, these large cities were supplied by the countryside. Although the oldest source speaks of 'Kaatsheuvel' dating from the 14th century, Venloon, the country now known as Loon op Zand, Kaatsheuvel and De Moer was already mentioned in the year 1233. In 1269 "the village of Venloon with its moors, nuts and wild lands" was loaned by Jan I van Brabant to Willem van Horne. This gave Venloon its first landlord and "fiefdom Venloon" was born.
14th century: Peat cutters
A Peat-cutter
In the 14th century there was an economic growth in Heerlijkheid Venloon. The peat soil turned out to be very suitable for peat extraction. Peat was a type of soil that could serve as a fuel to heat houses. The habitable area of Venloon grew further and further, creating different communities. That is also how the Kaatsheuvel community came into being. The main task of the inhabitants was peat stabbing. This meant that the peat soil had to be pulled out of the soil, dried, processed and transported.
15th century: Farmers and hunters
Windmill The CouwenberghThe Old FirestationNational Park Loonse en Drunense DuinenHouse in the centreCastle of Lord of Venloon, nearby Kaatsheuvel
In the 15th century, most of the peat land was silted up. This ensured that the income from peat extraction was considerably reduced. Many Kaatsheuvel citizens therefore took the initiative to secure their first life needs. They already owned a nice piece of land, so with a small amount of cattle they could provide for their own necessities. Agriculture was fairly primitive, which meant that the agricultural land was used only once. The woody area was also very suitable as a hunting ground, which made hunting a source of income.
17th and 18th century: Shelter churches and robber gangs
The 80-year war came to an end on 15 May 1648 with the Peace of Munster. The peace between Spain and the Republic of the United Provinces led to a division of Brabant. The south of the duchy belonged to the Spanish Netherlands, while the north, Staats-Brabant, became part of the Republic of the United Netherlands.
State Brabant was a so-called "Generality Country", unlike other areas, State Brabant was not recognized as an equivalent province of the Republic and therefore did not get its own government.
During this period, the whole of Brabant was systematically stripped of money by the Republic, so that there was hardly any economic development. The Republic wanted to turn Brabant into a Protestant province before it was recognized for the time being. The people from Brabant, however, saw all the merits go to Holland, so that they had little sympathy for the States General. The population secretly continued to practice the Catholic faith by converting barns into hiding churches. The Kaatsheuvel community had no church of its own at the time and had to go to the shelter church in the White Castle in Loon op Zand.
Kaatsheuvel was located in the border region of Holland and Staats-Brabant. Around 1720, this brought a fairly large gang of pagans to this area, which in part consisted of marshes and forests.
From the Ravenbosch near Kaatsheuvel, the robber gang "de Witte Veer" operated. This gang regularly undertook raids far into the republic of Holland. The robbers took advantage of the disagreements between State Brabant and Holland. If they had planned a robbery in Holland, they would not cooperate in Brabant, and vice versa. The deputy governor of Loon op Zand, Otto Juijn, was a sustainer and in 1725 he succeeded in capturing the leader of the gang called Black John.
In 1795, the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands was overthrown and the Batavian Republic, a French sister republic, recognized the Catholics as equal citizens. The State Brabant became a province in 1795, with the name Batavian Brabant
19th century: Leather and shoe industry
Apprentice shoemaker
The Batavian Republic was abolished and the Kingdom of Holland was founded in 1806. The provinces of North Brabant, Antwerp and South Brabant were added to the kingdom, although this was for a short period. The economy in North Brabant had grown enormously in the short time. With the addition of Antwerp and South Brabant, North Brabant had become at the center of the kingdom.
The Belgian uprising, however, again caused a division of Brabant. Antwerp and South Brabant became part of the independent country "Belgium". The province of North Brabant, which had never really taken sides, eventually remained part of the Netherlands. In the Brabant region, De Langstraat, especially in Kaatsheuvel and Waalwijk, a smooth-running leather and shoe industry developed. Many citizens work in factories or were independent dealers in leather goods and shoes.
20th century: Tourism and kitchens
By pastor F.J. the Klijn and the curate E. Rietra, plans are made for a recreational field in Kaatsheuvel. In the spring of 1935, the Roman Catholic Sports and Hiking Park is opened. This recreational field developed after the Second World War (1952) into a theme park Efteling. The theme park provided local employment and recreation.
Eventually, Efteling has become one of the largest and most successful theme parks in the world. The park has won many prizes over the years, including "best amusement park in Europe" in 1972 and "best theme park in the world" in 1992. The Efteling gained worldwide fame through the Sprookjesbos, which was largely designed by the famous Dutch artist Anton Pieck and tech person Peter Reijnders. The first madhouse in the world "Villa Volta", water show "Aquanura" and darkride "Symbolica, Paleis der Fantasie" have won international THEA Awards.
With 5,3 million visitors on an annual basis, Efteling is the most visited attraction park in the Netherlands. Ben Mandemakers started selling kitchens in Kaatsheuvel in 1978. In the meantime, Mandemakers Groep has become the largest empire for kitchens in the Netherlands with more than 17 store formulas. Various showrooms are located in Kaatsheuvel itself.
Etymology
Kaatsheuvel is a combination of the words Kaats and Heuvel, Heuvel being the Dutch word for "hill". The etymology of Kaats is less clear. One theory regarding the origin of the name is that it originates from St. Catharina, a popular saint at the time. Another theory holds that the early inhabitants of Kaatsheuvel were well known for playing a game called kaatsspel on a hill nearby. However, the most likely explanation is that a man named Hendrik Cets lived in the 17th century on a hill where Kaatsheuvel now stands, and over time this place came to be known as Cetsheuvel, and eventually Kaatsheuvel.
Art and Culture
The village of Kaatsheuvel is located in the area 'De Langstraat' which is traditionally known for its shoe industry. The Shoe and Leather Museum in the nearby city of Waalwijk shows the history of the region.
The village also has several stages where music and theater performances are played.
Crossroads (youth center), Gildebont (social cultural center), Theater Klavier and the Efteling Theater.
Although the Netherlands is a small country, it has various regions with their own culture and delicacies. Overproduction of regional foods was often used for these delicacies. There was a lot of fishing along the coast, which meant that fish dishes appeared on a regular basis. In the province of North Brabant, in particular in the Langstraat region, was a thriving leather industry. This meant that many farmers were needed. The leather was used for shoes, but the meat was used in various dishes.
The Brabantian worstenbroodje is an example of a typical regional product that originated from cattle farming in North Brabant.
Brabantian Worstenbrood
The puff pastry from the traditional English sausage roll was too expensive for the inhabitants of the region. That was why bread dough was used as an alternative. The bread dough also had the advantage that the minced meat was kept longer fresh.
A typical Kaatsheuvel dish is the Mikkemannen. They are dolls made from bread dough, in which gingerbread spices and cinnamon are processed.
Mikkemannen (breadmen) from Kaatsheuvel
The Mikkemannen are often eaten with butter and sugar. Speculaas was not affordable in the south, making Mikkemannen a cheaper alternative.
Location
Kaatsheuvel is situated near the municipalities of Waalwijk, Heusden and Dongen, in the middle of North Brabant. It is also close to several bigger cities like Tilburg, known for its textile, Herbal liqueur 'Schrobbeler' and the Big Summer Funfair. 's-Hertogenbosch, the capital of North Brabant is known for its Art- and Designmuseums, Canals and historical center. and last of all Breda, Nassau-City, known for its historical center and historical links with the Dutch royal family.
North Brabant, also unofficially called Brabant, is a province in the south of the Netherlands. It borders the provinces of South Holland and Gelderland to the north, Limburg to the east, Zeeland to the west, and the Flemish provinces of Antwerp and Limburg to the south. The northern border follows the Meuse westward to its mouth in the Hollands Diep strait, part of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. North Brabant had a population of about 2,626,000 as of January 2023. Major cities in North Brabant are Eindhoven, Tilburg, Breda, its provincial capital 's-Hertogenbosch, and Helmond
Waalwijk is a municipality and a city in the southern Netherlands. It had a population of 48,815 in 2021 and is located near the A59 and N261 motorways. The villages of Capelle, Vrijhoeve-Capelle, Sprang and Waspik together with the city of Waalwijk form the municipality of Waalwijk. The city has an old town center, which has recently been modernized.
Dongen is a municipality and village in North Brabant, in the southern Netherlands. In the past it had a profitable leather industry, and a few old shoe factories in the town's older sections remain. The town is near a small river called the Donge, the water of which was used extensively for the leather industry. The Aerts automobile was built here in 1899.
Loon op Zand is a municipality and a village in the southern Netherlands. It had a population of 23,504 in 2021.
Efteling is a fantasy-themed amusement park in Kaatsheuvel, the Netherlands. The attractions reflect elements from ancient myths and legends, fairy tales, fables, and folklore.
Drunen is a town in the municipality of Heusden in southern Netherlands. The town is part of a region called the Langstraat which is historically known for its leather and shoe industry. Since 1813, Drunen had been a separate municipality, consisting of the towns Drunen, Elshout, and Giersbergen. As of 2017, Drunen's population is 18,216.
De Loonse en Drunense Duinen National Park(duinen = dunes) is a national park situated in the south of the Netherlands, between the cities of Tilburg, Waalwijk and 's-Hertogenbosch. It has been designated as a national park since 2002. It is 35 km2 in area, and located in the municipalities of Loon op Zand, Heusden, and Vught.
Sprang-Capelle is a former municipality in the North Brabant province of the Netherlands. It was formed in 1923 as a merger of the municipalities of Sprang, Vrijhoeve-Capelle and 's Grevelduin-Capelle. Therefore Sprang-Capelle consists of three villages: 's Grevelduin-Capelle, Vrijhoeve-Capelle and Sprang. In 1997 the municipality of Sprang-Capelle was added to the municipality of Waalwijk. The amusement park Efteling is located in the neighbourhood of Sprang-Capelle.
Anton Franciscus Pieck was a Dutch painter, artist and graphic artist. His works are noted for their nostalgic or fairy tale-like character and are widely popular, appearing regularly on cards and calendars. He is also known for being the first designer of the famous Dutch theme park Efteling.
The Duchy of Brabant, a state of the Holy Roman Empire, was established in 1183. It developed from the Landgraviate of Brabant of 1085–1183, and formed the heart of the historic Low Countries. The Duchy comprised part of the Burgundian Netherlands from 1430 and of the Habsburg Netherlands from 1482, until it was partitioned after the Dutch revolt of 1566–1648.
Ton van de Ven was a Dutch industrial designer. He is best known as the creative director at the Efteling theme park.
Folklore of the Low Countries, often just referred to as Dutch folklore, includes the epics, legends, fairy tales and oral traditions of the people of Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg. Traditionally this folklore is written or spoken in Dutch or in one of the regional languages of these countries.
The Efteling Steam Train Company is a 600 mm narrow gauge passenger railway line at the Efteling theme park, in the Netherlands.
The Haunted Castle was a haunted attraction in the amusement park Efteling in the Netherlands. It was designed by Ton van de Ven and was the first attraction built outside the Fairy Tale Forest.
Heikant is a hamlet in the municipality of Loon op Zand, in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is located about 3 km north of Loon op Zand.
Tilburg railway station is a railway station located in Tilburg in the province of North Brabant, Netherlands. The station was opened on 5 October 1863 and is located on the Breda–Eindhoven railway and Tilburg–Nijmegen railway. The train services are operated by Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS).
Baron 1898 is a Dive Coaster produced by the Swiss manufacturer Bolliger & Mabillard located in the Efteling in Kaatsheuvel, The Netherlands. It opened on July 1, 2015. The coaster's soundtrack was created by the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra.
Loon op Zand Castle, is a castle in Loon op Zand, in the Dutch province of North Brabant. The current building looks like a manor, but is actually the keep of a medieval castle.
The Lage Zwaluwe-'s-Hertogenbosch railway or Langstraatspoorlijn is a defunct and partially open railway line in North Brabant, Netherlands. It ran through Langstraat from Lage Zwaluwe railway station via Waalwijk to 's-Hertogenbosch railway station. Part of the line had been repurposed for recreation. It has the nickname Halvezolenlijntje. The Moerputten Bridge is a unique example of engineering.
Paul van Loon is a Dutch author of children's literature. Notable series by van Loon include Dolfje Weerwolfje and De Griezelbus , both of which have been adapted into theatre productions and films. His book Raveleijn was adapted into a television series and an amusement park show in theme park Efteling.
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