Baarle-Nassau

Baarle-Nassau
Baarle-Nassau town hall
Baarle-Nassau town hall
Flag of Baarle-Nassau
Coat of arms of Baarle-Nassau
Highlighted position of Baarle-Nassau in a municipal map of North Brabant
Location in North Brabant
Coordinates: 51°27′N 4°56′E / 51.450°N 4.933°E / 51.450; 4.933
CountryNetherlands; however, the Dutch municipality of Baarle-Nassau totally surrounds numerous small exclaves of Belgium.
ProvinceNorth Brabant
Government
[1]
 • BodyMunicipal council
 • MayorMarjon de Hoon-Veelenturf (CDA)
Area
[2]
 • Total76.29 km2 (29.46 sq mi)
 • Land76.14 km2 (29.40 sq mi)
 • Water0.15 km2 (0.06 sq mi)
Elevation
[3]
28 m (92 ft)
Population
 (January 2021)[4]
 • Total6,899
 • Density91/km2 (240/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode
5110–5114
Area code013
Websitewww.baarle-nassau.nl
Topographic map of the municipality of Baarle-Nassau, June 2015

Baarle-Nassau (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌbaːrlə ˈnɑsʌu] ) is a municipality and town in the southern Netherlands, located in the province of North Brabant. It had a population of 6,899 in 2019. The town is the site of a complicated borderline between Belgium and the Netherlands: it encloses 22 small exclaves of the Belgian town Baarle-Hertog, of which the two largest contain seven counter-enclaves of Baarle-Nassau, and the main body of Belgium contains another.

Geography

The border with Baarle-Hertog, Belgium

Baarle-Nassau is closely linked, with complicated borders, to the Belgian exclaves of Baarle-Hertog. Baarle-Hertog consists of 26 separate parcels of land. Apart from the main parcel, known as Zondereigen and located north of the Belgian town of Merksplas, there are 22 Belgian exclaves in the Netherlands and three other parcels on the Dutch-Belgian border. There are also six Dutch exclaves located within the largest Belgian exclave, one within the second-largest, and an eighth within Zondereigen. The smallest Belgian parcel, H7, locally named De Loversche Akkers, measures 2,469 square metres (26,580 sq ft).

The border's complexity results from numerous medieval treaties, agreements, land-swaps and sales between the Lords of Breda and the Dukes of Brabant. Generally speaking, predominantly agricultural or built environments became constituents of Brabant, while other parts devolved to Breda. These distributions were ratified and clarified as a part of the borderline settlements arrived at during the Treaty of Maastricht in 1843.

For clarification and the interest of tourists, the border is made visible on all streets with iron pins. This way it is always clear whether one is in Belgium (Baarle-Hertog) or in the Netherlands (Baarle-Nassau). This is also visible on the house numbers: the style of house numbers is different in both countries, and often one will find the Dutch or Belgian flag next to the number.

Belgian and Dutch territory in Baarle-Nassau
Border between Netherlands and Belgium in Baarle-Nassau.

Localities

List of enclaves

Dutch enclaves

These are all part of Baarle-Nassau municipality.

Serial no. and local name [5] Area (ha) area

acre

Notes
Netherlands N1, De Loversche Akkers – De Tommelsche Akkers 5.3667 13.2617 Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; contains a mix of dwellings and farmland; boundary of N1 and H1 runs through one building.
Netherlands N2, De Tommelsche Akkers 1.3751 3.3981 Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; contains 8 dwellings.
Netherlands N3, De Tommelsche Akkers 0.2863 0.7075 Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; boundary of N3 and H1 bisects the loading dock of a liquor store.
Netherlands N4, De Rethsche Akkers 1.2324 3.0454 Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; boundary of N4 and H1 runs through a warehouse, with vacant Dutch land to the rear of the warehouse.
Netherlands N5, De Rethsche Akkers 1.9212 4.7475 Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; boundary of N5 and H1 runs through a furniture showroom, a shed and a barn.
Netherlands N6, Gierle Straat 1.4527 3.5898 Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; consists of farmland with two buildings.
Netherlands N7, De Kastelein 0.5812 1.4363 Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian Oordeel exclave H8, in Baarle-Hertog; occupies part of a field.
Netherlands N8, Vossenberg 2.8528 7.0496 Farmland enclave situated within Zondereigen, Belgium, less than 50 meters south of the Dutch border.

Belgian enclaves

These are all part of Baarle-Hertog municipality, and are surrounded by Baarle-Nassau municipality (Netherlands).

Serial no. and local name[5] Area (ha) area

acre

Notes
Belgium H1, Aen het Klooster Straetje - Hoofdbraek - Loveren - De Boschcovensche Akkers - De Loversche Akkers - De Tommelsche Akkers - De Tommel - De Gierle Straat - De Reth - De Rethsche Akkers - Het Dorp - De Kapel Akkers - De Kastelein 153.6448 379.6717 Forms a quadripoint with enclave H2; largest Belgian exclave; encompasses six Dutch enclaves; consists of dwellings for the most part, with outlying farmland and an industrial area; boundary runs through numerous buildings; contains a portion of the former Turnhout-Tilburg rail line, now a cycle path.
Belgium H2, De Rethsche Akkers 2.4116 5.9594 Consists of farmland with a single point of connection (quadripoint) between enclaves H1 and H2 in the middle of a corn field.
Belgium H3, De Rethsche Akkers 0.3428 0.8471 Occupies part of a field; boundary runs through a shed in one instance.
Belgium H4, De Rethsche Akkers 1.476 3.6474 Consists of farmland; boundary runs through a house and three sheds.
Belgium H5, De Kapel Akkers 0.9245 2.2846 Consists of farmland with a dwelling.
Belgium H6, Hoofdbraek 1.7461 4.3148 Mixed land usage; boundary runs through a warehouse/factory.
Belgium H7, De Loversche Akkers 0.2469 0.6102 Boundary runs through two dwellings, including the middle of one front door (giving it two house numbers: Loveren 2, Baarle-Hertog / Loveren 19, Baarle-Nassau).
Belgium H8, Boschcoven - De Kastelein - De Oordelsche Straat 41.8781 103.485 Second-largest Belgian exclave, contains a mix of dwellings and farmland; boundary runs through a barn, a dwelling and two businesses.
Belgium H9, De Kapel Akkers 0.4005 0.9897 Boundary runs through a printing factory/warehouse in an industrial area.
Belgium H10, De Oordelsche Straat 0.65 1.6063 Consists of farmland.
Belgium H11, De Oordelsche Straat 0.93 2.2982 Consists of farmland.
Belgium H12, Boschcoven 0.2822 0.6974 Consists of farmland.
Belgium H13, Boschcoven 1.5346 3.7922 Boundary runs through about 20 dwellings.
Belgium H14, Boschcoven 0.7193 1.7774 Boundary runs through about 13 dwellings.
Belgium H15, Boschcoven 1.7211 4.2531 Boundary runs through about 16 dwellings.
Belgium H16, Keizershoek - Oordelsche Straat 4.4252 10.9352 Boundary runs through a house and three sheds, with the linear boundary changing direction three times inside just one shed.
Belgium H17, Moleriet Heide 14.9248 36.8807 Rural area containing a portion of the former Turnhout-Tilburg rail line, now a cycle path.
Belgium H18, De Manke Gooren 2.9247 7.2273 Consists of farmland.
Belgium H19, De Peruiters 0.6851 1.693 Consists of several ponds and a field.
Belgium H20, Wurstenbosch - Vossenberg 1.1681 2.8865 Consists of farmland.
Belgium H21, Baelbrugsche Beemden 1.1845 2.9271 Consists of farmland.
Belgium H22, De Wit Hagen 0.2632 0.6504 South of the village of Ulicoten; occupies part of a field; nationality was contested from the 1830s until 1995 (remained unallocated to either country in boundary treaty of 26 April 1974)

Education

Baarle-Nassau has two primary schools: Basisschool De Uilenpoortand and Bernardusschool, the latter in the Ulicoten section. There is a single secondary school in Baarle-Nassau, De La Salle, which has Voorbereidend middelbaar beroepsonderwijs, lower Hoger algemeen voortgezet onderwijs, and Voorbereidend wetenschappelijk onderwijs levels.[6]

It shares, with Baarle-Hertog, a joint library with Belgian and Dutch staff.[7]

Notable people

Gallery

References

  1. ^ "Braam V.T.M." (in Dutch). Gemeente Baarle-Nassau. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  2. ^ "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2020" [Key figures for neighbourhoods 2020]. StatLine (in Dutch). CBS. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Postcodetool for 5111CC". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  4. ^ "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  5. ^ a b Whyte, Brendan (2004). "En Territoire Belge et à Quarante Centimètres de la Frontière" An historical and documentary study of the Belgian and Dutch enclaves of Baarle-Hertog and Baarle-Nassau. The University of Melbourne, School of Anthropology, Geography and Environmental Studies. ISBN 0-7340-3032-0.
  6. ^ "Jeugd en Onderwijs". Baarle-Nassau. Retrieved 2022-01-18. - Under the tab "Onderwijs en kinderopvang"
  7. ^ "bibliotheek." Baarle-Hertog. Retrieved on January 6, 2017.

External links

  • Official website Baarle-Nassau (in Dutch)
  • Official website Baarle-Hertog (in Dutch)
  • The Baarle Enclaves outlined with Maps
  • Photograph of H-22, the smallest enclave of B.-Hertog
  • Baarle-Nassau / Baarle-Hertog (with maps)
  • Photos from Baarle-Nassau/Hertog
  • English Website about the Baarle Enclaves / with maps [Dead link]
  • Dutch pages about Baarle-Hertog and Baarle-Nassau / with maps
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