- Etten-Leur
Infobox Settlement
official_name = Etten-Leur
mapsize = 280px
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name =Netherlands
subdivision_type1 = Province
subdivision_name1 =North Brabant
area_footnotes = (2006)
area_total_km2 = 55.88
area_land_km2 = 55.46
area_water_km2 = 0.42
population_as_of =1 January ,2007
population_note = Source: CBS, [http://statline.cbs.nl/ Statline] .
settlement_type = Municipality
population_total = 40604
population_density_km2 = 732
timezone = CET
utc_offset = +1
timezone_DST = CEST
utc_offset_DST = +2Etten-Leur (pronunciation|190 Etten-Leur.ogg) is a
municipality in the southernNetherlands . Its name is a combination of the two towns from which the municipality originally arose: Etten and Leur. Nowadays both towns have merged into one.History
Both towns, created in the Middle Ages, were relatively prosperous during the period of the
Dutch Republic , the exception being the period of the Eighty Years War in which the area was a major battleground. This prosperity was caused by the fact that Etten was a centre for the production ofpeat , and Leur was a local trading port as it had a harbour.Decline in economic importance marked both towns during the nineteenth century. During this time the painterVincent van Gogh briefly lived in the municipality, making him the most famous citizen in the history of Etten and Leur. However, this decline was halted when, in 1950, the Dutch government decided to encourage population growth and industrial development. As a result of this development both towns have grown towards each other and merged into one: Etten-Leur.References
Information about the history of Etten-Leur has been retrieved from the [http://www.regionaalarchiefwestbrabant.nl/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=23&Itemid=56&PHPSESSID=46b1484b52ff1af73eb0dfff60bd7226 Regional Archive of Western Brabant]
External links
* [http://www.etten-leur.nl Official Website]
* [http://www.plattegronden.nl/gemeenteettenleur/ Map]
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