Gemert (dialect: Gimmert) is an urbanized village in the municipality of Gemert-Bakel in the Dutch province of North Brabant, located in the Peelrand. Until the municipal reorganization in 1997 it was an independent municipality.
In 1249 Gemert was mentioned as a free manor under the
Van Gemert family. At that time there was also talk of a Huis der
Teutonen in Gemerthe, or an establishment of the Teutonic Order.
This house is probably the result of the fact that one of the
members of the ruling family, Rutger van Gemert, joined the Teutonic
Order and donated his property to this Order. This event is dated to
1220 or earlier.
Conflicts between the Lord and the Order
However, authority over the manor was shared by Mr van Gemert and
the Commander of the Teutonic Knights, who fell under the land
commandery of Alden Biesen. In 1270 it was declared by Duke John I
of Brabant that Gemert was a free lordship of both the Teutonic
Order and Lord Diederik van Gemert. The supreme authority, however,
fell to the duke. In 1326, after several skirmishes, a legal
demarcation of the rights and property of both parties was
introduced.
In 1331 Diederik sold the manor to Johan Cuyst
from 's-Hertogenbosch. In 1339 he transferred the glory back to the
son of Diederik, who was also called Diederik. Gradually a heated
quarrel arose again between the lord and the Order, in which
military violence and arson were not shunned. A number of people
were also imprisoned by both parties. Finally, the mediation of the
ducal couple Joanna of Brabant and Wenceslaus I of Luxembourg was
invoked. These ordered the release of the prisoners, while Diederik
and his helpers had to make a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella.
The necessary fines were also imposed. In 1366, the ducal couple
ordered Diederik to pose as fief of the Teutonic Order. Now the
entire glory fell into the hands of the Teutonic Order and became
Reichsheerlijkheid, or a Vrye Souveraine Heerlykheyd and
Commandeurye der German Order.
In 1370, however, Diederik's
son, Filips van Gemert, came to an agreement with the Teutonic
Order. He was banned from the church and had to make a pilgrimage to
Saint Judocus and to Our Lady of Aardenburg.
In 1391, the
commander of the Teutonic Order, Hendrik Reinaart van Husen,
received permission from the Duke to build a castle, provided it was
always accessible to the Duke. In 1393 there was again armed
conflict between the lord and the Order. The gentleman enlisted the
help of the Duke of Gelre, William III of Jülich, but the latter
agreed with the Order. In 1404 Philip's son, Gozewijn van Gemert,
relinquished the claims in favor of the Teutonic Order.
In 1437, the parish of Gemert was
founded by the Order, and since 1450 the order priests have served
the parish church and some nearby churches. In 1587 the Order
founded the Latin School, where Catholic education was given. In
contrast to the surrounding meierij of 's-Hertogenbosch, the
practice of the Catholic religion in the Reichsheerlijkheid Gemert
was allowed. On June 8, 1662, a resolution confirmed that the
authority of the manor was with the commandery, thus indirectly with
the German Reich. In 1695 the Order acquired full ownership of the
Spijkerkapel in neighboring Esdonk.
The Teutonic Order took a
neutral position in the many regional conflicts. In 1478 the
Teutonic Order received the Brieve of neutrality from Duchess Mary
of Burgundy. Neutrality was maintained with regard to the conflicts
between the duchies of Brabant and Gelre as they took place during
the Guelders Wars. Neutrality was also maintained during the Eighty
Years' War.
In 1648, however, Commander Ulric van Hoensbroek
broke away from the Order and took an independent position and
enlisted the help of the States General of the Netherlands. These
occupied the glory on which the Catholic churches were closed. The
Grand Master of the Order, Leopold William of Austria, opposed this
in order to have repaired all the novelties within Gemert since the
decision of peace. All this led to lengthy legal proceedings that
were settled in 1662 in favor of the Order. However, the free
exercise of the Reformed religion had to be allowed and the Reformed
had to be assigned a church building.
The commanders included
Bertram Wessel de Loë in Wissen, at the end of the 17th century, and
Franciscus van Reisbach from 1786. Both were of noble birth.
The end of the Reichsheerlijkheid was approaching, however, as the French troops seized the goods of the Teutonic Order in 1794, and in 1809 this order was dissolved by Napoleon Bonaparte. The last priest of the Order died in 1799 and the last priest of the Order left Gemert in 1819.
Gemert became an independent
municipality. The goods were allotted to the local monarchs. In
1810, Marshal Nicolas Charles Oudinot acquired the manor of Gemert.
This was sold in 1813 to Adriaan van Riemsdijk who was a member of
the Knighthood of the Duchy of Limburg. In 1832 he bought a number
of farms that had previously belonged to the Order. The castle also
housed the cotton spinning mill of Volkert & Comp for some time.
established.
Adriaan van Riemsdijk was succeeded by his
son-in-law and this one by his granddaughter, Maria Lüps, who
married Mr. E.H. Scheidius. He sold the castle to the Jesuits in
1881. These would come to live in the castle in 1881, but then a
fire broke out. In 1900 they finally established their novitiate
there. The Jesuits left during the First World War. However, in 1914
the Congregation of the Holy Spirit entered the castle. These were
mission patrons and brothers who were active in countries such as
Brazil and Africa.
In the nineteenth century Gemert owned a
considerable textile industry, but not without social conflicts. In
February 1849 there was an uproar of weavers. The place is occupied
by the army for almost two months.
In the early morning of
May 11, 1940, a group of German scouts arrived by bicycle in Gemert.
They explored the area. One of the spying soldiers was suddenly shot
from a house. The Germans believed that this fire was fired by
civilians. The Germans then took several hundred civilians of Gemert
hostage and houses were combed through. Then the Germans discovered
Dutch military trucks in the square opposite the castle. There were
indeed about 70 engineers under a captain. They only had carbines
and pistols. The Germans initially only used small arms, but
eventually light artillery. An hour-long shot change followed, with
the guns eventually setting fire to the castle. In addition, German
armored cars began to arrive in the area. The Dutch soldiers then
had to surrender, but 40 of them managed to escape. Two civilians
were shot dead, some wounded. One soldier was killed on the German
side and two on the Dutch side. Gemert was liberated on September
25, 1944.
In 1997 the municipality of Gemert merged with
Bakel en Milheeze to form the merged municipality of Gemert-Bakel.
The core of Gemert is the Ridderplein and the
surrounding area. To the north lies the castle and to the north the
church of St. John's Beheading. The town hall and a number of cafés
are also located on this square. There are many shops on the main
streets leading to the Ridderplein. Gemert therefore functions as a
regional center. To the west, there has never been much new
construction, so that you can quickly get to the countryside via the
road next to the castle or even via the old streets that lead to the
west. Many historic buildings can still be found on the original
streets.
To the east, in addition to a few older streets,
there are also new housing estates. The Rips flows between the
houses, but it is hardly noticeable in the bowl of Gemert.
Castle
The construction of Gemert Castle started in 1391. It was
in use by the Teutonic Order until 1794. Since 1916 it has been used
as a missionary monastery by the Congregation of the Holy Spirit. In
2007 the Congregation announced that it was going to sell the
castle. The re-use of the castle is causing a fierce debate in
Gemert-Bakel and can be followed via.
The predecessor of the
current castle, used by the Lords of Gemert in the High Middle Ages,
was further west and was excavated around 1995.
Castle Park
There is a castle park around the Castle of Gemert on the
Ridderplein. This was used by the fathers and brothers in the past.
There are a number of impressive trees in the castle park. The most
famous of these is a giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum), which
was planted in 1863 and has a circumference of 5 meters by 1.3
meters high. The tree is 27 meters high, but it lost its top in a
lightning strike that must have occurred around 1938.
There are a number of peculiarities in this park:
The
liberation monument from 1947.
The statue Pedita, from 1992, by
Martien Hendriks. The heavy female figure is made of 12,000 kg
bluestone, the final statue weighs 6,000 kg and it took 11 years to
complete.
A spherical equatorial sundial of the Armillary sphere
type, believed to have come from the Jesuits who lived in the castle
from 1881 to 1916.
An 1860 gazebo that was rebuilt in 2004.
The burial place of the Fathers and Brothers Spiritines, including
many who have worked in mission areas.
War memorial
On the
other side of the outer moat of the castle, on the edge of the
Ridderplein, or the mertveld as they say in Gemert, is the War
Memorial, where the Remembrance Day takes place every year on 4 May.
It was unveiled on July 8, 1947 and is a tribute to all the fallen
from Gemert and all allied soldiers who died in Gemert's area.
The Church of St. John's Beheading still
has wall work and a side chapel dating from the 15th century: the
parish was founded in 1437 and was previously subordinate to that in
Bakel. The nave dates from this year, while the choir and sacristy
date from 1467-1482. The church was radically rebuilt and expanded
in neo-Gothic style in 1853 by Hendrik Jacobus van Tulder. A very
pointed tower has also been added. In the side aisles hangs a
painting of Saint Dominic from 1745 and of Saint John from 1830. In
the Lady Chapel hangs a medieval crucifix and there is a
15th-century baptismal font. The neo-Gothic main altar was designed
by Hendrik van der Geld. The church is located to the north of the
castle.
The Sint-Gerardus Majella Church is located east of the
center. It is a church with a separate tower, built in the style of
the Bossche School, from 1957. The architect was Jan de Jong.
The
Chapel of St. Tunnis in the Deel is dedicated to St. Anthony Abbot.
In 1564 the first mention was made of den Deelse Boom aent heijligen
huiske. In 1841 it was restored to look like it does today, although
it originally had a thatched roof. After World War II, the chapel
fell into disrepair, but it was restored in 1966 and has been
maintained ever since. The chapel was consecrated again in 1990. It
is a small rectangular building with a gable roof with a roof rider
with a clock on the roof.
The Sint-Anna chapel is located at the
intersection of the Sint-Anna Street and the Molenakkerstraat. It
was rebuilt in 1947 after a previous building had become
dilapidated. The building or keske contains a niche in which a Saint
Anna statue. This statue was stolen in 1973 but returned in 1981.
Now a replica of this statue is in the niche.
The Chapel at the
Kruiseind is at a crossroads. There would once have been a road
cross here. The current chapel is a four-sided brick building from
1911 with a niche on each side containing a statue. These are
statues of Saint Anne, Saint Michael, John the Baptist and the
crucified Christ.
The Mariakèske (= box) is on the corner of the
Stereind and the Binderseind. It is a tower-like structure from 1992
with a niche containing a bronze statue of the Virgin Mary. It
replaced a chapel from about 1800 that was demolished in 1962 for
traffic purposes. It contained a sandstone statue of the Virgin Mary
from the second half of the 15th century. The current image was made
by Toon Grassens and is a copy of the original image.
The
Nazareth Monastery was founded in 1848 by the Franciscans of the
Nazareth Monastery in Oirschot. It is located at the Binderseind.
Although a modern monastery building can be seen on the street side,
behind it is an older part with a chapel from 1857. This water state
chapel is decorated but no longer contains any religious statues.
There is, however, an organ from 1893, which was manufactured by the
Gebr. Franssen in Roermond. The sisters left for their mother house
in Oirschot in 2000. After that, the monastery was used as a town
hall for some time, as the existing town hall was renovated. The
chapel is a national monument and is now used for cultural purposes.
The Kèskesdijk is the old pilgrimage road from Gemert to Handel.
Along this line are a number of small chapels (kèskes) and also the
larger Ox Chapel.
Gemert has two Sacred Heart statues: the statue of Jan Custers
(1918), which previously stood at St Jan, and the statue (1930) at
the presbytery, which was made by Wim Harzing.
Klaïda is a
meter-high and colorful work of art with numerous ornaments
reminiscent of churches and castles. It is made up of metal parts
and is located on the western ring road. This "Poort van Gemert" was
designed by Gerard van Lankveld, a representative of outsider art
who has constructed a large collection of colorful fantasy
structures in and around his own house, at Stereind 3, which are
also reminiscent of church towers.
The Piramide is a cast
concrete sculpture by Jan van Gemert from 1955. The sculpture
originally stood at the gym of the former Willibrord-ULO on the
corner of De Stroom and Berglarenstraat, but was moved a few years
ago to the Beatrixplantsoen behind the town hall. After thorough
restoration by Jan van Gemert's sons, Gregoor and Theo and Toon, Jan
van Gemert's brother, it has been placed back on the Stroom.
Tamboer en Vaandeldragers is a large bronze work of art on the
Ridderplein. It was made by Toon Grassens and placed in 1987. This
monument pays tribute to the two militia guilds of Gemert.
The
Holy Losbol is a statue of Saint Dionysius of Paris, patron of the
Gemert fair and placed in 2007. The statue of the bishop taking up
his own head was made by stone and restoration sculptor Ton Mooy
from Amersfoort.
Unique in the Netherlands are the reliefs by Jan
van Gemert in the facades above the front doors in the Molenakker
and Berglaren districts, including in the Diederikstraat, the
Predikherenstraat, the Van Beekstraat and the Wachtendonkstraat.
Other reliefs by the same artist can be found on the
White-Yellow-Cross building on De Stroom; on private homes at Frans
Brugske 24 and 28; at the former police station on Frans Brugske;
and at the Commanderij College on the Sleutelbosch. The baptismal
font in the church in Elsendorp was made by Jan van Gemert.
Town hall on Ridderplein, from 1941. In addition,
new construction was built in 1984, while an extension of the town
hall was completed in 2002. In honor of social leader and pastor
Lambert Poell (1872-1937), a carillon was donated to the town hall
in 1964.
Residential houses with a neck gable, such as De
Klokhoed at Binderseind 25, Binderseind 3A, and Ridderplein 33.
Villa-Polder is a large mansion from 1884 in eclectic style, on Hill
4, which was built by order of the physician Johannes Cornelis
Kuijper (1841-1921), who obtained his doctorate in 1879 with a
dissertation on lead poisoning and was considered a selfless friend
of the poor and the oppressed. The house, which now houses the
restaurant Kastanjehof, is still in almost original condition and it
also has a garden with ponds, tall chestnut trees and marble
statues. The coach house is to the left of the villa.
Short
facade farm, Oudestraat 8
Some stately houses, such as Kerkstraat
8, from 1885 and Kerkstraat 24A, which still bears the year 1677.
Latin School, a striking building from 1887 on Ruijschenbergstraat,
with a number of coats of arms, dates and slogans and a statue of
Saint Catherine in the facades. The school was founded by the
Teutonic Order in 1587. Today it houses a Heemkamer and the
Municipal Archives.
In the Ruijschenbergstraat there are a number
of stately houses, such as' t Hofgoet and Den Hobert.
The Boerenbondsmuseum is located in the hamlet of Pandelaar, about two kilometers from the Ridderplein in the direction of Erp. Here are buildings and objects that revive the farming business from around 1900.
Existing mills
Eight-sided windmill
De Bijenkorf, at Den Elding, since 1908.
Round stone windmill De
Volks Vriend, on the Oudestraat, from 1887. This is back to its
original state after repairs in mid-2016.
Both mills are managed
by the Gemert-Bakel mill foundation.
Lost mills
Gemertse
Watermolen, which existed from 1210-1590 and of which a number of
memories have been brought to life in the new residential area De
Watermolen.
Windmill 't Zoutvat, from 1543-1917, corner
Virmundstraat-Frans Brugske.
Tower mill De Beer, built in the
14th century on Sint-Annastraat and demolished around 1880.
De
Musterdpot was a white round stone belt mill on Molenakkerstraat. It
was destroyed by fire in 1954.
De Peperbus, which must have been
in the vicinity of De Musterdpot.
Gemert has a relatively large amount of
green space. Apart from that, the surroundings of the castle in
particular are still rural. Here are also a number of farms that
belonged to the lords of the castle and were previously associated
with the Teutonic Order. Bicycle paths run through this rural area
and walks have been plotted.
Gemert has various herb gardens.
For example, there is the Velt garden (Association of Ecological
Cultivation), which manages a public herb garden of 3 ha. In
addition, there are, among others, in the hamlet of Pandelaar other
herb gardens that can be visited.