Goes (Zeeuws: Hoes) is a city on the South Beveland peninsula, centrally located in the Dutch province of Zeeland. The city of Goes has 28,260 inhabitants (2020) and the municipality has 38,423 inhabitants (1 August 2020, source: Statistics Netherlands). Goes is also the capital of the eponymous municipality of Goes.
Goes originated in the tenth century on the edge of a
creek called the Korte Gos. The village built on a creek ridge grew
rapidly and as early as the 12th century there was a market square
and a church dedicated to Mary Magdalene. Due to the rapid growth,
Goes received city rights from the count of Zeeland, Willem VI in
1405 and in 1417 official permission to fortify itself with city
walls and a city canal. The prosperity of the city was based on the
cloth industry and the extraction of salt, which is extracted from
peat. In the sixteenth century, Goes was less successful. The
connection with the sea became silent and in 1554 a large city fire
destroyed the northwestern part of the city. The cause was a salt
shack that caught fire in combination with a strong northeasterly
wind.
At the beginning of 1572, the Spaniards took the city;
the then ruling governor of Walcheren (in the name of William the
Silent), Jerome Tseraerts, made an attempt to recapture the city
with English mercenaries. This was unsuccessful due to food and
ammunition shortages and the siege was dissolved. In 1577, the
Spanish troops ruling the city at the time left Goes, and the city
joined the Prince of Orange. Between 1585 and 1625 the defensive
belt around Goes was further built, which is still partly present
today. In the following centuries Goes played no important role
except that of the agricultural center of South Beveland. In 1868
Goes got a train connection. However, this did not lead to
industrialization as in many cities. The economy continued to focus
on services and distribution. The agricultural sector also continued
to play an important role, to this day.
Goes did not suffer
much from the world wars. During the First World War, 7 bombs hit
Goes and Kloetinge; this was a mistake by the crew of a British
plane. 3 bombs fell in Kloetinge, the damage was not too bad. In
Goes a house on the Magdalenastraat was destroyed, 1 person was
killed. A number of cargo ships in the port were also hit and
suffered major damage. During the Second World War, Goes did not
notice much of the war that nevertheless took place right next to
the city (the Sloedam and the battle of the Scheldt). Little was
destroyed in Goes, but the city was under the command of the Germans
until the liberation on October 29, 1944.
During the flood of
1953 Goes remained dry. The dykes to the north of the city held up,
although it was close, such as the dyke at Kattendijke, which
remained intact due to reinforcement by sandbags. If this had not
been the case, the consequences for Goes and the rest of South
Beveland would have been incalculable. Wolphaartsdijk and
Oud-Sabbinge, then still their own municipality, were hit, now part
of the municipality of Goes. In those villages a total of 14 people
died. During the disaster, the city of Goes served as a shelter for
the many people who were evacuated from flooded villages such as
Wolphaartsdijk, Kortgene and Kruiningen. In addition, corpses were
laid out in the Grote Kerk in Goes.
Goes did not experience
the next growing spells until the 60s and 70s of the twentieth
century. Industry increased and the role of service center was
strengthened. The northwestern part of the city center, the
Smallegangesbuurt, was largely demolished. From 1982 the
neighborhood was rebuilt. The city grew strongly due to the
construction of new neighborhoods such as Noordhoek, Goese Meer,
Oostmolenpark, Overzuid and Ouverture. Goes has been going well ever
since; After Middelburg, Terneuzen and Vlissingen, it is now,
according to CBS data, a considerable economic center in Zeeland,
and this can be seen in the modern office park 'Stationspark'.
According to Statistics Netherlands, Goes is the third largest city
in Zeeland after Middelburg and Terneuzen in terms of business
accommodation, commercial services and culture / recreation. In
terms of retail, it is even the second largest city, after
Middelburg. In the field of education (number of students in
secondary, higher and university education), Goes should give credit
to Middelburg, Terneuzen and Vlissingen. After Terneuzen and
Vlissingen, Goes is the largest industrial city in Zeeland.
On October 27, 1976, a serious train accident occurred near Goes, in
which 7 people were killed and 8 injured.
Many new neighborhoods are in preparation, such as Goese Schans (postponed due to problems with zoning), Mannee and Aria, Riethoek together good for about 3,250 new homes.
The most likely origin of the name Goes is a text from
976 that mentions Curtagosum. The water name Gosa with the
designation curt is read as Korte Gos. Goes probably obtained city
rights in 1405 and therefore celebrated its 600th anniversary as a
city in 2005.
The coat of arms of Goes shows, among other
things, a white goose, which comes from South Beveland. There are
several theories as to why the goose appears in the city's coat of
arms. According to the website of the municipality of Goes, the
geese are probably a reference to the wild geese that hibernate in
South Beveland. It is often suggested that Goes is a Hanseatic city,
mainly inspired by the goose in the coat of arms and the Hanseatic
bank that existed in the early 20th century. However, Goes never
belonged to the Hanzesteden group. During carnival the name is
temporarily changed to 'Hanzehat', Zeeuws for 'Ganzegat'.
Well-known
or notable buildings in Goes:
The town hall on the market,
dating from the 15th century, built in Gothic style.
Hotel 'de
Korenbeurs', housed in the former mayor's house, built in 1753
The Grote or Maria Magdalena Church in late Gothic style, dating
from 1423; interesting are the choir, the organ and a funerary
monument
A tidal water mill 't Soepuus on the Kleine Kade, which
was in operation until about 1800, with a dome tower from 1624
Several old gates, including in the Zusterstraat, dating from 1655
The round stone corn mill De Koornbloem with a position from 1801
The television tower Goes from 1957, 135 m high (before 2007 146 m
high)
The water tower from 1912
The city harbor of Goes
Old
streets such as Sint Jacobstraat, Pyntorenstraat, Korte Kerkstraat,
Koningstraat, Opril Grote Markt and Zusterstraat
Old squares such
as: Vlasmarkt, Singelstraat, Beestenmarkt and of course the largest
square in Goes: the Grote Markt
The Sion Church of the Reformed
Congregation is the largest church in the city with 2,250 seats.
Historical Museum De Bevelanden in an old monastery close to the
Manhuistuin
The old walls and vestes around the city center of
Goes
The Music School in the old villa
Steam train Goes -
Borsele
Recreation Park De Hollandsche Hoeve
Theater De Mythe
A hiking network, the Kiekendiefpad, runs through the municipality
of Goes along relatively unknown nature in the area of the Eastern
and Western Schenge
The Sint Maartensbrug over the city harbor
The Municipal Office
Historical Museum De
Bevelanden
Steam train Goes - Borsele (SGB)
Since 2009, Goes has a brand new cinema: Da Vinci
theater. Goes did not have a cinema for a few years because the
former cinema on Singelstraat was closed.
There are also two
theaters in the city. De Mythe, adjacent to the city center, is the
city's largest theater. 't Beest, theater and film house, is located
just a few meters from De Mythe.
In Goes there are
annual large-scale events:
Dance tour Goes
Racoon & friends
concert (last held in 2016)
Veste Verlicht (biennial)
Goes
Children's City
Christmas market Goes
Goes Modestad
Goes
Couture (first held in 2016)
Festival de Veste (first held in
2016)
Lichtjestour Goes-Oost (every two years)