"Thus within the walls reigns the quiet tranquility of a dead past, disturbed only occasionally by the howling of schoolchildren, who have neither eyes nor feeling for what their city once meant. After all, who would dare to say out loud: "This is the thriving capital of the land of Altena. Hear the sound of horns and clarions, as a procession of nobles approaches the castle in splendor and splendor, where great men of the land negotiate!"
Bep M. Bresler, Tourist Champion ANWB, May 1940
Dull, dead, hardly worth visiting. You will be told, as a well-preserved fortified town. It was the verdict that Woudrichem had to make do with in the spring of 1940. That verdict is now much more positive, yet the image has not changed; in Woudrichem you find peace and time seems to stand still a little. But before that happened, a lot of water had to pass through the Merwede.
On the border of Holland and Gelre, "Where Maas and Waal wash together," that is where Woudrichem is located. A strategically important place, and the inhabitants knew it.
In the Middle Ages, Woudrichem was the capital of the Land of Altena. The city prospered: it had high city walls, a river toll, fishing rights and a large annual fair. It was a coming and going of high-ranking nobles and Woudrichem was often the city in which important negotiations between Holland and Gelre were held.
That changed when Jan van Beieren moved the toll from Woudrichem to Gorinchem in 1420. The city lost an enormous source of income. A year later, the St. Elisabeth Flood brought economic life to a permanent halt. The city and the hinterland were devastated, which would cause poverty for decades. Things only improved again when the Kornsche dike between Dussen and Werkendam was built in 1461.
During the 80-year war, the city suffered greatly. Woudrichem was the battleground of battles between Beggars and Spaniards.
Unlike other cities, Woudrichem's new fortified town did not lie outside, but within the boundaries of the old city walls. The ravages of the 80-year war had left a large part of the city fallow. Moreover, during the Reformation, the Catholics had fled the city. Their monasteries had stood just inside the city walls, and their flight meant that this land no longer had to be expropriated: a suitable site for the new ramparts and moats. Woudrichem shrank to about three-quarters of its medieval size.
You can never get enough of fortresses. Fancy a brisk bike ride? Then cycle the Fortress-to-Fortress route. In this tour from Woudrichem to Heusden you will visit the fortresses of Heusden and Altena. Along the way you will pass numerous interesting historical sites and buildings.
Step up and be surprised!
As a garrison town, Woudrichem prospered for a long time after the construction of the fortified town. The soldiers stationed in the town brought with them the necessary activity and income. They were accommodated (quartered) with the Woerkum families, who received allowances.
River fishing is also still a good source of income. Consequently, relative peace prevailed until the disaster year of 1672.
In that year, the French under Louis XIV invaded the south of our country. Although Woudrichem remained unscathed, it became painfully clear that the fortified town was inadequate. There is a lack of gunpowder, cannons and transport facilities. But even worse: the defenders realize that the fortifications are too weak. In strengthening them, another 16 buildings have to go. For the safety of the city and the protection of the province of Holland, three gates in the fortified town are moved. In the following years, the city also adds three ravelins, fortified islands in the moat, to the fortifications.
During the Patriot and French periods, nothing significant changes to the fortified town itself. However, the city itself suffered greatly at the end of the French era. Billeting of French and Prussian soldiers, shelling from Gorinchem and the harsh winter of 1814 - during which the Prussians demolished all the wood in the city and its surroundings - left the city half destroyed.
In 1815, Woudrichem officially became part of the New Dutch Waterline. This water line should protect the west of the Netherlands from invaders by means of inundation (the flooding of large pieces of land). East of the fortified town, the inundation sluice complex in the Maasdijk was therefore built. A little further on, at the Bakkerskil, such a lock will also be built: the Papsluis lock. They are special locks: impeller locks. They can open against high tide and are therefore always ready in case of imminent danger.
When Woudrichem became part of the Waterlinie, the city had to deal with the circles law. This law prescribes that the field of fire (the area that weapons can reach) around a fortified town must remain free. Building within the first 1,000 meters from the edge of the fortified town is thus restricted or even prohibited. This makes it virtually impossible for the city to develop industrially and thus economically.
Woudrichem faces even more changes. The Fortification Act of 1874 orders all fortified towns to build barracks and sheds for the troops. Garrison soldiers no longer stay with families, but move to barracks. For the host families, allowances for board and lodging fell away. In addition, purchases for the soldiers' kitchens, for example, were arranged centrally. Thus a major source of income also disappeared for the town's middle class. Woudrichem was poor and would remain so until after World War II.
World War I (1914-1918) brought Woudrichem little more than a temporary washing place (bathing facility) for the mobilized soldiers and some inconvenience from military exercises. The town, like the rest of the Netherlands, did not notice much of the actual violence of war. However, the town was put in a state of high alert. Woudrichem and the surrounding villages also received many Belgians who had fled the fighting in their country.
In the 1930s, poverty worsened in the city: fish stocks in the rivers fell to dramatically low levels. Many fishermen became unemployed, and poverty caused great hardship. Large families lived in too small houses, many of which were also in poor condition. No construction was allowed outside the fortified town: the Woerkumers had nowhere to go. This situation lasted until the 1950s. Even during World War II, the living conditions of the fortified town residents remained poor. Only their view changed: on April 21, 1945, the German occupiers blew up Korenmolen Nooitgedacht, which had supplied the town with flour since 1662.
Only when the town's military function was abolished in 1955 did the Woerkumers' situation change. Building was allowed again; the town could finally begin to grow.
Of all the fortified towns, Woudrichem was one of the last to be released from its military obligations. For the people of Woerkum much too late, but for us now a stroke of luck. Cities that were allowed to get rid of their fortresses as early as the 19th century often replaced them with more modern buildings and infrastructure. But in the early 20th century, resistance to these practices emerged. In Naarden, which received permission to "de-fortify" as early as 1926, protests arose for the first time against the demolition of the fortifications - and with it, the destruction of the city's character and cultural heritage.
Also in Woudrichem in the 1950s, plans were initially made in which the fortified town would be rigorously demolished. But partly due to the events in Naarden, these plans were changed and new buildings were constructed outside the fortified town.
The fortified town of Woudrichem was designated a protected townscape in 1972. Since then, it has also been thoroughly restored and stabilized. Today Woudrichem is flourishing again and we can enjoy the real "atmosphere of the past". Tranquility? Yes for sure. But boring, no way!
Curious about this beautiful town? Take a walk on the ramparts and through the fortified town of Woudrichem. With the city walk we set out for you, you will pass all the important places in town.
Do you really want to learn all about the fortified town and its inhabitants? Then take a walk with a guide from the city guides guild. On this page you will find more inspiration to explore Woudrichem further.
Thanks to Jos Korthout of the City Guides Guild for sharing his extensive knowledge about "his" Woerkum.
Vesting Woudrichem (Hollandse Waterlinie Erfgoed series) - Kees van Maastricht & Teus van Tilborg
Gaandeweg Woudrichem - Job Koekkoek
Urbanization of former city fortifications in The Netherlands between 1805 and 2013 - G. A. Verschuure-Stuip & B. Labuhn