The History of Sittard, Netherlands.

The community of Sittard-Geleen, is now compiled of the following Villiages and Towns.
Born, Buchten, Holtum, Bicht, Obbicht, Grevenbicht, Geleen, Sittard, Broeksittard, Limbricht, Einighausen, Guttecoven, and Munstergeleen.

In the area of the present community Sittard-Geleen were the oldest farmers villiages of the Netherlands situated. After many centuries, wherin the people a nomadic hunters existance lead. They established theirselves here 5000 B.C. The first lived off the land, and livestock.
These "Bandceramic" people(so called after the decorations they used on their pottery) lived in small settlements consisting of 5-15 reasonably large houses, in a total of 50-150 inhabitants. Their homes were built on Löss ground along by the (Geleen) brook. Through this situtation the basic provisions were there water.. and fertile land.
After some 400 hundred years, these first inhabitants disappeard.

Also other cultures - such as the Romans, have left their traces. There is .. as well in Geleen and Limbricht a coffin been excavated. Also in Buchten a beautiful statue of a cockrell has been found of Romantimes.

The most Villiages and Towns, that are now part of Sittard-Geleen, originated in the Middle Ages. In the list below, the names are explained.

Villiage. Oldest Mentioning. Oldest Spelling.
Born................... 1125...................... Burne.
Buchten............. 1131....................... Butines.
Holtum.............. 1400...................... Houthem.
Bicht.................. 1034....................... Bietha.
Obbicht............. 1366....................... Opbyecht.
Grevenbicht..... 1400....................... Grevenbiech.
Geleen............... 1148........................ Glene.
Sittard............... 1157.........................Siter.
Broeksittard..... 1144........................ Bruchsiter.
Limbricht.......... 1246........................ Lemburg.
Einighausen...... 1496........................ Eynichusen.
Guttecoven....... 1370........................ Gottinckhoven.
Munstergeleen. 1202........................ Munsterglene.

All these places have their own absorbing history. Sittard obtained as the only Town of the present day community, a Town Charter, this was in 1243. It was here that commerce, industry, religion, and culture were concentrated.

Arround 1665 a castle was built in Born, which was one of the most handsome built in the Province of Limburg has known.

Geleen... with the villiages Lutterade, Krawinkel, and Spaans (Spanish) Neerbeek, was elevated to the status of County.

Limbricht and Obbicht - on the other hand had as "free states" a seperate status.

During the French occupation (1794-1814) there were a great deal of governmental changes made. The local very different laws were exchanged for more enforcing (French) law books, and there was a new local government installed. The organization of local government like we now know it in the Netherlands, finds it's origine in the community law of 1851.

With the opening of the State Mine Maurits, officially on 1 January 1926, the character of the area changed in a very short period of time. From a rural agricultural area arround one! smaal provincial town, Sittard, in a few decades, changed into an industrial area with two Town centres, Sittard and Geleen.

There were a few different re-organizational changes made. In 1942 Broeksittard was added to the Council of Sittard. Limbricht and Munstergeleen joined in 1982.

Grevenbicht, Obbicht-Papenhoven and Born, went from 1982 forward as Born distict council.

To improve the quality of local government, the Netherlands government decided to combine the councils, Born, Geleen, and Sittard. This came about officially on 1st January 2001. The new distict council Sittard-Geleen was born.

Population now beeing 97000.

Patron Saint.

Here is a new item on my blog. It's about how it came about that Sittard proclaimed St. Rosa of Lima, as Patron Saint.
It was November 3rd 1669, when the Town Council took the initative to name St. Rosa of Lima, as the Patron of Sittard and surrounding area.Rosa was declared blessed by Pope Clemens IX in 1668, and was declared a Saint in 1671 by his successor Clemens X. What is the connection between the town and the first South American saint? How did it come about to declair Rosa as Patron of Sittard?
About 1667 Sittard and surrounding area was struk terribly by the Plague, which as we all know was then a higthly contageous disese, where many deaths were recorded, because the Doctors in those days were powerless against this illness.
The Dominican Monks, who established theirselves in Sittard in 1626, and exploited a blooming education establishment, were also active in Peru South America, and were aquainted with the first South American blessed and later pronounced Saint Rosa. They advized the Town Council, to protect the town against the deadly threat of the Plague, by calling on Saint Rosa to intercede for them.
The Town Coucillors took that advice and promised, that if the Plague receded- Rosa would be chosen as Patron of Sittard, and on the highest point of Sittard-on the "Kollenberg"- (witches
hill) - a chapel would be built in the honour of Saint Rosa, and evey year there would be a solemn procession would take place. The Plague stopped, and the Sittrad people kept their promise.
It graces our town, that from 1669 to this day that the othes layed down so many years ago, still
stand. Saint Rosa on The Kollenberg attracts many visitors the whole year round, and especially in August,-The Rosa- month. The Saint Rosa procession is still one of the religios highlights in the life of many members of the Sittard community.
Every year in the month of August, a Holy mass is sung in the open air on Tuesday evenings at the chapel at 7pm. On St Rosa's day August 23rd a Holy Mass is in the St Michaels church also at 7pm. If the day coincides with a Tuesday then the mass will be at the chapel.
On procession day theHoly Mass will be at 9.30am also in St. Michaels church, which by the way is on the market square, after which the procession commences up the hill to the chapel.
Next time, more about Sittard.

Ol'Bardfieldboy Abroad.

This is a story of an Old Bardfield boy, born in 1939, moved to Witham in 1954, joined the Royal Air Force in 1957, stayed in for 6 years, demobbed in1963, emigrated to Holland and lived there ever since. The place where I live is called Sittard, which is in the Province of Limburg and quite close to the German border. Sittard is a Market town and has been for centuries, and has a Town charter since 1243. There is a webcam inplace on the market square 24/7. www.webcamsittard.nl I have been married for 45 years, to a wonderful Dutch lady, have two great children, 3 beautiful Granddaughters,and ??? who knows due date 07-07-07. If any of the visitors go to the Sittard site, let me know.
canberra6.