Oudewater

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title: "Oudewater" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["oudewater", "populated-places-in-utrecht-(province)", "municipalities-of-utrecht-(province)", "former-municipalities-of-south-holland", "cities-in-the-netherlands"] topic_path: "geography" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oudewater" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::data[format=table title="Infobox settlement"]

FieldValue
nameOudewater
settlement_typeMunicipality
image_skylineOudewater 13052012C.JPG
image_captionOudewater town centre
image_flagFlag of Oudewater.svg
flag_size100x67px
image_shieldOudewater wapen.svg
shield_size100x80px
image_mapMap - NL - Municipality code 0589 (2009).svg
map_altHighlighted position of Oudewater in a municipal map of Utrecht
map_captionLocation in Utrecht
coordinates
subdivision_typeCountry
subdivision_nameNetherlands
subdivision_type1Province
subdivision_name1Utrecht
government_footnotes{{cite web
urlhttp://www.oudewater.nl/bestuur-organisatie/burgemeester-en-wethouders_3917/item/samenstelling-en-portefeuilleverdeling_8943.html
titleSamenstelling en portefeuilleverdeling
trans-titleMembers and tasks
languagenl
publisherGemeente Oudewater
access-date8 April 2014
url-statusdead
archive-urlhttps://web.archive.org/web/20140408213006/http://www.oudewater.nl/bestuur-organisatie/burgemeester-en-wethouders_3917/item/samenstelling-en-portefeuilleverdeling_8943.html
archive-date8 April 2014
governing_bodyMunicipal council
leader_partyCDA
leader_titleMayor
leader_nameDanny de Vries
unit_prefMetric
area_footnotes
area_total_km2
area_land_km2
area_water_km2
elevation_footnotes{{cite web
urlhttp://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool
titlePostcodetool for 3421AH
languagenl
author
workActueel Hoogtebestand Nederland
publisherHet Waterschapshuis
access-date8 April 2014}}
elevation_m2
elevation_max_footnotestags --
elevation_min_footnotestags --
population_footnotes
population_total
population_as_of
population_density_km2
timezoneCET
utc_offset+1
timezone_DSTCEST
utc_offset_DST+2
postal_code_typePostcode
postal_code3420–3425
area_code_typeArea code
area_code0348
website
::

| name = Oudewater | settlement_type = Municipality | image_skyline = Oudewater 13052012C.JPG | image_alt = | image_caption = Oudewater town centre | image_flag = Flag of Oudewater.svg | flag_size = 100x67px | flag_alt = | image_shield = Oudewater wapen.svg | shield_size = 100x80px | shield_alt = | image_map = Map - NL - Municipality code 0589 (2009).svg | map_alt = Highlighted position of Oudewater in a municipal map of Utrecht | map_caption = Location in Utrecht | coordinates = | coordinates_footnotes = | subdivision_type = Country | subdivision_name = Netherlands | subdivision_type1 = Province | subdivision_name1 = Utrecht | government_footnotes = {{cite web |url = http://www.oudewater.nl/bestuur-organisatie/burgemeester-en-wethouders_3917/item/samenstelling-en-portefeuilleverdeling_8943.html |title = Samenstelling en portefeuilleverdeling |trans-title = Members and tasks |language = nl |publisher = Gemeente Oudewater |access-date = 8 April 2014 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140408213006/http://www.oudewater.nl/bestuur-organisatie/burgemeester-en-wethouders_3917/item/samenstelling-en-portefeuilleverdeling_8943.html |archive-date = 8 April 2014 | governing_body = Municipal council | leader_party = CDA | leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = Danny de Vries | unit_pref = Metric tags -- | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = | area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | elevation_footnotes = {{cite web |url = http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool |title = Postcodetool for 3421AH |language = nl |author = |work = Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland |publisher = Het Waterschapshuis |access-date = 8 April 2014}} | elevation_m = 2 | elevation_max_footnotes = tags -- | elevation_max_m = | elevation_min_footnotes = tags -- | elevation_min_m = | population_footnotes = | population_total = | population_as_of =
| population_density_km2 =
| population_demonym = | timezone = CET | utc_offset = +1 | timezone_DST = CEST | utc_offset_DST = +2 | postal_code_type = Postcode | postal_code = 3420–3425 | area_code_type = Area code | area_code = 0348 | website = | footnotes = ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Gem-Oudewater-OpenTopo.jpg" caption="''Map of the municipality of Oudewater, June 2015''"] ::

Oudewater () is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands.

History

The origin of the town of Oudewater is obscure and no information has been found concerning the first settlement of citizens. It is also difficult to recover the name of Oudewater. One explanation is that the name is a corruption of old water-meadow. Oudewater was an important border city between Holland and Utrecht. Oudewater (lit. "Old water") was of great strategic importance.

The town was granted city rights in 1265 by Hendrik van Vianden, the bishop of Utrecht.

Oudewater took its place in the First Free States council in Dordrecht on 19 July 1572, Oudewater was one of the twelve cities taking part in the first free convention of the States General in Dordrecht. This was a meeting that laid down the origin of the State of the Netherlands, as we know it now, under the leadership of the House of Orange. This happened at the beginning of the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648) when the Netherlands were still part of the Spanish Empire. After a Siege of Oudewater, the city was conquered by the Spanish on 7 August 1575, and most of its inhabitants were killed, including the family of famous Oudewater native and Protestant theologian Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609).

In the 16th and 17th century, Oudewater was an important producer of rope. In the surrounding area, hemp was cultivated. There still is a rope manufacturing plant and a rope museum in the town.

In 1970 the municipality of Oudewater moved from the province of South Holland to the province of Utrecht.

Geography

Oudewater is located at in the southwest of the province of Utrecht in the center of the Netherlands. It is situated where the Linschoten river flows out in the Hollandse IJssel.

Oudewater is bordered by the municipalities of Montfoort (in the northeast), Lopik (southeast), Krimpenerwaard (southwest), and Bodegraven-Reeuwijk (northwest).

The municipality of Oudewater consists of the following cities, towns, villages and/or districts: Diemerbroek, Hekendorp, Hoenkoop, Lange Linschoten, Oudewater, Papekop, Ruigeweide, and Snelrewaard.

Buildings

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Oudewater-Waag.jpg" caption="The [[weigh house]] in 2012"] ::

Oudewater is famous for the Heksenwaag (Witches' scales). The weighing house, an official town building, became famous at the height of the European witch trials of the 16th century because people accused of witchcraft were offered a fair chance to prove their innocence, unlike in many other places, where the scales were rigged.

From all over Europe, people made the journey to Oudewater to avoid prosecution. After the weighing, they received an official certificate proclaiming them not a witch. Nobody was ever found to be an actual witch in Oudewater, though the weighings were still a public spectacle. Certificates would state that "the body weight is in proportion to its build". The reasoning behind this is the old belief that a witch has no soul and therefore weighs significantly less than an ordinary person; this distinction would supposedly allow the witch to fly on a broomstick. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/96/Oudewater,_stadszicht_met_kerk2_2009-04-13_16.53.JPG" caption="View to the town"] ::

The weighings can be seen as a sign of the growing power of the citizenry as a third force next to that of the church and nobility. In giving out these certificates, the citizens of Oudewater, therefore, were defying the church.

The Waag is still open as a tourist attraction, and official certificates are available.

The town hall dates from 1588 and features a stork's nest. Oudewater has a monumental protected city centre with more than 250 protected houses. The church, now Protestant, dates from the 15th century. Its tower is from about 1300. During the religious wars, until the sacking of Oudewater, both Roman Catholics and Protestants used this church. Thereafter Catholics were still tolerated (the Spanish occupiers being Catholic) but more in low profile.

In fiction

Oudewater is the setting for the 1975 novel Das Geheimnis des Baron Oudewater set in the 16th century, when the Netherlands was fighting for its independence from Spain. Written by the German author Alberta Rommel, it has been described as a romantic historical novel.

The 2014 film Reckless was filmed in Oudewater.

Notable people

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/Gerard_David_selfportrait_in_The_Virgin_among_the_Virgins.jpg" caption="Gerard David, self-portrait, 1509"] ::

Image gallery

Image:Oudewater, stadszicht met kerk1 2009-04-13 16.41.JPG|Church near a canal File:Oudewater, de Sint-Franciskuskerk RM517464 vanaf de Waardsedijk IMG 9275 2019-04-20 13.21.jpg|Church: the Sint-Franciskuskerk from Waardsedijk File:Oudewater, zicht op gracht en brug vanaf West IJsselkade IMG 9276 2019-04-20 13.41.jpg|View to the canal and the bridge from IJsselkade File:KerkOudewater.JPG|St.-Michaëls kerk, Oudewater File:Oudewater, straatzicht met voormalig stadhuis RM32083 foto2 2013-07-07 11.39.jpg|Former townhall in 2013

References

References

  1. {{Dutch municipality total area. dataref
  2. {{Dutch municipality population. dataref

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

oudewaterpopulated-places-in-utrecht-(province)municipalities-of-utrecht-(province)former-municipalities-of-south-hollandcities-in-the-netherlands