Kaatsheuvel
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| Kaatsheuvel | |
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| — Municipality — | |
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  Kaatsheuvel
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| Coordinates: 51°40′N 5°04′E / 51.667°N 5.067°E | |
| Country |  Netherlands |
| Province | North Brabant |
| Population (1 January 2007) | |
| - Total | 16,600 |
| - Density | 706/km2 (1,828.5/sq mi) |
| Source: CBS, Statline. | |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| - Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
Kaatsheuvel is a village in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is situated along the highways N261 and N628, and with a population of roughly 16,600, it is the largest village in the municipality Loon op Zand, which also consists of De Moer and Loon op Zand. Kaatsheuvel is also the capital of the municipality because the town hall is located here.
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[edit] Etymology
Kaatsheuvel is a combination of the words Kaats and Heuvel. The word Heuvel is easy to explain, as it is Dutch for hill. Kaats however, is not as easy to explain. There are several theories as to how the name Kaatsheuvel came about. One theory is that it was named after St. Catharina, a very popular saint at the time. Another theory is that the early inhabitants of Kaatsheuvel would, on Sundays, play a game called kaatsspel. They would play this game on a hill. However, the most likely explanation is that in the 17th century, a man by the name of Hendrik Cets lived on a hill, where Kaatsheuvel now stands. Over time this place came to be known as Cetsheuvel.
[edit] Economy
Historically, the economy of Kaatsheuvel was primarily dependent on the shoe industry. This is still evident with companies such as Bunnies Kinderschoenen retaining their headquarters in Kaatsheuvel. In the 1950s, the then mayor Van der Heijden, wanted to attract other industries to the burgeoning village, in order to secure its economic future. This was accomplished with the completion of the theme park The Efteling on 31 May 1952. As a result, the importance of tourism greatly replaced that of the shoe industry. The economy of Kaatsheuvel was further bolstered by Ben Mandemakers, when he established his now famous Mandemakers Keukens.
[edit] Location
Kaatsheuvel is situated near the municipalities of Waalwijk and Drunen. It is also very close to the cities Tilburg, 's-Hertogenbosch, and Breda.
[edit] People born in Kaatsheuvel
- Marius van Amelsfoort (1930-2006), Dutch politician
- Anne Govaert (1983- ), Krezip
- Jacqueline Govaert (1982- ), Krezip
- Ben Mandemakers, Mandemakers Keukens
Coordinates: 51°40′N 5°04′E / 51.667°N 5.067°E
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