Roosendaal

Roosendaal
—  Municipality  —
Flag Coat of arms
Coordinates: 51°32′N 4°27′E
Country	Netherlands
Province	North Brabant
Area(2006)
• Total	107.21 km2 (41.39 sq mi)
• Land	106.43 km2 (41.09 sq mi)
• Water	0.78 km2 (0.30 sq mi)
Population (1 June 2007)
• Total	77,487
• Density	728/km2 (1,890/sq mi)
	Source: CBS, Statline.
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)

Roosendaal (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈroː.zə(n).ˌdaːl]) ( pronunciation ) is both a city and a municipality in the southern Netherlands. Together with Nispen it used to form a municipality named Roosendaal en Nispen. Since 1 January 1997 the municipalities Roosendaal en Nispen and Wouw have merged into the municipality now simply known as Roosendaal.

Population centres

• Roosendaal (population: 66,760)
• Wouw (4,920)
• Heerle (1,900)
• Nispen (1,440)
• Wouwse Plantage (1,230)
• Moerstraten (660)

The city of Roosendaal

Roosendaal was established in the 13th century.

The professional football team RBC (Roosendaal Boys Combinatie) plays in Roosendaal.

The official International ABBA Fan club has been based in Roosendaal since 1986, and since the turn of the century, the city has also played host to the annual convention of the International ABBA Fan Club where for one weekend every April, hundreds of people from all over the world attend the event.

History

The history of Roosendaal goes back to the 12th and 13th century. The name Rosendaele was first mentioned in a document of 1268. Roosendaal was always a part of North Brabant. In the Middle Ages, Roosendaal grew as a result of the turf business, but the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648) put an end to the grow. Roosendaal and Wouw were suffering from the itinerant combat troops. The troops plundered and ravaged everything they came across. For decades the countryside of Roosendaal was abandoned.

Under King Louis Napoléon of Holland, Roosendaal received city rights in 1809.

Transportation

Roosendaal Railway Station

• Railway station: Roosendaal

The city is an important railway hub: the Zwolle-Roosendaal Intercity service starts and ends here, the Amsterdam-Brussels International train service passes through Roosendaal, as does the express train Amsterdam-Vlissingen (Flushing) service. There is also a stopping service to Antwerp.

Medical Care

The Franciscus Ziekenhuis Roosendaal is a general hospital for the residents of Roosendaal and surrounding areas.It is the main hospital of the city of Roosendaal. Franciscus Ziekenhuis offers specialised medical care provided by a broad team of medical specialists. Special units include: - Cardiology - Dermatology - Gynaecology - Oncology - Ophthalmology - Intensive Care

Events in Roosendaal

• Carnaval
• Draai van de Kaai cycling race
• Annual "International ABBA Day" - A weekend-long event, normally each April, operated by ABBA's official Fan Club which is based in Roosendaal.

People from Roosendaal

• Harry Broos (1898–1954), sprinter
• Antoine Mazairac (1901–1966), cyclist
• Fons Rademakers (1920–2007), filmmaker
• Jean Defraigne (born 1929), politician
• Theo Laseroms (1940–1991), footballer
• Ad Konings (born 1956), ichthyologist
• Joost Lagendijk (born 1957), politician
• Ingrid van Lubek (born 1971), triathlete
• Jeroen van Damme (born 1972), runner
• Bram Lomans (born 1975), hockey player
• Hendrick Lonck (born 1568), sea captain
• Joost Prinsen (born ), actor, presentator
• Fritz Kohle (born 1966 ), filmmaker, lecturer
• Korbett Matthews (born 1972 ), documentary filmmaker, teacher
• Marie-Josee Saint-Pierre (born 1978), film animator
• Luc Verkuil (born 1983), body Builder

External links

• Official website (in Dutch)
• Map
• Railway station:
  • Departures
  • Station facilities (in Dutch)