Brunssum Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Brunssum

Broensem

Vijverpark (Pond park) in Brunssum centre

Flag	Coat of arms

Location in Limburg

Government

• Body

Municipal council

Area

• Total

17.34 km² (6.70 sq mi)

• Land

17.21 km² (6.64 sq mi)

• Water

0.13 km² (0.05 sq mi)

Elevation

81 m (266 ft)

Population

(May 2014)

• Total

28,840

• Density

1,676/km² (4,340/sq mi)

Demonym(s)

Brunsummer

Time zone

UTC+1 (CET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+2 (CEST)

Postcode

6440–6446

Area code

045

Brunssum Town Hall

Brunssum is a town and a local government area (called a municipality) in the Limburg province of the Netherlands. As of 2014, about 28,840 people live in Brunssum.

For many years, Brunssum was an important place for coal mining. This industry continued until 1973.

Parts of Brunssum
History of Brunssum
NATO Headquarters in Brunssum
Nature in Brunssum
Sports in Brunssum
Famous People from Brunssum
- Sport Stars
Gallery
See also

Parts of Brunssum

The municipality of Brunssum includes several smaller areas. These are:

Brunssum
Bouwberg
De Kling
Haansberg
Kruisberg
Langeberg
Onder-Merkelbeek
Rumpen
Treebeek

History of Brunssum

A topographic map of Brunssum from June 2015.

People have lived in the Brunssum area for a very long time, even before recorded history. We don't know much about these early settlers. However, things found in the soil and old records show that people have continuously lived here for the past 2,000 years.

During the Middle Ages, people built small forts in the Schutterspark to protect themselves.

The church area of Brunssum has been known since 1150. It was part of a larger region called the Land of Valkenburg. In 1557, the Spanish government gave control of Brunssum and nearby villages to the Hoen van Amstenrade family. Later, in 1609, it was sold to Arnold III Huyn van Geleen. By 1664, Brunssum became part of the larger area of Geleen and Amstenrade. Finally, in 1794, Brunssum became its own independent municipality.

The first Saint Gregorius church was built in the city center around 1150. It became a main parish church in 1579. This church has been rebuilt four times! The church you see today was finished in 1961. Its building was partly paid for by the Dutch State Mines. This was because the previous church was badly damaged by the ground sinking due to coal mining.

The official coat of arms for Brunssum combines symbols from the Huyn family and the town's patron saint.

NATO Headquarters in Brunssum

Brunssum is home to an important NATO base called Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFC Brunssum). This is a major military headquarters. It works just below the very top level of NATO's command structure. There are three such headquarters in NATO.

This headquarters was first known as HQ AFCENT. It moved to Brunssum from France in 1967. Its name changed a few times over the years. The current name was chosen in 2004. This made the command structure more flexible. The main base area, called Hendrik Camp, was built on an old coal mine site.

Brunssum is also home to the AFNORTH International School. This school is located right outside Hendrik Camp. It teaches students from kindergarten to 12th grade. It mainly serves children of military families. These families work at JFC Brunssum, the US Army base in Brunssum, or the NATO Air Base in Geilenkirchen, Germany.

Nature in Brunssum

The beautiful Brunssummerheide nature area.

The Brunssummerheide is a beautiful natural area. It has many hills and trails perfect for hiking and running. A small stream called Roode Beek (Red Brook) flows through it. The Brunssummerheide is a special protected nature preserve.

Sports in Brunssum

Brunssum has a local football team called BSV Limburgia. They play at an amateur level now. In the past, when they were known as SV Limburgia, they were very successful. They even won the top Dutch league, the Eredivisie, in 1950. When professional football started in the Netherlands in 1954, the team had less success.

Brunssum also hosts an annual ten-kilometer running race called the Parelloop. In 2009, Micah Kogo from Kenya won this race. He even set a new world record for that distance!

Famous People from Brunssum

Toni Willé (center) with her band Pussycat in 1973.

Eugène Gerards (1940–2018) – A Dutch-Greek football player and manager.
Jan Dietz (born 1945) – A Dutch researcher and professor in information systems.
Toni Willé (born 1953) – A Dutch country pop singer. She was a member of the band Pussycat.
Pussycat – A Dutch country and pop music group. It was formed in 1973 by the Kowalczyk sisters: Toni, Betty, and Marianne.

Sport Stars

Ferenc Kocsur (1930–1990) – A French-Hungarian football player.
Patrick Dybiona (born 1963) – A former freestyle swimmer who competed in the 1988 Summer Olympics.
Nadine Hanssen (born 1993) – A Dutch professional football player.
Peter Hellenbrand (born 1985) – A Dutch sport shooter who competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Kevin Hofland (born 1979) – A Dutch professional football player.
Tom Daemen (born 1985) – A Dutch professional football player.
Bob Altena (born 1986) – A Dutch athlete who competes in the decathlon.