Uden Facts for Kids

This page is about the Dutch town. For people with this surname, see Uden (surname). For the district in Yemen, see Al Udayn District.

Quick facts for kids

Uden

Town and former municipality

Top left: Church of St. Peter, top right: Former town hall
Bottom left: Bedaf Dunes, bottom right: Volkel Air Base

Flag	Coat of arms

Uden

Location in North Brabant

Uden

Location in Netherlands

Maashorst

Area

• Town

36.57 km² (14.12 sq mi)

Elevation

16 m (52 ft)

Population

(2021)

• Town

36,805

• Density

1,006.43/km² (2,606.6/sq mi)

Time zone

UTC+1 (CET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+2 (CEST)

Postcode

5400–5406

Area code

0413

Map of Uden (town), 2014.

Uden is a town located in the North Brabant province of the Netherlands. Since 2022, it has been part of the new municipality called Maashorst.

Discovering Uden's Past
Uden's Communities
Interesting Places to Visit
Famous People from Uden
- Sports Stars from Uden
Uden's International Connections
Gallery
See also

Discovering Uden's Past

Uden was first mentioned around the year 1190 as "Uthen." However, people lived in this area much earlier. Evidence of settlements from the Ice Age has been found near Slabroek.

Early Rulers and Religious Freedom

From 1324, Uden was governed by the Valkenburg family. It became part of the Land van Ravenstein. After 1397, it joined the German duchy of Cleves.

Uden was not greatly affected by the Eighty Years' War. In 1631, it gained religious freedom. This meant people could practice their religion freely. As a result, a group called the Crosiers moved to Uden in 1638. They were escaping religious difficulties in 's-Hertogenbosch.

After the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, Uden stayed outside the Dutch republic. It became a safe place for religious tolerance. Catholics from nearby towns could build churches near Uden's borders. From 1648 to 1795, Uden became more successful, partly because of its weekly markets. However, a big fire almost destroyed the town in 1746.

Changes and Growth in Uden

In 1795, French soldiers took over Uden. It then became part of the Dutch republic. Since 1810, it has been part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. After this, Uden's wealth decreased. This was mainly due to competition from other towns in Brabant. Many people from Uden moved to the Midwestern United States during this time.

In 1848, a Catholic missionary named Father Theodore J. van den Broek led a group of Dutch Catholics from Uden to Little Chute, Wisconsin. This started a trend of people moving to northeast Wisconsin. This region of Wisconsin still has many people whose families came from the Uden area. They chose the Midwest because its landscape was similar, allowing farmers to continue their way of life.

Notable Events in Uden's History

On June 12, 1840, a meteorite weighing about 720 grams fell into a field near Uden. It just missed some workers who were digging for peat.

In 1855, the village of Volkel started its own church community. From 1860, Uden began to specialize in growing cherries. In 1886, the old Petrus-church burned down. A new, larger church was built to replace it.

During World War I, the Netherlands remained neutral. Many Belgian refugees came to North Brabant. A refugee camp was built at Vluchtoord in Uden. It housed thousands of refugees until 1918.

In the 1920s, people started farming the large heathlands in the eastern part of the municipality, known as "De Peel." In 1922, a new village was built there. It was first called Terraveen and later renamed Odiliapeel.

In 1925, a strong cyclone hit Uden. After this, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands visited the town.

Since the 1950s, Uden has grown into an important regional center. This has brought a lot of economic growth. Because of this growth, not much of the old town's original look remains today.

Church of Sint-Petrus

Uden's Communities

Uden is made up of several smaller communities:

Odiliapeel
Uden (the main town)
Volkel

Interesting Places to Visit

Uden has several interesting places to explore:

Brigitinesse abbey of Mary's Refuge
Church of Saint Peter's Chair
Chapel of the Crosiers
Mill of Jettens
Monastery of the Crosiers
Monastery of the Ursulines
Volkel Air Base
World War II cemetery

Famous People from Uden

Gerrit Braks, 1984

Wilma and Riet van den Berg, 1970

Many notable people have connections to Uden:

Theodorus Verhoeven (1907–1990), a missionary and archaeologist.
Gerrit Braks (1933–2017), a politician and expert in agriculture.
Theodore J. van den Broek, a missionary who helped many Dutch people move to the American Midwest.
Gerrit van Dijk (1938–2012), an artist known for animation, filmmaking, acting, and painting.
Cilia van Dijk (1941–2023), a film producer.
Addy van den Krommenacker (born 1950), a famous fashion designer.
Sultan Günal-Gezer (born 1961), a politician who served on Uden's town council.
Martin van Drunen (born 1966), a death metal singer.
Nikkie de Jager (born 1994), a popular makeup artist and beauty vlogger.

Sports Stars from Uden

Laura de Vaan, 2016

Uden has also produced several talented athletes:

Theo Willems (1891–1960), an archer who won a gold medal at the 1920 Summer Olympics.
Wilma van den Berg (born 1947), a sprinter who competed in the 1968 Summer Olympics and 1972 Summer Olympics.
Earnie Stewart (born 1969), a retired American soccer player.
Laura de Vaan (born 1980), a Paralympian who competes in handcycle races.
Cheryl Maas (born 1984), a snowboarder who competed in three Winter Olympics.
Maud van der Meer (born 1992), a swimmer who competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics.