Breda
—  Municipality  —
Grote Kerk (Large Church) or Onze Lieve Vrouwe Kerk (Church of Our Lady)
Flag Coat of arms
Coordinates: 51°34′N 4°48′E / 51.567°N 4.8°E / 51.567; 4.8
Country	Netherlands
Province	North Brabant
Area(2006)
• Total	129.15 km2 (49.87 sq mi)
• Land	126.87 km2 (48.98 sq mi)
• Water	2.28 km2 (0.88 sq mi)
Population (31 December 2010)
• Total	174,544
• Density	1,376/km2 (3,560/sq mi)
	Source: CBS, Statline.
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)

Breda (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈbreɪ̯.ˌdaː] ( listen)) is a municipality and a city in the southern part of the Netherlands. The name Breda derived from brede Aa ('wide Aa') and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. As a fortified city, the city was of strategic military and political significance. Although a direct Fiefdom of the Holy Roman Emperor, the city obtained a municipal charter; the acquisition of Breda, through marriage, by the house of Nassau ensured that Breda would be at the center of political and social life in the Low Countries.

Breda's urban area is home to an estimated 316,000 people (2008).

History[link]

In the 11th century, Breda was a direct fief of the Holy Roman Emperor, its earliest known lord being Henry of Brunesheim (1080–1125). The city of Breda obtained a municipal charter in 1252. After that Breda had the rights to build fortifications. The city constructed brick walls and Roman-style gates.

In 1327 Adelheid of Gaveren Breda sold Breda to John III, Duke of Brabant. In 1350, the fief was resold to John II of Wassenaar (d. 1377). In 1403 the heiress of his line, Johanna of Polanen (1392–1445), married Engelbert I of Nassau (1370–1442). Through her, the city came into the possession of the house of Nassau, where it remained until 1795, passing to William I of Orange (1533–1584), stadtholder of Holland, Zeeland and Utrecht and leader of the Dutch revolt. Thus the baron of Breda was also count of Nassau, Germany, Prince of Orange and stadtholder of the Dutch Republic (from 1572–1650, 1672–1702, 1747–1795). Breda remained part of the barony Breda until it was taken by French revolutionary forces in 1795.^[1]

Residence city[link]

The acquisition of the city by the House of Orange-Nassau marked its emergence as a residenzstadt (residence city). The presence of the Orange-Nassau family attracted other nobles, who built palatial residences in the old quarters of the city. The most impressive one, built by the Italian architect Thomas Vincidor de Bologna for the first Dutch prince, was the first renaissance style built palace north of the Alps. In the 15th century the city's physical, economic and strategic importance expanded rapidly. A great church was built in Brabantine Gothic style with a gallant 97 metres (318 ft) high tower, called Grote Kerk (main church) or also Onze Lieve Vrouwe Kerk (Church of Our Lady). In 1534 Henry III of Nassau-Breda rebuilt the modest medieval fortifications in impressive style.

In 1534 a fire destroyed over 90 percent of the city, close to 1300 houses, churches and chapels and the town hall. Only 150 houses and the main church remained. In 1581, during the Eighty Years' War Breda was captured by surprise by Spanish troops under the command of Claude de Berlaymont, also known as Haultpenne. Although the city had surrendered upon the condition that it would not be plundered, the troops vented their fury on the inhabitants; in the resulting mayhem, known as Haultpenne's Fury, over 500 citizens were killed. In 1590 it fell again into the hands of Maurice of Nassau, as 68 hand-picked men, concealed under the turf in a peat-boat, contrived to enter the town in a daring plan devised by Adriaen van Bergen. The so-called Spaniards Hole marks the spot where the peat-boat allegedly lay, although this is not historically proven.

Surrender of Breda, by Diego Velázquez.

After a ten-month siege in 1624–25, the city surrendered to the Spaniards under Spinola; the event was immortalized by Diego Velázquez. In 1637 Breda was recaptured by Frederick Henry of Orange after a four-month siege, and in 1648 it was finally ceded to the Dutch Republic by the Treaty of Westphalia.

Stuart exiles[link]

The exiled Stuart pretender Charles II of England resided in Breda during most of his exile during the Cromwellian Commonwealth and Protectorate, thanks to the proximity of Charles's sister Mary, Princess Royal, the widow of Prince William II of Orange.

Based mostly on suggestions by Parliamentarian General George Monck, Charles II's Declaration of Breda (1660) made known the conditions of his acceptance of the crown of England which he was to accept/resume later in the same year.

The Treaty of Breda was signed in the city, July 31, 1667, bringing to an end the Second Anglo-Dutch War in which the Dutch faced the same Charles II who had been their guest. Between 1746 and 1748 it was the site of the Congress of Breda a series of talks between Britain and France aimed at bringing an end to the War of the Austrian Succession, which ultimately led to the signing of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.

World War II[link]

During World War II the city was under German occupation. It was liberated following a successful outflanking manoeuvre planned and performed by forces of 1st Polish Armoured Division of Gen. Maczek on October 29, 1944. Each year during Liberation Day festivities, Breda is visited by a large Polish contingent and the city of Breda reserves a special portion of the festivities for the fallen Polish soldiers. A museum and a monument honoring General Stanisław Maczek and the Polish 1st Armoured Division stands at the city center. General Maczek and soldiers of his division are buried in a nearby Polish military cemetery.

Breda was the site of one of the first panopticon prison establishments. This prison housed the only German war criminals ever to be imprisoned in the Netherlands for their war crimes during the Second World War. They were known as the 'Breda Four (and later three)'. They were Willy Paul Franz Lages who was released in 1966 due to serious illness, Joseph Johann Kotälla who died in prison in 1979, Ferdinand Hugo aus der Fünten and Franz Fischer who both were released in 1989.

Administration[link]

• Breda (city) (~170,000)^[2]
  • Ginneken (former village absorbed by city agglomeration)
  • Princenhage (former village absorbed by city agglomeration)
• Prinsenbeek (~11,500) (added at the municipal reorganization in 1997)
• Bavel (~7,000) (added at the municipal reorganization in 1997)
• Teteringen (~6,500) (added at the municipal reorganization in 1997)
• Ulvenhout (~4,700) (added at the municipal reorganization in 1997)

Administration[link]

The city of Breda is divided in 7 city sectors:

1. Breda Centrum (Centre)
2. Breda West (West)
3. Breda Noord-West (Haagse Beemden) (Northwest)
4. Breda Noord ( North)
5. Breda Oost (East)
6. Breda Zuid-Oost (Southeast)
7. Breda Zuid (South)

Topography[link]

Topographic map image of Breda, 2011. Click to enlarge.

Economy[link]

Economic activities were mainly industrial. Breda was a center of the food- and drinking industry. Companies like Hero (lemonade), Van Melle (Mentos), De Faam (liquorice) and Kwatta (chocolate) are famous throughout Western Europe. Breda also had a sugar factory, supplying its best-known products. BREDA beer is a world renowned drink that is made in this region.

Breda formerly housed the largest brewery in the Netherlands (Oranjeboom). Interbrew, the Belgian owner of the brewery, closed the brewery in 2004. The decline of industrial activity did not harm the city's economy. The main economic activities now are business and trade. When the new Central Station is built circa 2011, Breda will be connected by high-speed trains to the main European cities. After 2009, a high-speed shuttle connects Breda to Rotterdam – The Hague / Amsterdam and Antwerp – Brussels, on the HSL-Zuid line.

Transportation[link]

Breda has two railway stations, Breda and Breda-Prinsenbeek, providing connections with Zuid-Holland (Dordrecht – Rotterdam – Den Haag) and Tilburg – Eindhoven, and from station Breda also to Roosendaal with connection to Vlissingen and Antwerp. In addition, trains also head north from Breda to Amsterdam and east to Den Bosch – Nijmegen.

Main sights[link]

Begijnhof (Béguinage).

Chassé Theater (Chassé Theatre) Breda.

Harbour Breda

The city center contains old buildings and portions of the singels (moats). Various historic buildings, especially the Beguinage, Grote Kerk (Large Church) or Onze Lieve Vrouwe Kerk (Church of Our Lady) offer examples of Renaissance and Baroque architecture and Park Valkenberg.

Breda hosts the following museums:

• Breda's Museum
• Begijnhof Breda Museum
• Generaal Maczek Museum
• Bier Reclame Museum
• MOTI (Museum of the Image) before the Graphic Design Museum^[3]
• NAC Museum
• Heemkundig Museum Paulus van Daesdonck
• Museum Oorlog & Vrede [War and Peace Museum]
• Stichting Princenhaags Museum

Culture[link]

For the numerous music events is the Chasse Theater.

Redheadday is a festival that takes place each first weekend of September. The two-day festival is a gathering of people with natural red hair, but is also focused on art related to the colour red. Activities during the festival are lectures, workshops and demonstrations. The festival attracts attendance from 20 countries and is free due to sponsorship of the local government.

Sport[link]

Breda's Football club, NAC Breda, plays in the highest Dutch league, the Eredivisie. Breda's athletics club, A.V. Sprint, is the largest club of its kind in the Netherlands.

Notable residents[link]

• "Colonel" Thomas Parker, the manager of Elvis Presley, was born in Breda as Andreas Cornelius van Kuijk.
• Breda is also home to Tiësto, an international trance music artist. The title of his track 'Zero 76' featuring DJ Hardwell is derived from the dialing code of Breda also the song breda 3am.
• Breda is the birthplace of former Olympic swimmer Karin Brienesse and former field hockey player Remco van Wijk, who twice won the gold medal at the Summer Olympics with the Dutch National Team: 1996 and 2000.
• Breda is the city where the Dutch composers Daan Manneke and Kristoffer Zegers live.
• The Dutch football international Pierre van Hooijdonk played in Breda. Other formerly international Dutch football players from NAC Breda were Antoon (Rat) Verlegh, Kees Rijvers, Kees Kuijs, Leo Canjels, Daan Schrijvers, Frans Bouwmeester, Nico Rijnders, Ad Brouwers, Bertus Quaars, Martin Vreysen and Ton Lokhoff.

Twin towns – Sister cities[link]

Breda is twinned with:

• Wrocław in Poland ^[4]
• Diest in Belgium
• Orange in France
• Dillenburg in Germany

References[link]

Notes

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Breda

• Breda
• Breda Liberated
• Photos of Breda (in Dutch)
• Breda News
• Graphic Design Museum

v t e    Municipalities of North Brabant Aalburg Alphen-Chaam Asten Baarle-Nassau Bergeijk Bergen op Zoom Bernheze Best Bladel Boekel Boxmeer Boxtel Breda Cranendonck Cuijk Deurne Dongen Drimmelen Eersel Eindhoven Etten-Leur Geertruidenberg Geldrop-Mierlo Gemert-Bakel Gilze en Rijen Goirle Grave Haaren Halderberge Heeze-Leende Helmond 's-Hertogenbosch Heusden Hilvarenbeek Laarbeek Landerd Loon op Zand Maasdonk Mill en Sint Hubert Moerdijk Nuenen, Gerwen en Nederwetten Oirschot Oisterwijk Oosterhout Oss Reusel-De Mierden Roosendaal Rucphen Schijndel Sint Anthonis Sint-Michielsgestel Sint-Oedenrode Someren Son en Breugel Steenbergen Tilburg Uden Valkenswaard Veghel Veldhoven Vught Waalre Waalwijk Werkendam Woensdrecht Woudrichem Zundert See also Netherlands Provinces Municipalities

v t e Burgundian Circle (1512–1806) of the Holy Roman Empire Seventeen Provinces of Habsburg Netherlands Seceded 1581 Drenthe · Friesland · Groningen · Holland · Overijssel · Utrecht · Zeeland · Zutphen Remained Artois2 · Brabant · Flanders · Guelders · Hainaut · Limburg · Luxembourg · Mechelen · Namur County Burgundy3 Imperial City Besançon3 Dependent territories Antwerp · Breda1 1 until 1648;    2 until 1659;   3 until 1678.

Coordinates: 51°34′N 4°48′E / 51.567°N 4.8°E / 51.567; 4.8

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (September 2009)

Robin Trower
Trower onstage 19th October, 2009
Background information
Birth name	Robin Leonard Trower
Born	(1945-03-09) 9 March 1945 (age 67) Catford, South East London England, United Kingdom
Genres	Rock, blues, blues-rock
Occupations	Musician, vocalist, songwriter, bandleader
Instruments	Guitar
Years active	1962–present
Labels	Chrysalis, Atlantic
Associated acts	Procol Harum, The Paramounts, Jack Bruce
Website	www.trowerpower.com
Notable instruments
Signature Model Stratocaster

Robin Trower (born Robin Leonard Trower, on 9 March 1945) is an English rock guitarist and vocalist who achieved success with Procol Harum during the 1960s, and then again as the bandleader of his own power trio.

Biography[link]

Trower was born in Catford, South East London, England and grew up in the seaside resort of Southend-on-Sea, Essex. In 1962, Trower formed a group that became The Paramounts, later including fellow Southend High School pupil Gary Brooker.[Believe this should be Westcliff High School for Boys] The Paramounts disbanded in 1966 to pursue individual projects. During this time, Trower created a local three-piece band called 'The Jam' (not to be confused with the later group with Paul Weller). Trower then joined Brooker's new band Procol Harum following the success of their debut single "A Whiter Shade of Pale" in 1967, remaining with them until 1971 and appearing on Procol Harum's first five albums.

Before launching his own eponymous band, he joined singer Frankie Miller, bass player James Dewar, and former Jethro Tull drummer Clive Bunker to form the short-lived combo Jude.^[1] This outfit did not record and soon split up.

Trower retained Dewar as his bassist, who took on lead vocals as well, and recruited drummer Reg Isidore (later replaced by Bill Lordan) to form the Robin Trower Band in 1973.^[2]

Perhaps Trower's most famous album is Bridge of Sighs (1974). This album, along with his first and third solo albums, was produced by his former Procol Harum bandmate, organist Matthew Fisher. Despite differences, Trower's early power trio work was noted for Hendrixesque influences.^[2]

Trower is an influential guitarist who has inspired other guitar legends such as Robert Fripp^[3] - "Robin Trower is one of the very few English guitarists that have mastered bends and wobbles. Not only has he got inside them, with an instinctive knowing of their affective power, but they went to live inside his hands. It is the rare English guitarist who has been able to stand alongside American guitarists and play with an equal authority to someone grounded in a fundamentally American tradition. Trower has been widely criticised for his influences. This has never bothered me. I toured America in 1974 with Ten Years After top of the bill, King Crimson second, and Robin Trower bottom. The chart positions were the opposite: TYA in the Billboard 160s, Crimson in the 60s and Trower climbing remorselessly through the top twenty. Nearly every night I went out to listen to him. This was a man who hung himself on the details: the quality of sound, nuances of each inflection and tearing bend, and abandonment to the feel of the moment. He saved my life. Later, in England, he gave me guitar lessons."

In the early 1980s, Trower teamed up with former Cream bassist Jack Bruce and his previous drummers Lordan and Isidore, for two albums, BLT (Bruce, Lordan, Trower) and Truce (Trower, Bruce, Isidore).^[2] After those albums, he released another album with James Dewar on vocals titled Back It Up in 1983.^[4] Robin Trower was dropped from Chrysalis Records afterwards.^[5]

Trower at the Liri Blues Festival, Italy, in 2005

Thirteen albums later, Trower's album, Living Out of Time (2003), features the return of veteran bandmates Dave Bronze on bass, vocalist Davey Pattison (formerly with Ronnie Montrose's band Gamma) and Pete Thompson on drums—the same lineup as the mid 1980s albums Passion and Take What You Need.

With the same bandmates Trower gave a concert on his 60th birthday in Bonn, Germany. The concert was recorded by the German television channel WDR. It was then released on DVD and subsequently on CD throughout Europe and later the US under the title Living Out Of Time: Live. Trower toured the United States and Canada in the summer and autumn of 2006.

In 2007 Trower released a third recording with Jack Bruce, Seven Moons, featuring Gary Husband on drums.

A 2008 world tour began in Ft. Pierce, Florida on 16 January 2008. Joining Davey Pattison and Pete Thompson was Glenn Letsch (formerly of Gamma) playing bass. European dates began in April. The 29 March 2008 show at the Royal Oak Music Theater in Royal Oak, Michigan was released as a double album on V12 Records.

As his "big hero" he referenced the early James Brown where blues is crossing over into rock and roll.^[6]

Equipment[link]

Trower in 1975

Trower has been a longtime proponent of the Fender Stratocaster. He currently uses his custom-built Strat (made by the Fender Custom Shop) which comes in Black, Arctic White and Midnight Wine Burst. The guitar is equipped with a 1950s reissue pickup in the neck position, a 1960s reissue in the middle position, and a Texas Special at the bridge.^[7] Other features included a custom C-shaped maple neck featuring a large headstock with a Bullet truss-rod system, locking machine heads and a maple fingerboard with narrow-spaced abalone dot position inlays and 21 frets. The Strats he plays live are an exact model of his signature guitar, which is entirely unmodified. During live performances and on most of his albums, his guitar is tuned a full step down to a DGCFAD tuning.

Trower uses between one and three 100-watt Marshall heads with four to six cabinets on stage. While he usually uses two JCM 800s and a JCM 900, he also links 100-watt Marshall Plexi heads. In studio sessions, Trower uses a mix of amplifiers, such as a Fender Blues Junior and Cornell Plexi Amplifers models to acquire different tonality. Recently, Trower has been using Marshall Vintage Modern 2466 heads live.

He has recently been using Fulltone pedals and effects. He favors the OCD, Distortion Pro, Fat Boost, CLYDE Deluxe Wah, Deja Vibe 2, Soul-Bender, and a BOSS Chromatic Tuner. He runs his Deja Vibe into his distortion pedal to get his famous tone. He was given his own signature Fulltone Robin Trower Overdrive in late 2008.

For his 2009 and 2011 US tours Robin was using his Fender Custom Shop Signature Stratocaster into a Fulltone Deja Vibe 2, Fulltone Wahfull, Fulltone Clyde Standard Wah, Fulltone Full Drive, Fulltone Robin Trower Overdrive and Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner into two Marshall Vintage Modern 2466 heads.

Discography[link]

With Procol Harum[link]

• 1967 Procol Harum
• 1968 Shine on Brightly (Trower sings backup on "Wish Me Well")
• 1969 A Salty Dog (Trower sings lead on "Crucifiction Lane")
• 1970 Ain't Nothin' to Get Excited About (members of Procol Harum, as Liquorice John Death)
• 1970 Home
• 1971 Broken Barricades
• 1991 The Prodigal Stranger
• 1995 The Long Goodbye^[2]

With Robin Trower Band[link]

• 1973 Twice Removed from Yesterday - Certified Gold by RIAA
• 1974 Bridge of Sighs - Certified Gold by RIAA ^[8]
• 1975 For Earth Below - Certified Gold by RIAA
• 1976 Robin Trower Live
• 1976 Long Misty Days - Certified Gold by RIAA
• 1977 In City Dreams - Certified Gold by RIAA
• 1978 Caravan to Midnight
• 1979 Victims of the Fury
• 1983 Back It Up
• 1985 Beyond the Mist
• 1987 Passion
• 1988 Take What You Need
• 1990 In the Line of Fire
• 1991 Essential Robin Trower
• 1992 Live in Concert
• 1994 20th Century Blues
• 1996 In Concert
• 1996 King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents Robin Trower
• 1997 Someday Blues
• 1999 This Was Now '74-'98
• 2000 Go My Way
• 2004 Living Out of Time
• 2005 Living Out Of Time: Live (Note: Also available on DVD)
• 2005 Another Days Blues
• 2008 RT@RO.08
• 2009 What Lies Beneath^[9]
• 2010 The Playful Heart
• 2011 Robin Trower at The BBC 1973-1975

With Bryan Ferry[link]

• 1993 Taxi (Bryan Ferry)
• 1994 Mamouna (Bryan Ferry)
• 2007 Dylanesque (Bryan Ferry)

With Jack Bruce[link]

• 1981 B.L.T.
• 1981 Truce
• 1989 No Stopping Anytime (compilation)
• 2008 Seven Moons
• 2009 Seven Moons Live (live)

See also[link]

• Procol Harum
• The Paramounts
• Jack Bruce

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Robin Trower

• TrowerPower.com - Official website
• Shaw.ca - The complete history of The Robin Trower Band (fan site)
• ModernGuitars.com - 2006 Robin Trower Interview with Brian D. Holland, Modern Guitars magazine
• NPR.org - Robin Trower on NPR
• OlsenArt.com - "Funky" Paul Olsen's album cover artwork for Robin Trower