Baarle-Nassau

Baarle-Nassau (pronunciation ) is a municipality and town in the southern Netherlands, located in the province of North Brabant. It had a population of 6,847 in 2019. The town is the site of a complicated borderline between Belgium and Netherlands, with numerous small exclaves of Belgium, of which some contain counter-exclaves of the Netherlands.

Baarle-Nassau
Municipality
Baarle-Nassau town hall
Flag
Coat of arms
Location in North Brabant
Coordinates: 51°27′N 4°56′E
CountryNetherlands; however, the Dutch municipality of Baarle-Nassau totally surrounds numerous small exclaves of Belgium.
ProvinceNorth Brabant
Government
 • BodyMunicipal council
 • MayorMarjon de Hoon-Veelenturf (CDA)
Area
 • Total76.21 km2 (29.42 sq mi)
 • Land76.16 km2 (29.41 sq mi)
 • Water0.05 km2 (0.02 sq mi)
Elevation28 m (92 ft)
Population
 (January 2019)[4]
 • Total6,847
 • Density90/km2 (200/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode
5110–5114
Area code013
Websitewww.baarle-nassau.nl
Topographic map of the municipality of Baarle-Nassau, June 2015.

Geography

The border with Baarle-Hertog, Belgium

Baarle-Nassau is closely linked, with complicated borders, to the Belgian exclaves of Baarle-Hertog. Baarle-Hertog consists of 26 separate parcels of land. Apart from the main parcel, known as Zondereigen and located north of the Belgian town of Merksplas, there are 22 Belgian exclaves in the Netherlands and three other parcels on the Dutch-Belgian border. There are also six Dutch exclaves located within the largest Belgian exclave, one within the second-largest, and an eighth within Zondereigen. The smallest Belgian parcel, H7, locally named De Loversche Akkers, measures 2,469 square metres (26,580 sq ft).

The border's complexity results from numerous medieval treaties, agreements, land-swaps and sales between the Lords of Breda and the Dukes of Brabant. Generally speaking, predominantly agricultural or built environments became constituents of Brabant, while other parts devolved to Breda. These distributions were ratified and clarified as a part of the borderline settlements arrived at during the Treaty of Maastricht in 1843.

For clarification and the interest of tourists, the border is made visible on all streets with iron pins. This way it is always clear whether one is in Belgium (Baarle-Hertog) or in The Netherlands (Baarle-Nassau). This is also visible on the house numbers: the style of house numbers is different in both countries and often one will find the Dutch or Belgian flag next to the number.

Belgian and Dutch territory in Baarle-Nassau
Border between Netherlands and Belgium in Baarle-Nassau.

Outside of Belgium and the Netherlands, there is at least one other national counter-exclave (enclave enclosed within an enclave) at Nahwa, an enclave of the United Arab Emirates within an enclave of the Sultanate of Oman within the United Arab Emirates.

Localities

List of enclaves

Netherlands enclaves

These are all part of Baarle-Nassau Commune.

Serial no. and local name [5] Area (ha) Notes
N1, De Loversche Akkers – De Tommelsche Akkers5.3667Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; contains a mix of dwellings and farmland; boundary of N1 and H1 runs through one building.
N2, De Tommelsche Akkers1.3751Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; contains 8 dwellings.
N3, De Tommelsche Akkers0.2863Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; boundary of N3 and H1 bisects the loading dock of a liquor store.
N4, De Rethsche Akkers1.2324Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; boundary of N4 and H1 runs through a warehouse, with vacant Dutch land to the rear of the warehouse.
N5, De Rethsche Akkers1.9212Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; boundary of N5 and H1 runs through a furniture showroom, a shed and a barn.
N6, Gierle Straat1.4527Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; consists of farmland with two buildings.
N7, De Kastelein0.5812Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian Oordeel exclave H8, in Baarle-Hertog; occupies part of a field.
N8, Vossenberg2.8528Farmland enclave situated within Zondereigen, Belgium, less than 50 meters south of the Dutch border.

Belgian enclaves

These are all part of Baarle-Hertog Commune, and are surrounded by Baarle-Nassau Commune (Netherlands).

Serial no. and local name [5] Area (ha) Notes
H1, Aen het Klooster Straetje - Hoofdbraek - Loveren - De Boschcovensche Akkers - De Loversche Akkers - De Tommelsche Akkers - De Tommel - De Gierle Straat - De Reth - De Rethsche Akkers - Het Dorp - De Kapel Akkers - De Kastelein153.6448Forms a quadripoint with enclave H2; largest Belgian exclave; encompasses six Dutch enclaves; consists of dwellings for the most part, with outlying farmland and an industrial area; boundary runs through numerous buildings; contains a portion of the former Turnhout-Tilburg rail line, now a cycle path.
H2, De Rethsche Akkers2.4116Consists of farmland with a single point of connection (quadripoint) between enclaves H1 and H2 in the middle of a corn field.
H3, De Rethsche Akkers0.3428Occupies part of a field; boundary runs through a shed in one instance.
H4, De Rethsche Akkers1.476Consists of farmland; boundary runs through a house and three sheds.
H5, De Kapel Akkers0.9245Consists of farmland with a dwelling.
H6, Hoofdbraek1.7461Mixed land usage; boundary runs through a warehouse/factory.
H7, De Loversche Akkers0.2469Boundary runs through two dwellings, including the middle of one front door (giving it two house numbers: Loveren 2, Baarle-Hertog / Loveren 19, Baarle-Nassau).
H8, Boschcoven - De Kastelein - De Oordelsche Straat41.8781Second-largest Belgian exclave, contains a mix of dwellings and farmland; boundary runs through a barn, a dwelling and two businesses.
H9, De Kapel Akkers0.4005Boundary runs through a printing factory/warehouse in an industrial area.
H10, De Oordelsche Straat0.65Consists of farmland.
H11, De Oordelsche Straat0.93Consists of farmland.
H12, Boschcoven0.2822Consists of farmland.
H13, Boschcoven1.5346Boundary runs through about 20 dwellings.
H14, Boschcoven0.7193Boundary runs through about 13 dwellings.
H15, Boschcoven1.7211Boundary runs through about 16 dwellings.
H16, Keizershoek - Oordelsche Straat4.4252Boundary runs through a house and three sheds, with the linear boundary changing direction three times inside just one shed.
H17, Moleriet Heide14.9248Rural area containing a portion of the former Turnhout-Tilburg rail line, now a cycle path.
H18, De Manke Gooren2.9247Consists of farmland.
H19, De Peruiters0.6851Consists of several ponds and a field.
H20, Wurstenbosch - Vossenberg1.1681Consists of farmland.
H21, Baelbrugsche Beemden1.1845Consists of farmland.
H22, De Wit Hagen0.2632South of the village of Ulicoten; occupies part of a field; nationality was contested from the 1830s until 1995 (remained unallocated to either country in boundary treaty of 26 April 1974)

Notable people
  • Petrus Christus (ca. 1410/1420 in Baarle – 1475/1476) an Early Netherlandish painter was a leading painter after the death of Jan van Eyck
  • Jan Hendrikx (born 1944) a former Dutch politician, Mayor of Baarle-Nassau 1990 to 2012
  • Baarle Nassau, church
  • Baarle-Nassau, Rathaus
  • Grensovergang Poppel-Baarle
  • Baarle-Nassau, bij Singel, water pump
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References
  1. "Braam V.T.M." (in Dutch). Gemeente Baarle-Nassau. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  2. "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten" [Key figures for neighbourhoods]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  3. "Postcodetool for 5111CC". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  4. "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 1 January 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  5. Whyte, Brendan (2004). "En Territoire Belge et à Quarante Centimètres de la Frontière" An historical and documentary study of the Belgian and Dutch enclaves of Baarle-Hertog and Baarle-Nassau. The University of Melbourne, School of Anthropology, Geography and Environmental Studies. ISBN 0-7340-3032-0.
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