History of Gorinchem

Gorinchem, usually pronounced as Gorcum, is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland. Between the 17th century and 1967, Gorinchem played an important role as a garrison town as part of the Dutch Waterline, with hundreds of soldiers within the city walls.

The municipality covers an area of ​​only 2201 hectares and has a population of 38.852 inhabitants (2025). The village Dalem was part of the Gelderland municipality until 1986 Vuren, but after a border change in that year it became part of Gorinchem. The river Linge flows right through the historic city center and ends in the Merwede.

Middle Ages

House of Goro

Gorinchem, which literally 'house of Goro' means, probably originated as a small settlement in the 10th-11th century on a natural riverbank along the river Linge, close to the mouth in the Merwede. The first inhabitants were probably fishermen and farmers. The oldest written document about Gorinchem dates from December 6, 1224, on the wedding day of Count Floris IV of Holland, when he granted the inhabitants a privilege. Since then, the people of Gorcum have not had to tol more to pay in the county of Holland.

Copy of charter Floris IV 6 December 1224, collection National Archives, The Hague.

The Arkel family

Around 1250, the lordship of Wolferen, including the town of Gorinchem, came into the possession of the Arkels. The small castle that was located near the church of Arkel was replaced by a new castle. This was built east of Gorinchem, in the Wijdschild, built. In 1382 Gorinchem received city rights from Otto, Lord of Arkel. Gorinchem developed into the main town of the Land van Arkel, an independent area between the County of Holland and the Duchy of Guelders.

The population was granted certain rights, such as the right of self-government (by bailiff and aldermen) and the Marktrecht. The city was protected by earthen ramparts with palisades and a moat. In the middle of the 14th century the ramparts were reinforced with stone towers between which walls with gates were placed.

Markets and guilds

Gorinchem experienced a growth in which trade and crafts became increasingly crucial. Farmers from the surrounding area brought their dairy products, eggs, vegetables and fruit to the markets in Gorinchem. These were intended for sale or to be exchanged for the goods that the craftsmen from the city offered, such as pottery, pans, fabrics for clothing, tools and much more.

Market by Pieter Aertsen (ca. 1550), collection Alte Pinakothek, Munich.

The craftsmen were united in guilds. Many names of crafts from this period can still be found today as street names in the Gildenwijk, such as Zwartververstraat and Hoepmakerstraat. Trade with other cities also became increasingly important. Ships were loaded and unloaded in the Lingehaven, which ensured that it was always very busy there.

Connection to Holland

The Land van Arkel with Gorinchem as its capital, was located between the much larger states of Holland and Gelre. As these countries grew stronger, both Holland and Gelre strove to add the Land of Arkel to their territory. After years of fighting in the Arkel Wars (1401-1412) knew count William VI of Holland to get Gorinchem under control. The Arkel castle in the Wijdschild was destroyed. As a demonstration of their power, the Dutch built a new castle on the Merwede, which later became known as the Blauwe Toren (Blue Tower).

William, Lord of Arkel was determined to take revenge for the defeat suffered. During the battle against the successor of Count William, Jacoba of Bavaria, however, he was killed in 1417 during the Siege of Gorinchem in the Revetsteeg. At the inauguration of Philips II, the son of Charles V In 1549 a memorial stone was unveiled in the Revetsteeg in memory of William, Lord of Arkel.

The death of Willem van Arkel in the Revetsteeg (1417), memorial stone Revetsteeg 3.

With the connection to Holland, a period of considerable prosperity began for Gorinchem. The toll, where the tax was collected, was moved from Woudrichem to Gorinchem. The city had between 4.000 and 6.000 inhabitants.

Eighty Years' War (1568-1648)

The Martyrs of Gorcum

The Gorinchem is located Reformation not gone unnoticed. The first Protestant service took place here in 1566. The government under Charles V fought the rebellious reformers. Six years later, shortly after the beginning of the Eighty Years' War, the city was conquered by the Watergeuzen (Dutch rebels during the Eighty Years’ War). They captured nineteen clergymen and took them to a peat barn near Den Briel (Brielleto torture, mutilate, and ultimately hang them in a gruesome manner. Their body fat was collected and sold as a medicinal remedy in the city.

These clergymen became known as the Martyrs of Gorcum. They were beatified in 1675 and canonized in 1867. Every year around the day of their death, July 9, a national pilgrimage to Brielle place. They are also honored in other places in the world.

Martyrs of Gorcum, Gorcums Museum (2013)

New fortress

By the end of the 15th century, firearms had become so advanced that they surpassed traditional weapons. It was possible to destroy the existing city walls with iron balls without difficulty. During the Eighty Years' War new fortifications were built around Gorinchem to protect the city from attacks by Spanish troops. Based on a design by the mayor of Alkmaar, Adriaen Anthoniszoon, Gorinchem received a rampart with eleven bastions and four city gates: the Arkelpoort, Kanselpoort (Pulpit Gate), Waterpoort en Dalempoort. Construction began in 1584 and took almost 60 years to complete,

The fortress before (1558) and after the expansion (1652)

The new walls were built so spaciously that the city became twice as large. The new part – or ''New Town'' – remained undeveloped for a long time. However, there were many gardens to be found. Some street names are a reminder of this (Tuinstraat, Warmoesstraat and Hovenierstraat).

Seventeenth century

Economic boom

In the 17th century, the cities of Holland experienced a period of enormous economic growth. Art and science flourished, and so did Gorinchem, albeit to a lesser extent. The population rose to 7000, and trade and markets remained essential to the city. What was new was the rise of larger companies that were unknown in the Middle Ages. Gorinchem had, among other things, breweries, potteries and pipe factories. After Gouda, Gorinchem was the city where most tobacco pipes were made.

In the 17th century, care for the poor and sick also received more attention; Gorinchem acquired an orphanage, a poorhouse, a madhouse and plague house, and a guesthouse. Poor residents were given food and fuel (peat).

Several Gorcum artists from this period became known in art and science. Abraham Bloemaert, Rafael Camphuysen, Aert van der Neer en Jacob van der Ulft were famous painters. Jan van der Heijden, born in Gorcum, was not only a painter but also the inventor of the fire engine. Dirk Camphuijsen was a famous poet.

A selection from the work of 17th century Gorcum artists.

Eighteenth Century

Wig time and the French

The 18th century, also known as the wig era, saw a decline after the flourishing of the 17th century. In 1789 the French revolution from. Napoleon finally emerged as the powerful man. He managed to conquer a large part of Europe, including the Netherlands. The French rule lasted until 1814. Gorinchem reached its lowest point at the end of this period, when retreating French troops entrenched themselves within the fortress. After three months of siege, during which the city suffered much damage from shelling, they surrendered.

January 31, 1814: fire in the Molenstraat and a gunpowder explosion with dead and wounded on the Pelwal.

Nineteenth century

Industrialization

The arrival of steam engines around 1850 brought about major changes in Gorinchem. Factories for the production of tobacco products, beer, candles and shipyards for the construction of ships appeared. The establishment of the Gorcum gas factory in 1855 was crucial for the lighting and heating of the city. Steam ships provided scheduled services to Rotterdam, Dordrecht and Nijmegen. Canals were also dug, such as the Merwede Canal, which connected Gorinchem to Amsterdam. In 1883 Gorinchem gained access to the national railway network. In addition to industry, markets and fishing remained of great importance.

Construction of the Merwede Canal, ferry services, railway line and gas factory.

Social ills

Life in the 19th century was hard, with widespread poverty and infectious diseases due to polluted water. Despite the construction of sewers and water pipes, poverty persisted. People worked long hours for low wages and lived in small houses in narrow streets and alleys, while wealthy citizens lived in beautiful canal houses on Appeldijk and Havendijk. In 1900, the city center had approximately 12.000 inhabitants, with a large gap between rich and poor.

Rear of houses between Melkpad and Tuinstraat and the houses in the narrow Spaarpotsteeg.

Twentieth century

Gorinchem is expanding

At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, large factories emerged, such as the construction workshop in Gorinchem The Vries RobbéThe municipal authorities had industrial estates built for the factories.

Industrial estate on the Linge in 1908.

Also, better residential areas were built outside the walls, such as the urban expansions West and Lingewijk. Again, a difficult time began, the crisis period, which began in 1929 and would last until 1938. Millions of people became unemployed all over the world. In Gorinchem, too, factories closed and many workers ended up on the streets.

Urban expansions of Lingewijk (popularly known as 'Zandvoort') and Eerste West.

World War II

In 1940 started World War II. Compared to other cities, Gorinchem was relatively spared. Only a few bombs fell on the city. However, about 75 of the 140 Jewish residents were sent to concentration camps deported and many workers from Gorinchem had to work in Germany.

Marching German troops (1940) and collecting firewood in the winter of 1945.

Reconstruction and growth

After the Second World War, houses were built rapidly in the northwest of the municipality. This expansion was completed in the 1985s. The expansion of the city to the east began in the 39.000s with the district Wijdschild. This was continued in XNUMX with the Laag-Dalem district. Today, Gorinchem has approximately XNUMX inhabitants.

Extensions of Sint-Jorisplein and the area around Boogschutterstraat (1955-1956)

Read more
	Publications about the history of Gorinchem A selection of digitised publications about the history of Gorinchem.
	Tien eeuwen Gorinchem. Geschiedenis van een Hollandse stad Felix Cerutti (ed.) et al. (2018), Matrijs Publishers, Utrecht. WorldCat
	Oud Gorcum Varia Semi-annual magazine of the historical society Oud-Gorcum.
	Historic Gorinchem Link page to websites of Gorcum organisations.

(Sources: Regional Archives Gorinchem, National Monuments Register)