Lepelstraat Explained

Lepelstraat
Settlement Type:Village
Native Name Lang:nl
Pushpin Map:Netherlands North Brabant#Netherlands
Pushpin Mapsize:250
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in the province of North Brabant in the Netherlands
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Netherlands
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:North Brabant
Subdivision Type2:Municipality
Subdivision Name2:Bergen op Zoom
Elevation Footnotes:[1]
Elevation M:4
Area Total Km2:11.18
Population Footnotes:[2]
Population Total:1,925
Population As Of:2021
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone:CET
Utc Offset:+1
Timezone Dst:CEST
Utc Offset Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:4664
Area Code Type:Dialing code
Area Code:0164
Coordinates:51.55°N 21°W

Lepelstraat (in Dutch; Flemish pronounced as /ˈleːpəlstraːt/) is a Dutch village six kilometres north of the city of Bergen op Zoom, and part of the municipality with that name. Its earliest records of history date back to 1298 where in a manuscript of landrights it was mentioned as "Den Leepel Straet."

Lepelstraat has always been important in its region's religious history. In 1612 a little church was created in the attic of a farmhouse that was kept from the knowledge of authorities because Roman Catholicism was forbidden at that time. Even though this situation changed later in the 17th century, it existed until 1875 when Lepelstraat got its first real church, with a tower having a height of 68 metres. This tower was blown up near the end of World War II by retreating German troops and has never been rebuilt.

During the Netherlands' "Great Flood" in 1953 most of the land around Lepelstraat became flooded, costing almost two thousand lives. The water did not reach Lepelstraat itself, making it a safe haven for refugees who lost their homes, friends, and families.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Postcodetool for 4664PA . nl . Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland . Het Waterschapshuis . 15 April 2022 .
  2. Web site: Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2021 . Central Bureau of Statistics . 15 April 2022.