Annaschnitfink's Fotothing

Holland - Noordbrabant - Heusden
Photo 1
Ophaalbrug bij Stadshaven
Bridge at City Harbour
Heusden was founded near a castle probably in the 13th century. It was fortified at the end of the 16th and again at the beginning of the 17th century by a fortification system which was modern for its time. During the Dutch Golden Age (17th century) it was a famous garrison town. Heusden, which had been part of the province of Holland from 1357, became part of the much poorer province of Brabant in 1813. After the fortifications had been dismantled in 1816, prosperity declined due to economic factors and the definitive departure of the garrison in 1879.
During the reconstruction period (1945-1965) after the WWwar-II , a new town hall and a number of council houses were built. Drastic plans in the sixties to level the fortifications and to build highrise apartment blocks on the outskirts of Heusden were never realized. Instead, a restoration plan was developed in 1965, involving repair of the fortifications, reconstruction of the historical street structure and restoration and reconstruction of buildings.
The City Harbor was dug up again. During this restoration and reconstruction, an old map by J. Blaeu (1649) played an important role for the realization of the reconstructed 17th-century image of Heusden. While the restoration had not yet been finished, Heusden was officially given the status of Protected Townscape in 1972. The restoration campaign was finished around 1990.