Buren, Gelderland, Netherlands

🇳🇱 Buren is a town and municipality in the Betuwe region of the Netherlands.

Geography Buren is located in Gelderland, a province of the Netherlands. It is part of the landscape of Betuwe, a very fertile strip of land between two branches of Rhine-Meuse Delta, the Nederrijn in the north and the Waal in the south.

Population centers Population centres include: • Aalst • Asch • Beusichem • Buren • Eck en Wiel • Erichem • Ingen • Kerk-Avezaath • Lienden • Ommeren • Ravenswaaij • Rijswijk • Zoelen • Zoelmond

History The earliest known settlement of the region occurred as early as 772. The castle was built by the Lords of Buren and was first mentioned in 1298. The town was granted city rights in 1395 by Sir Alard IV of Buren which led to the construction of a defensive wall and a moat, significant portions of which still stand. In 1492, the region was promoted to a county (i.e. a territory ruled by a count), but had limited economic influence due to its geographic isolation. By 1574, the previously Catholic parish church of Saint-Lambert (Dutch: Sint Lambertus) had become Calvinist Reformed Protestant.

The Castle eventually came into the possession of the House of Orange, the royal family of the Netherlands. The Dutch royal family has been known to use the name van Buren as an alias to give themselves some degree of anonymity. William III of England obtained the title Buren. The Dutch royal family still use this as a title. The Castle was gradually demolished between 1804 and 1883. The eighth president of the United States, Martin Van Buren, traced his ancestry to inhabitants of the town, who had taken the surname Van Buren after relocating to the Dutch colony of New Netherlands in what is now the state of New York. In 1853, following the end of his presidency, Van Buren made a visit to the town while on a tour of Europe and reportedly met with several distant relatives.

The current municipality is the result of 2 mergers. On 1 January 1978, the municipalities of Beusichem, Zoelen and part of Buurmalsen were added to the existing municipality of Buren, that was formed in the mid-19th century. On 1 January 1999, Buren was enlarged with the addition of the municipalities of Lienden and Maurik.

Historical sites Buren has two museums: • The Museum of the Royal Military Police, located in a 17th-century orphanage. • The Museum of the Dutch Royal Family, located in the historic city hall.

It is also home to De Prins Van Oranje, a restored windmill.

Government The title "Count or Countess of Buren and Leerdam" is held by the Dutch monarchy due to Prince William of Orange's marriage to the Countess of Buren, Anna of Egmont, in 1551. As a result, the county and the town of Buren fall under the control of the Royal House of Orange-Nassau.

Demographics • Dutch: 92.9% • European: 4.7% • African: 0.7% • Arabian: 0.5% • Other: 1.2%.