View source for Eersel

{{For|people with this surname|Eersel (surname)}}
{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
<!-- Name and transliteration -->
| name                    = Eersel
| settlement_type         = [[List of municipalities of the Netherlands|Municipality]]
<!-- Images, nickname, motto -->
| image_skyline           = Gemeentehuis Eersel.jpg
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           = Eersel municipal hall
| image_flag              = Eersel vlag.svg
| flag_size               = 100x67px
| flag_alt                = 
| image_shield            = Coat of arms of Eersel.svg
| shield_size             = 100x80px
| shield_alt              = 
<!-- Maps, coordinates -->
| image_map               = Map - NL - Municipality code 0770 (2009).svg
| map_alt                 = Highlighted position of Eersel in a municipal map of North Brabant
| map_caption             = Location in North Brabant
| coordinates             = {{coord|51|21|N|5|19|E|region:NL|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes   = 
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = [[Netherlands]]
| subdivision_type1       = [[Provinces of the Netherlands|Province]]
| subdivision_name1       = [[North Brabant]]
| government_footnotes    = 
| governing_body          = [[Municipal council (Netherlands)|Municipal council]]
| leader_party            =
| leader_title            = [[Burgemeester|Mayor]]
| leader_name             = [[Wim Wouters]]
<!-- Geographic information -->
| unit_pref               = Metric
<!-- ALL fields with measurements have automatic unit conversion -->
<!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| area_footnotes          = <ref>{{Dutch municipality total area|dataref}}</ref>
<!-- square kilometers -->
| area_total_km2          = {{Dutch municipality total area|Eersel}}
| area_land_km2           = {{Dutch municipality land area|Eersel}}
| area_water_km2          = {{Dutch municipality water area|Eersel}}
| elevation_footnotes     = <ref name="AHN">{{cite web
 |url = http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool
 |title = Postcodetool for 5521AW
 |language = nl
 |author = <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.-->
 |work = Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland
 |publisher = Het Waterschapshuis
 |access-date = 11 May 2014
 |archive-date = 21 September 2013
 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053543/http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool
 |url-status = dead
 }}</ref>
| elevation_m             = 31
| elevation_max_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| elevation_max_m         =
| elevation_min_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| elevation_min_m         =
<!-- Population, demographics -->
| population_footnotes    = <ref>{{Dutch municipality population|dataref}}</ref>
| population_total        = {{Dutch municipality population|Eersel}}
| population_as_of        = {{MONTHNAME|{{Dutch municipality population|popbasemonth}}}} {{Dutch municipality population|popbaseyear}}
| population_density_km2  = {{Dutch municipality population density|Eersel}} <!-- For automatic calculation: auto-->
| population_demonym      = Eerselnaar
<!-- Other information -->
| timezone                = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset              = +1
| timezone_DST            = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset_DST          = +2
| postal_code_type        = [[Postal codes in the Netherlands|Postcode]]
| postal_code             = 5511–5525
| area_code_type          = [[Telephone numbers in the Netherlands|Area code]]
| area_code               = 040, 0497
| website                 = {{URL|1=http://www.eersel.nl}}
| footnotes               =
}}
[[File:Gem-Eersel-OpenTopo.jpg|270px|thumb|Dutch Topographic map of Eersel, June 2015]]
[[File:Eersel, de Sint-Willibrorduskerk RM517808 IMG 7505 2020-09-14 13.15.jpg|Eersel, church: the Sint-Willibrorduskerk|thumb|265px]]

'''Eersel''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈeːrsəl|-|188 Eersel.ogg}}) is a [[Municipalities of the Netherlands|municipality]] and a town in southern [[Netherlands]] in the province of [[North Brabant]]. Eersel is situated in the [[Campine]] (Kempen) area.

Eersel is part of the Acht Zaligheden (Eight Beatitudes) and known for its attractive market. This market, together with the Hint, has been declared a protected village on 19 October 1967. This has been done to guarantee the future survival of its authentic character.

The spoken language is Kempenlands (an [[East Brabantian]] dialect, which is very similar to colloquial [[Dutch language|Dutch]]).<ref>Jos & Cor Swanenberg: Taal in stad en land: Oost-Brabants, {{ISBN|9012090105}}</ref>

== Population centres ==
{{columns-list|colwidth=12em|
*[[Duizel]]
*Eersel
*[[Knegsel]]
*[[Steensel]]
*[[Vessem]]
*[[Wintelre]]
}}
== History ==
About 3,500 years ago the first inhabitants of the area of Eersel were builders of sepulchre hillocks or [[burial mounds]] of the [[Tumulus culture]]. Following them in the late [[Bronze Age]] the people of the [[Urnfield culture]] continued living there as has been proved by the urn with cremating ashes that has been found in ‘Schadewijk’. Before the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] occupied this area, which they called [[Toxandria]], the [[Eburones]] lived here. From the Roman period there are also archaeological finds. Many shards of Roman [[pottery]] are found between the church of Eersel and the [[hamlet (place)|hamlet]] ‘Schadewijk’. The [[Salian Franks]] that settled the area in the 4th century became known as [[Toxandrians]]. After the Roman time the region has been virtually depopulated.

The [[Franks]] established themselves round 700 again in the region.  They lived where high and lower grounds were laying close to each other. One of those high grounds was '''Ereslo'''. As from this time there is a form of government authority in this area. The Franks build their farms around a triangular square. This kind of settlement was called a domain which was the property of the high nobility of the Franks.

The oldest known written indication of Eersel is found in the manuscript [[Codex Aureus of Echternach]] (or Liber Aureus) of the [[Abbey of Echternach]].  In this document is a [[charter]] included in which a certain [[Aengilbertus]], son of late [[Gaobertus]], with approval of his brother [[Verengaotus]] gives the property of the domain '''Eresloch''' to [[Willibrord|Saint Willibrord]]. 
In this registration of the year 712 the name of ‘Ereslo’ was transferred wrong to ‘Eresloch’. 
Wilibrord on his behalf gave the heritage to the Abbey of Echternach in [[Luxembourg]].
To approximately the year 1000 Eersel belonged to the [[county]] of [[Toxandri|Taxandria]].
Thereafter it came under the influence of [[earl]] of [[Guelders]]. The Earl of [[Leuven]] extends its area to the north and in 1203 the region definitively became a part of [[Duchy of Brabant|Brabant]]. Trading started to develop and Eersel became a cross point for the routes of [[Leuven]] and [['s-Hertogenbosch]] and of [[Antwerp]] and [[Turnhout]]. The triangular court of the village 'Hint' (now still visible), was extended in southern direction. The new oval square became ‘de Markt’ (the Market) constructed for the trade as a parking place for  [[cart]]s. Around arose the characteristic buildings for digest and boardinghouses such as taverns. But also stables for horses with the requirements like a blacksmith.
In 1325 Eersel obtained the rights of ‘freedom’ ([[Town privileges]]) from  [[John III, Duke of Brabant|Duke Jan III of Brabant]]. On this basis the inhabitants could designate as of now their own governor. Eersel became the head of regional  [[schepen]]bank of [[Hapert]], [[Hoogeloon]], [[Vessem]], [[Knegsel]], [[Steensel]], [[Bergeijk]], [[Westerhoven]], [[Dommelen]] en [[Borkel en Schaft]].

Around the 14th century Eersel became prosperous and the monumental tower of Eersel was built, together with those of [[Steensel]] and [[Duizel]]. In 1464 between the market and ‘het Hint’  a chapel was built in Eersel.

After the [[Middle Ages]] the region became more poorly and the villages did not grow between 1500 and 1800. This is the period of the ‘Teuten’ a traveling trading people, who were touring from village to village with [[artisan]] and [[merchant]] services, like [[coppersmith]], wig-maker, also some veterinary surgeon like horse, ram, bull and pig castrating, and trade in goods like pottery, kitchen-utensil, bed-clothes, linen, lace, silk and other textile manufactures. They were no gypsies but build their homes in a central place like Eersel and traveled to other regions and lands from there.  One of the remainder of this time are the houses of the ‘Teuten’ at the market. In 1800 at the time of [[William I of the Netherlands|King Willem I]] there came some improvement. The provincial road to Eindhoven and the road to [[Postel Abbey|Postel]] was hardened and a [[Tram#Steam|steam tram]] [[Tramway (industrial)|railway]] was manufactured. (1897)

In 1923 Eersel absorbed the former municipality of [[Duizel en Steensel]].<ref>{{Repertorium Nederlandse Gemeenten}}</ref> Since 1900 the reclaiming of cleared bush ground had taken place and the rise of the [[cigar|cigar industry]]. During the crisis, the cigar industry ensured that unemployment was not very large, although the living then in Eersel was reasonable poverty. Eersel still enjoys a reputation as one of the largest cigar exporters of the Netherlands and takes still an important place on the world market of cigar producers. After the [[Second World War]] there was a fast increase of population from 3,700 to 12,500 inhabitants in Eersel.

== Places of interest ==
* The church of Saint Willibrord 
The original version of the church of Eersel was a simply wooden cottage and was possibly founded by the ([[Catholic Church|Catholic]]) abbey of Echternach . The church was mentioned for the first time in 1480. Tower dates from second half of the 14th century. The flaunting piece of the church is the monumental organ. It was entirely restored in 1972, under realm monument care. It is a combination of work of two famous organ builders: Bernard Petrus van Hirtum from [[Hilvarenbeek]] (1838) and the Smits Brothers from [[Reek (Netherlands)|Reek]] (1852).

* The Chapel of Our Lady of Campina
It is built in 1464 in Gothic style and is the oldest building of the market. After the [[Peace of Münster]] it was closed for mass service and was used as Council house, as prison and repository for the fire-engine. 
It was used for 300 years as a townhall up to 1948 before it was returned to the church and used as a chapel again.

* Protestant church
The [[Protestantism|Protestant]] [[church (building)|church]] was built first in 1812, and has been rebuilt in 1861. It is a simple barge stone build church. The ceiling has an arbor, contributing to very good acoustics.

==Notable residents==
* [[Bertus Borgers]] (born 1947 in Vessem) a Dutch saxophone player
* [[Wil van der Aalst]] (born 1966 in Eersel) a Dutch computer scientist and academic

== Gallery ==
<gallery mode=packed>
File:Eersel - Nederland.JPG|De Markt van Eersel (gemeente en plaats)
File:2019-04-26 Kapel begraafplaats kerk Vessem.jpg|Kapel begraafplaats kerk Vessem
File:5521 Eersel, Netherlands - panoramio.jpg|Eersel
File:Overzicht beekherstel - Vessem - 20528546 - RCE.jpg|Overzicht beekherstel - Vessem
</gallery>

== References ==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline}}
*[http://www.eersel.nl Official website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161212025413/http://www.eersel.nl/ |date=2016-12-12 }}
* [http://www.geschiedeniseersel.nl Geschiedenis Eersel]

{{Geographic location
 | Centre    = Eersel
 | North     = [[Oirschot]]
 | East      = [[Eindhoven]]<br>[[Veldhoven]]
 | South     = [[Bergeijk]]
 | West      = [[Bladel]]
}}
{{Dutch municipality Eersel}}
{{North Brabant Province}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Populated places established in the 8th century]]
[[Category:Eersel| ]]
[[Category:Municipalities of North Brabant]]
[[Category:Populated places in North Brabant]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Tumulus culture]]