Together with ‘s Hertogenbosch, Breda is one of the most important historic cities in the province of Noord-Brabant, which is the country’s largest province and shares a long border with Belgium in the south.
Built at the junction of the Mark (Merk) and Aa rivers it was a direct fief of the Duchy of Brabant. Its earliest known lord was Godfrey I (1125-1170) in whose family it continued until it was sold to Brabant in 1327.
Breda was granted its city charter in 1252. It passed to the Dutch House of Nassau in 1404 and, ultimately, to William I of Orange (1533-84).
It was Hendrik III who built the town’s extensive fortifications and restored the old castle (built by John I of Polanen in 1350). He married Princess Claudia of the French House of Orange, and it was their son René who became the first Prince of Orange-Nassau. René was succeeded in 1544 by William the Silent, who spent most of his life in Breda and led the Dutch revolt against Spanish rule.
The Compromise of Breda (1566) was the first move against Spanish domination, but the city was captured by the Spanish in 1581. It remained in Spanish hands for nine years, during which William the Silent was assassinated in Delft. His successor, Prince Maurice of Nassau, retook Breda in 1590 by hiding his troops in a cargo of peat destined to supply the Spanish garrison with fuel. The peat barge was admitted into Breda’s citadel, where the Dutch soldiers routed the Spanish. The town subsequently surrendered to the Spanish again in 1625 after a nine-month siege (subject of a famous painting by Velázquez), and it was not until 1637 that Prince Frederick Henry finally ejected the Spanish for good. England’s King Charles II lived in Breda during his exile and it was from here that he issued his Declaration of Breda in 1660, outlining his terms for returning to England and accepting the throne. In 1667 the treaty of Breda –between England, the Dutch Republic, France and Denmark- brought to an inconclusive end the second Anglo-Dutch War (1665-67) in which France and Denmark had supported the Dutch. The Dutch position in world trade had not been shaken and England had failed to take over the spice trade. The Dutch had had the military advantage during the war (fought mostly at sea) but were compelled to make peace quickly to deal with Louis XIV’s invasion of the Spanish Netherlands in the War of Devolution. England received the New Netherlands (New York and New Jersey), and some outposts in Africa from the Dutch. The Dutch retained Surinam and control of the East Indies.
In 1696, William of Orange, also King of England, completed the castle (now the Royal Military Academy). During the French Revolution, the city was taken by the French, who occupied it until 1813
Today Breda is an attractive town in Noord Brabant. The city centre has some lovely old buildings like the Grote Kerk (protestant), a medieval Gothic church with a massive tower, the Town Hall, Sint Barbaras Church, the Beguinage, some good museums, and beautiful parks. The atmosphere is relaxed and it also makes an excellent base for exploring the area. For those who enjoy some peace and quiet there are e.g. the extensive wood and fenland recreational reserves of the Biesbos, while the hustle and bustle of cities like Antwerp and Rotterdam is also within easy reach.