Goes

For other uses, see Goes (disambiguation).

Goes
City and Municipality
Harbour of Goes Harbour of Goes
Flag of Goes Flag Coat of arms of Goes Coat of arms
Location in Zeeland Location in Zeeland
Coordinates:
Country	Netherlands
Province	Zeeland
Government
• Body	Municipal council
• Mayor	René Verhulst (CDA)
Area
• Total	101.92 km2 (39.35 sq mi)
• Land	92.68 km2 (35.78 sq mi)
• Water	9.24 km2 (3.57 sq mi)
Elevation	−1 m (−3 ft)
Population (May 2014)
• Total	37,050
• Density	400/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Goesenaar
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postcode	4460–4483
Area code	0113
Website	www.goes.nl

File:Goes, Grote of Maria Magdelenakerk foto7 2009-09-25 16.11.JPG

church: Maria Magdalenakerk

File:TV-Tower Goes by Night.jpg

The TV-Tower

File:NS-station Goes.jpg

Front of the railway station in Goes

Goes () is a municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on Zuid-Beveland, in the province of Zeeland. The town of Goes has approximately 27,000 residents.

History

Goes was founded in the 10th century on the edge of a creek: de Korte Gos (the Short Gos). The village grew fast, and in the early 12th century it had a market square and a church devoted to Mary Magdalene. In 1405 Goes received city rights from William, Duke of Bavaria, by his right as count of Holland, and in 1417 it was allowed to build town walls. The prosperity of the city was based upon the cloth industry and the production of salt. In the 16th century Goes declined. Its connection to the sea silted up and in 1554 a large fire destroyed part of the city.

In Autumn 1572, during the course of the Eighty Years' War, Goes, in the Spanish Netherlands, was besieged by Dutch forces with the support of English troops. The siege was relieved in October 1572 by Spanish Tercios, who waded across the Scheldt to attack the besieging forces. In 1577 the Spanish soldiers who occupied Goes were driven out by Prince Maurits of Nassau. The prince built a defence wall around Goes, which is still partly standing. From the 17th century Goes did not play an important role, except as an agricultural centre. In 1868 a railway was constructed through it, but this did not lead to industrialisation. Agriculture remains the most important economic activity.

Although The Netherlands were neutral in the First World War, seven bombs hit Goes and Kloetinge, due to an error by a British airplane. A house in Magdalenastreet in Goes was destroyed and one person killed. Goes did not suffer extensive damage during the Second World War, but was under German occupation until 1944.

Goes did not experience much population growth until the 1970s and 1980s. Then, the city grew fast because of new districts like Goese Meer, Oostmolenpark, Overzuid and Ouverture being constructed. Goes is now the fourth largest economic centre in Zeeland. New districts are in preparation, amongst them Goese Schans, Mannee and Aria, where 3,000 new houses are to be built.

Population centers

• Eindewege
• Goes
• 's-Heer Arendskerke
• 's-Heer Hendrikskinderen
• Kattendijke
• Kloetinge
• Oud-Sabbinge
• Wilhelminadorp
• Wolphaartsdijk

Topography

500px

Dutch Topographic map of Goes (town), Sept. 2014.

Districts

• Centre Goes
• West Goes
• New West
• East Goes
• Noordhoek
• Goese Meer
• Goese Polder
• South Goes
• Overzuid
• Ouverture
• De Goese Poort (business area)
• De Poel (I, II, III en IV, business area)
• Klein Frankrijk (business area)
• Marconi (business area)
• Aria (developing)
• Mannee (developing)
• Goese Schans (developing)

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in The Netherlands

Twin towns — sister cities

Goes is twinned with:

• Panevėžys, Lithuania

Transportation

Railway Station: Goes

On the railway line between Vlissingen and Roosendaal.

See also

• Roel Felius
• Frank Harthoorn

External links

• Media related to at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website (Dutch)