Oosterbeek

Oosterbeek
Coordinates:
Country	Netherlands
Province	Gelderland
Municipality	Renkum
Population (1 January 2008)	11.138

Location of municipality Renkum in the Netherlands

Oosterbeek is a village in the eastern Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Renkum, Gelderland, about 5 km west of Arnhem.

The oldest part of the village of Oosterbeek is the Benedendorp (Lower Village), on the northern bank of the river, the Lower Rhine, a branch of the Rhine. Parts of the church now known as the Hervormde Kerk (Reformed Church) date back to the second half of the 10th century.

In the 19th century several mansions were built on the higher ground to the north of the old village, such as De Hemelse Berg (destroyed in 1944) and Hartenstein. The construction of smaller buildings in the same area eventually led to the Bovendorp (Upper Village).

Today, Oosterbeek is probably best known for being involved in and heavily damaged during the September 1944 Battle of Arnhem. General Urquhart had his headquarters in the aforementioned Hartenstein, which is now home to the Airborne Museum. To the north of the built-up area lies the Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery.

In Oosterbeek is also the location of Hotel de Bilderberg, where the Bilderberg Group first met in 1954.

Oosterbeek was a separate municipality until 1818, when the area was divided between Doorwerth and Renkum.

Oosterbeek School

Willem Roelofs (1867): Landscape with cattle in Oosterbeek (Gelderland province) - Amsterdam Museum.

This place has become particularly known as Osterbeek school. Art historically this is the place where Dutch Impressionism had its origin. The art colony must be seen in the context with the place of Wolfheze. The life of the artist took place between those two locations. Art historians call this the Barbizon of the North. The most sucsessful time had been from 1841 til 1870, before they turned to Laren, Kortenhoef, Egmond aan Zee, Katwijk aan Zee, Scheveningen or Noordwijk. There they founded new art colonies or painters' villages. Dutch Impressionism lived on in these new locations and continued to develop.

Important names are Gerard Bilders, Paul Gabriël, Barend Cornelis Koekkoek, Jacob Maris, Matthijs Maris, Willem Maris, Anton Mauve, Hendrik Mesdag, Willem Roelofs, Jan Hendrik Weissenbruch.

During this time they founded the Pulchri Studio at The Hague and led this painting colony into the well known 2nd Golden Age of Dutch painting. Thus they became the forrunners of the later following art movement of Modern art in the Netherlands.

Transport

Oosterbeek has a railway station, which had opened on 16 May 1845. It is on the Amsterdam–Arnhem railway (Rhijnspoorweg). Outside the station is a bus stop, which operates through to Het Duifje to Arnhem.

Airborne March

Every first Saturday of September the commemorative event Airborne March is held. The event started in 1947 and hosts thousands of people who walk in the distances 10 kilometers, 15 kilometers and 25 kilometers individually or in groups. Since the early years of the twenty-first century individuals can also walk the 40 kilometer distance.

Well-known people

Football trainer Ronald Koeman (Photo by Paul Blank) used to live in Oosterbeek

• Eric Corton (1969) - singer, actor, presenter (born in Oosterbeek)
• Albertino Essers (1969) - darts player
• Esmée Denters (1988) - singer
• Ronald Koeman (1969) - ex Footballer, current coach of Southampton (lived in Oosterbeek for a couple of years)
• Jan Beelaerts van Blokland (1909-2005) - soldier and member of the resistance
• Jette van der Meij (1954) - actress

Photos

• 2007-02-03 10.15 Oosterbeek, kerk.JPG

  The Roman Catholic St. Bernulphus Church (1884)

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  The Reformed Church

• Oosterbeek 1867.jpg

  A map of Oosterbeek (1867)

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  War Monument

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  The Hartenstein Airborne Museum

External links

• Website of municipality Renkum(Dutch)
• Map of Oosterbeek in 1868