Breda lies near the Belgian frontier in western Noord-Brabant, at the junction of the rivers Mark and Aa. A cultural center, with numerous research and educational institutions, and the see of a Roman Catholic bishop, it is mainly famed as one of the country's leading industrial towns, with engineering firms, factories producing synthetic fibers
, matches and foodstuffs. It is also an important tourist center with an historic city centre featuring attractive old buildings and moats.
History
Breda grew up in the 12th century under the protection of a castle, received its municipal charter in the mid 13th century and from the late Middle Ages onwards played an important role in the history of the Netherlands. Fortified in 1534 by Count Henry of Nassau, the town withstood numerous sieges. The Compromise of Breda in February 1566 marked the beginning of the revolt of the Netherlands against Spanish rule. In March 1590 Prince Maurice of Nassau took the Spaniards by surprise, bringing 70 men secretly into the town in Adriaan van Bergen's peat boat. The Peace of Breda in 1667 ended the second naval war with Britain and recognized Dutch ownership of the East Indies. The town's fortifications again played an important part during the wars with the French in 1793-95 and 1813. When the navigable river Mark gradually silted up during the 18th century Breda's importance as a trading town declined, but with the coming of the railroad its rise into a major industrial center began.
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