Geleen


Geleen is a city in the southern part of the province of Limburg in the Netherlands. With 31,670 inhabitants in 2020, it is part of the municipality of Sittard-Geleen. Geleen is situated along the river Geleenbeek, a right tributary to the river Meuse. The Latin name for Geleenbeek is Glana, meaning "clear river". The town centre is situated at about 60 m above sea level.

History

Until the end of the 19th century, Geleen was a very small village. Its population was 2,545 in 1899. The remains of one of the oldest prehistoric farms in the Netherlands were found here. In the 20th century the exploitation of coal mines in this area brought a fast population increase. During the 1960s and 1970s the Dutch coal mines, which were all located in this part of the province, were closed. The state mining company DSM remained active in Geleen, however, now purely as a chemicals producer. In July 2002, part of DSM's petrochemicals business, located on the manufacturing locations in Geleen and Gelsenkirchen were acquired by SABIC Europe.

Sports and events

Places of interest

  • Ruins of Jansgeleen Castle, with restored outer bailey and water mill Jansmolen, to the south-east of Geleen, on the territory of the municipality of Beek.
  • Sint-Janskluis, former hermitage from 1699.
  • De Biesenhof, recently restored historical farmhouse.
  • Parish church Sint Marcellinus and Petrus of Oud-Geleen.
  • Drossaerdhuis at Geenstraat.
  • Monument at Geenstraat in memory of the martyr sister Aloysia, the Jewish-Catholic Louise Löwenfels.
  • Main building of Staatsmijn Maurits.
  • Restored former brickyard Plinthos, the present office of park De Graven, at Daniken.
  • Foroxity cinema: the largest cinema in Limburg.
  • Zuyderland Medical Centrum: a fairly recent hospital with modern architecture.
  • Burgemeester Damen Sportpark, the location of the Pinkpop Festival from 1970 to 1986.

Transportation

Geleen is served by two railway stations: Geleen-Lutterade, on the line Sittard-Maastricht, and Geleen Oost, on the line Sittard-Heerlen.
Geleen is also served by two motorways: A2 Amsterdam-Maastricht, exit Urmond, and A76 Antwerp-Aachen, exit Geleen.

Notable people