Audio fragment: The headstrong village

This audio fragment is part of the Textielroute Land van de Peel. View the route at visitbrabant.com/landvandepeeltextileroutemadeinbrabant.

[Uncle Kees]: 'Welcome to Gemert, the most stubborn village in the wide vicinity.'

[Anton]: 'Well, well. With Carnival, things can really get wild around here, yes. But stubborn?'

[Uncle Kees]: 'Certainly, and I'm not just saying that. Did you know that Gemert was an independent state until just over 220 years ago? The village was for centuries a sort of Monaco, with the noble family Van Gemert as its lord.'

[Anton]: 'Ah, now some puzzle pieces are suddenly falling into place. This castle...'

[Uncle Kees]: ‘...is indeed the castle where the noble family lived. Other lordships, as they were called back then, were annexd by the Duke of Brabant. But Gemert, therefore, not.'

[Anton]: 'How did that happen?'

[Uncle Kees]: 'Gemert was part of the powerful Teutonic Order. They were crusaders. Together with landowners and local nobility, they set the rules. There has indeed been bloodshed over Gemert throughout the years. But the mini-state remained independent.'

[Anton]: 'Now I understand why you call the residents of Gemert stubborn. A tad contrary, perhaps even.'

[Uncle Kees]: 'Exactly. And the nice thing is that Gemert proudly carries its history. Just take a look at the shutters of the castle: they are not just black and white. These are the colors of the Teutonic Order. If you pay attention, you'll see that color combination here in many more places.'