Son en Breugel

History

The villages of Son and Breugel were founded between the 12th and 14th centuries. The villages developed quickly; some 300 households (150 household for each village) occupied the two villages during the 15th century. According to Karel van Mander's 1604 Schilder-boeck, the painter Pieter Bruegel the Elder was born in the village of Breugel. Both Son as well as Breugel were hit badly during the Eighty Years' War, and the number of households in the two villages shrank down to approximately 140 (which translates to approximately 600 - 800 inhabitants). However, both villages managed to recover from this setback. During the reign of Napoleon, both villages were combined into one municipality. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the population stayed relatively stable at about 1,500 inhabitants. However, between 1910 and 1940 the population increased from 1,600 to 3,500 inhabitants when people started moving to the village for economic reasons. It was the scene of heavy fighting at the end of the Second World War, particularly during Operation Market Garden. From 1960 onwards, Son en Breugel continued to grow. As of January 1 2024, the number of inhabitants was estimated at 17,000.