Vlodrop

History

The village was first mentioned in 943 as Flothorp. The etymology is unclear. Vlodorp developed in the Middle Ages. In 1277, it became part of the Duchy of Gelre. The Catholic St Martinus Church is a three aisled basilica-like church built between 1929 and 1930. It was severely damaged in 1945. The church was restored between 1946 and 1947, and the tower was rebuilt in 1954. Vlodrop was a separate municipality until 1991, when it was merged with Melick en Herkenbosch. In 1990, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founder of the Transcendental Meditation program, moved his headquarters to the grounds of the former monastery, Kolleg St. Ludwig and it became the home of Maharishi European Research University. The world-famous roller coaster manufacturer Vekoma is based in Vlodrop.