Kats

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For other uses, seeKats (disambiguation).

Kats

Town

Coat of arms

The town centre (dark green) and the statistical district (light green) of Kats in the municipality of Noord-Beveland.

Coordinates:5134N353ECoordinates:5134N353E

CountryNetherlands

ProvinceZeeland

MunicipalityNoord-Beveland

Population(1 January 2008)

Total435

Time zoneCET(UTC+1)

Summer (DST)CEST(UTC+2)

Katsis a town in theDutchprovince ofZeeland. It is a part of the municipality ofNoord-Beveland, and lies about 20km east ofMiddelburg.

In 2001, the town of Kats had 286 inhabitants. The built-up area of the town was 0.072km, and contained 162 residences.[1]The statistical area "Kats", which also can include the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 430.

History[edit]In theMiddle agesKats originally prospered asSuburchdijkethe name alluding to connections with the nearby city ofSouburg. The local inhabitants are referred to locally askatsenaersand 150 of them were drowned in flooding caused by a great storm on 5 November 1530, which engulfed the whole island, then in 1532 theElizabethfloodswept away all the remaining buildings.PolderingNoord Beveland (the process the Dutch invented to reclaim land from the sea) didnt start again until 1598 - the villages ofColijnsplaatand Kats were both built on estates at right angles to each other.

The name Kats originates from the family van Kats/van Cats- a certainCathswas granted the deeds. Kats grew very slowly and was blighted by theplaguesof 1603 to 1605 and 1650. By 1629 a windmill had been built and 30 years later in 1659 enough people were living there to establish a reformed church parish. The first minister was Johannes Jones, like other inhabitants of the time he was born in England. The name Jones hints at Welsh ancestry. In 1687 the present day church was built.

In 1922 the mill was demolished. In the thirties discussions were held about redrawing municipal boundaries and in 1941 Kats,ColijnsplaatandKortgenewere joined together as the municipality of Kortgene with its administrative centre in Kortgene, in recent years this has become the municipality ofNoord-Beveland, all administration being transferred to the new council building inWissenkerke. Sections for the suspended road connecting the islands of the massiveNeeltje Jansflood prevention scheme were built at Kats.

Tourism[edit]With art galleries but no shops or cafes present day Kats is a picturesque village set on fire in rural environs it has attracted many resident artists and musicians. Its largely unspoilt dorpstraat (or village street) has won awards for being the prettiest village street in Zeeland. There is a small yachting marina located near the Zeeland Bridge on the Oosterschelde and De Zeeuwse Rozentuin (The Rose garden of Zeeland) is open to the public growing as it does over 1000 varieties of roses spread over more than 4 hectares, it also possesses an open air theatre. The nature reserve De Katseplaat is to be found nearby in the Oosterschelde and its upkeep administered by the Dutch natural monument society or Vereniging tot behoud van natuurmonumenten.

References[edit]1. Jump up^