Austerlitz, Netherlands
| Austerlitz | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates: 52°4′43″N 5°19′0″E / 52.07861°N 5.31667°ECoordinates: 52°4′43″N 5°19′0″E / 52.07861°N 5.31667°E | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Province | Utrecht |
| Municipality | Zeist |
| Population | 1,525 |
Austerlitz (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈʌu̯stərlɪts]) is a town in the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is a part of the municipality of Zeist, and lies about 6 km east of Zeist.
In 2001 the town of Austerlitz had 1,254 inhabitants. The built-up area of the town was 0.23 km², and contained 481 residences.[1] Including both the village itself and the surrounding area, the neighbourhood of Austerlitz has about 1580 inhabitants.[2]
History
The town was founded on 17 August 1806 on the location of a French army camp. It was given its name by King Louis Napoleon of Holland in honour of the victory of his brother, emperor Napoleon in the Battle of Austerlitz.
Close to the town, there is an artificial hill called the Pyramid of Austerlitz (52°05′25″N 5°20′34″E / 52.0904°N 5.3428°E), actually part of the municipality Woudenberg. It was built in 1804 by the soldiers of general Auguste Marmont.
Due to instability of the slopes it was closed to the public for a time.
The pyramid is now open to the public at weekends, but there is a small entrance fee which goes towards continued restoration and upkeep of the monument.
References
- ↑ Statistics Netherlands (CBS), Bevolkingskernen in Nederland 2001 Archived March 19, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.. Statistics are for the continuous built-up area.
- ↑ Statistics Netherlands, 2007. Figures are for the year 2006. Statistics are available in Google Earth format. Statistical areas "Austerlitz" and "Verspreide huizen Austerlitz".