Dussen is a village in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is a part of the municipality of Altena, and is located about 12 km south of Gorinchem. Dussen Castle is located near the village.
Dussen
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Village
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Flag 
Coat of arms | |
  Dussen Location in the province of North Brabant in the Netherlands Show map of North Brabant Dussen Dussen (Netherlands) Show map of Netherlands | |
| Coordinates: 51°44′N 4°58′E / 51.733°N 4.967°E / 51.733; 4.967 | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Province | North Brabant |
| Municipality | Altena |
| Area | |
| • Total | 14.45 km2 (5.58 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 2.4 m (7.9 ft) |
| Population
(2021)[1]
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| • Total | 2,525 |
| • Density | 170/km2 (450/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code |
4271[1]
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| Dialing code | 0416 |
The village was first mentioned in 1156 as Iacobus de Dussan, and has been named after a distributary of the Meuse. The etymology of the river is clear.[3] Dussen was destroyed by the St. Elizabeth's flood of 1421. In the late-15th century, the land was reclaimed by poldering. It was flooded again in 1892 and severely damaged in 1944 and 1945 during World War II.[4]
Dussen Castle was built during the 14th century. In 1421, it was destroyed by a flood, and rebuilt about 50 years later. It was severely damaged by Spanish troops during Eighty Years' War, and restored in 1608. Between 1901 and 1922, it served as a monastery, and in 1935 as town hall. In 1945, it was damaged again and restored between 1946 and 1953. The square tower above the gate was not rebuilt.[4] In 1953, it was once again used as town hall. Since 1997, it is used for weddings and cultural activities.[5]
Dussen was home to 1,378 people in 1840.[5] The Dutch Reformed church was not rebuilt after World War II. The Catholic church was rebuilt in 1953 in pre-fab steel and concrete which was unusual at the time. It is built slightly elevated to be able to withstand floods. In 2021, it was converted into 20 apartments.[5]
Dussen was a separate municipality until 1997, when it was merged with Werkendam. Before 1908, the name of the municipality was "Dussen, Munster en Muilkerk".[6]
