Drunen

Drunen is a town in the municipality of Heusden in southern Netherlands. The town is part of a region called the Langstraat ('long road') which is historically known for its leather and shoe industry. Since 1813, Drunen had been a separate municipality, consisting of the towns Drunen, Elshout, and Giersbergen. As of 2017, Drunen's population is 18,216. The center of Drunen is a plaza surrounded by the Sint-Lambertuskerk ('St Lambert's church') and city hall. A number of pubs, restaurants and stores are also located in the middle of town. Drunen was heavily shelled by British Forces in late 1944 in the days prior to liberation from Nazi occupation and its main buildings were heavily damaged or destroyed outright. In consequence, there are few historic buildings. In 2007 the downtown area, including the plaza, was modernized. On 1 January 1997, Drunen was incorporated, along with the municipalities of Heusden and Vlijmen, into the new, enlarged municipality of Heusden, containing the towns Drunen, Elshout, Giersbergen, Heesbeen, Doeveren, Hedikhuizen, Herpt, Oud-Heusden, Heusden, Vlijmen, Nieuwkuijk and Haarsteeg.