History
The villages of Son and Breugel were founded between the 12th and 14th centuries. The villages developed quickly; some 300 households (150 each) were reported in both villages during the 15th century. However, both Son as well as Breugel were hit badly during the Eighty Years' War, and the number of households shrank to some 140 (with a total of 600 - 800 inhabitants). However, both villages managed to recover.
During the reign of Napoleon, both villages are combined into one municipality. Until the beginning of the 20th century, the population stayed relatively stable at some 1,500 persons. However, between 1910 and 1940 the population increased from 1,600 to 3,500 when people started moving to the village for economic reasons. It was the scene of heavy fighting at the end of the Second World War, particularly during Operation Market Garden. From 1960 onwards, Son en Breugel continued to grow. As of August 2002, the number of inhabitants was 15,000.
Read more about this topic: Son En Breugel
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