# Timeline of Breda

The following is a timeline of the history of the municipality of Breda, Netherlands.

## Prior to 20th century

* 1252 - Breda granted city status.
* 1267 - Begijnhof (Breda) [nl] founded.
* 1321 - Tuesday market begins.
* 1330 - Building of the city wall started.
* 1350 - Breda Castle built.
* 1351 - Polanen Castle besieged.
* 1394 - Polanen Castle demolished.
* 1410 - Grote Kerk (Breda) begun.
* 1534 - Fortification of the city began.
* 1536 - "Poor relief" established.
* 1547 - Grote Kerk finished.
* 1566 - Iconoclasm by Protestants.
* 1575 - Spanish-Dutch Breda peace conference [nl] held in city.
* 1581 - Capture of Breda by Spanish troops.
* 1590 - 4 March: Capture of Breda (1590) by Maurice, Prince of Orange and Dutch-English forces.
* 1624 - 28 August: Siege of Breda begins.
* 1625 - 5 June: Siege of Breda ends; Spanish in power.
* 1637
** 21 July: Siege of Breda by Dutch forces begins.
** 10 October: Siege of Breda ends; Breda taken by Dutch forces of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange.
** Grote Kerk (church) becomes Protestant.
* 1648 - Breda becomes part of Holland per Treaty of Westphalia.
* 1650 - 1 May: English-Scottish treaty signed in Breda.
* 1660 - April: Charles II of England proclaims the Declaration of Breda while passing through town.
* 1667 - 31 July: Anglo-Dutch treaty signed in Breda.
* 1696 - Breda Castle built by William, prince of Orange.
* 1746/48 - British-French bilateral negotiations at the Congress of Breda.
* 1768 - Breda Town Hall [nl] remodeled.
* 1793 - Siege of Breda; French in power.
* 1813 - Siege of Breda; French military ousted.
* 1817 - Breda coat of arms [nl] adopted.
* 1828 - Royal Military Academy established.
* 1837 - St. Anthony of Padua Cathedral built.
* 1845 - Synagogue built on Schoolstraat.
* 1853 - Roman Catholic Diocese of Breda established.
* 1855 - Breda railway station opens.
* 1863 - Breda–Eindhoven railway begins operating.
* 1870 - City directory begins publication.
* 1883 - Ginnekensche Tramweg Maatschappij [nl] tram begins operating.
* 1886 - Breda courthouse [nl] and Koepelgevangenis (prison) built.
* 1890 - Breda-Oudenbosch tram line [nl] begins operating.
* 1893 - Breda Haagpoort-Breda SS tram line [nl] in operation.
* 1894 - Population: 24,397.
* 1900 - Population: 26,296.

## 20th century

* 1901 - Tram Breda-Mastbosch begins operating.
* 1907 - Eppo Paul van Lanschot [nl] becomes mayor.
* 1912 - NAC Breda football club founded.
* 1919
** Population: 30,044.
** Willem van Sonsbeeck [nl] becomes mayor.
* 1920 - Gemeentetram Breda (tram) begins operating.
* 1921 - NAC Breda wins its first Dutch football championship.
* 1940 - German occupation during World War II begins.
* 1942 - Ginneken and Princenhage become part of Breda.
* 1944
** City liberated by the 1st Polish Armoured Division of General Stanisław Maczek.
** De Stem newspaper begins publication.
* 1952 - Breda flag [nl] design adopted.
* 1953 - Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Breda [nl] built.
* 1955 - Mirabelle (Breda restaurant) in business.
* 1963 - Polish cemetery in Breda [nl] established in Princenhage.
* 1966 - Breda University of Applied Sciences established
* 1975 - Breda railway station rebuilt.
* 1981 - Generaal Maczek Museum [nl] established.
* 1990 - Ed Nijpels becomes mayor.
* 1991 - Sister city partnership signed between Breda and Wrocław, Poland.
* 1995 - Chassé Theater [nl] built.
* 1996
** Rat Verlegh Stadion opened.
** Chris Rutten [nl] becomes mayor.
* 1998 - BN DeStem newspaper in publication.
* 2000 - Population: 160,650.

## 21st century

* 2001
** City joins regional BrabantStad group.
** Moooi in business.
* 2004 - Peter van der Velden [nl] becomes mayor.
* 2007 - Redhead Day begins.
* 2014 - Population: 179,665.
* 2015 - Paul Depla [nl] becomes mayor.