Blitterswijck
village in Venray, Netherlands
Blitterswijck (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈblɪtərsʋɛik]; Limburgish: Blitterswik [ˈblɪtəʀswɪk]) is a village in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is a part of the municipality of Venray, and lies about 20 km north of Venlo.
The village was first mentioned in 1242 as "Willem van Blitterswijck", and means "settlement of Blicter (person)". Blitterswijck developed along the Maas near a castle. In 1815, it became part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Castle Blitterswijck probably dated from the 14th century. In 1670, it was restored and redesigned in 1806. The castle was destroyed in 1944 and only ruins remain.
The Catholic Onze Lieve Vrouwe Church is a double aisled church and dated from around 1500. In 1944, it was severely damaged.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Blitterswijck” as village in Venray, Netherlands. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as village in Venray, Netherlands. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 16, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2906656. Authority coordinates are 51.532, 6.106. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1242, 1815, 1670 and 1806.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Blitterswijck”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Blitterswijck primary sources, Blitterswijck archive and Blitterswijck research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Blitterswijck”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Blitterswijck” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.