Breukelen's history dates back to the
7th century, when it was a village named Attingahem. Around the year 720, the first wooden church was built in the village by
Saint Boniface. In the
8th century, a Frisian nobleman named Atte established a settlement there, constructing a fortified farm named the Breukelerhof. During the 17th century, many wealthy
Amsterdam merchant families built their
mansions along the river Vecht. In the
Disaster Year (1672) the village and its vicinity were severely damaged by warfare, if not looted and burned by the French. On 1 January 2011, Breukelen merged with
Loenen and
Maarssen to form
Stichtse Vecht. The
New York City borough of
Brooklyn in the United States is named after Breukelen (see
History of Brooklyn). == Nyenrode Business University ==