Uden’s ties with Little Chute emigration based

UDEN – The Eastern Brabant town of Uden, which for centuries belonged to the independent entity of Ravenstein, only became part of the Dutch Republic in 1795, the start of its economic decline in the general malaise caused by Napoleon’s economic policies and wars. It set the stage for departures a few decades later. Responding to the urgings of Dutch-American missionary Theodore van de Broek, a party of villagers joined the priest in 1848 on his trip back to the U.S.A., where they settled in the region around DePere, Wisconsin. Local historian Wim Rovers examined Uden’s emigration history at a recent meeting in which he covered the period from 1848 to 1960. Uden still maintains a special relationship with Little Chute, Wisconsin. The settlement, which has a high concentration of Brabant and Limburg settlers, is currently trying to realize a new, life-sized windmill heritage project of $2.8 million.