About the town » Geffen, Gemeente Oss, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands

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Geffen had been an independent town in the Netherlands until 1993, when it became a part of Maasdonk in the province of North Brabant. Archeological findings show that the area had been inhabited since the Stone age (2000 B.C.). The date of settlement is not known. The first time Geffen was mentioned in official documents was on the October 1, 1246. There have been many different names for Geffen, including Ghiffen and Gheneffen. Gheneffen most probably had been created as a fusion between "gen" + "effa", which means "on the water's edge". In the year 1298, Duke Jan II of Brabant granted the town of Geffen rights for peat harvesting. In the following centuries, Geffen became a fiefdom. The Vassal of Geffen resided in the castle of Geffen close to the border of Nuland. During a French raid in the 18th century this castle was destroyed and at this time only the ditch and its fortifications can be found.