Woensdrecht is a village in the municipality of Woensdrecht, North Brabant, Netherlands. Woensdrecht is known for Woensdrecht Air Base, a military air base.

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Woensdrecht
Village
Mattemburgh
Woensdrecht Location in the province of North Brabant in the Netherlands Show map of North Brabant Woensdrecht Woensdrecht (Netherlands) Show map of Netherlands
Coordinates: 51°25′46″N 4°17′57″E
Country	Netherlands
Province	North Brabant
Municipality	Woensdrecht
Area [1]
• Total	14.94 km2 (5.77 sq mi)
Elevation [2]	1.2 m (3.9 ft)
Population  (2021)[1]
• Total	1,475
• Density	99/km2 (260/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	4634[1]
Dialing code	0164

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The village was first mentioned in 1249 as Wunsdrecht. The etymology is unclear.^[3] Woensdrecht developed in the Middle Ages on the border of sand and clay ground.^[4] In 1583 and 1584, the village was destroyed during the Eighty Years' War and was resettled after 1590.^[5]

Woensdrecht was home to 792 people in 1840.^[5] During the 20th century, Woensdrecht and Hoogerheide merged into a single urban area.^[4] In 1935, a little airfield was built near the village. During World War II, Woensdrecht Air Base became a large military airport, and remained a military airport after the war. In 1944, it was severely damaged by war, and the ruinous church tower has remained.^[5]

In 1983, it was announced that 48 nuclear cruise missiles were to be installed in Woensdrecht and the village became the site of frequent anti-nuclear protests. Despite strong opposition against nuclear weapons, the government decided to place the cruise missiles, but with a two-year delay.^[6] On 8 December 1987, the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty was signed which resulted in a cancellation of the cruise missiles in the Netherlands.^[7]