Mechelen

Mechelen ]; Limburgish: Mechele [ˈmæçələ]) is a town in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is a part of the municipality of Gulpen-Wittem, and lies about 13 km south of Heerlen.The village was first mentioned in 1133 as "de Mechluns", and means "mighty place". It was sometimes called Klein-Mechelen to distinguish from Mechelen. Mechelen developed around a large farm which was donated to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta by Henry III, Duke of Limburg. Until 1795, it was a heerlijkheid except for the commandery and a small part of the village which formed an independent enclave.