The Miracle of Empel

 

The Miracle of Empel or the Battle of Empel took place in 1585 during the Eighty Years' War between the Netherlands and Spain, in which 4,000 Spanish soldiers escaped destruction by Dutch troops in the Brabant town of Empel.

At that time, the Brabant town of Empel was occupied by Spanish troops, who were surrounded by Dutch ships on the river Maas. The situation seemed hopeless for the Spaniards, who were trapped like rats. The gunners on the ships fired continuously at the Spanish positions from 4 to 7 December.

Escape was impossible, because they had no food, fuel or shelter. So they started digging trenches around a dilapidated church. While digging, a Spanish soldier came across a painting of the Immaculate Conception. The Spaniards placed the painting in the church and began to pray to Mary.

The next day, December 8, the feast day of the Immaculate Conception, a miracle happened. It started to freeze and as a result the Dutch fleet had to flee the flooded polder towards the Maas. The Spanish took the opportunity to seek refuge in the Spanish-minded Den Bosch.

The Miracle of Empel. That brings hundreds of Spaniards to Brabant every year. This year (2024) the main language will be Spanish again in Empel aan de Maas during "El Milagro de Empel". The emotions were visible on their faces. Just under three hundred mostly deeply religious Spanish soldiers and their families attended the seventeenth edition of the commemoration of The Miracle of Empel. The Spanish were in the majority in the various parts. This commemoration is not alive in the majority of the Empel population.