Grave (electoral district)

Grave was first created as a single-seat provisional electoral district ahead of the inaugural 1848 general election. Situated in the northeast of the province of North Brabant, its territory corresponded roughly to the modern municipalities of Oss, Maashorst and Land van Cuijk. It was named after the city of Grave. The district was disestablished again in 1850, with the area split between the existing districts of Den Bosch and Eindhoven, and the newly created district of Boxmeer.^[1][2]

Grave was recreated as a single-seat district in 1888 out of parts of the same three districts, which were reduced from two-seat to single-seat districts. Its boundaries remained the same throughout the electoral district's existence, and were broadly similar to that of its first creation, though it lacked the area around Uden, which remained in the district of Den Bosch. The district of Grave was primarily agricultural.^[1][2]

In 1848, the district had a population of 22,670. Upon its recreation in 1888, it had a population of 45,384, which would gradually increase to 48,241 in 1909. Around 97% of the population was Catholic, with the remainder being mostly Dutch Reformed.^[3]

The district of Grave was abolished upon the introduction of party-list proportional representation in 1918.