Zwijndrecht, Netherlands

Zwijndrecht? / I [ zʋɛi̯ndɾɛxt ] is a village and municipality in the Dutch province of South Holland, with 44.625 inhabitants ( 1 January 2013) and an area of ​​22.77 square miles ( 20.38 km ² of land, 2.39 km ² water). It lies on the river island IJsselmonde and adjacent to Hendrik -Ido- Ambacht ( with its buildings the city is already completely merged ), Barendrecht and Ridderkerk, near Rotterdam. Within the municipality of Zwijndrecht is also since 2003 the village and former municipality Heerjansdam. Zwijndrecht working for years as a suburb of the city of Dordrecht, which lies south of it on top of the Oude Maas. The Einwohnerzalhl drops quite a few years slowly.

Places

• Zwijndrecht, where the local government is
• Heerjansdam

Location and economic

Zwijndrecht lies on the northern shore of Rheinarms Oude Maas River, just opposite Dordrecht, and on the North Channel and the Beneden- Merwede branch of the Rhine. This " Three Rivers Eck" is the busiest waterway in the Netherlands. Zwijndrecht has a station on the railway line Rotterdam - Dordrecht - Breda / Roosendaal - Antwerp. Is the railway junction for Rotterdam belonging only Dutch marshalling yard Kijfhoek then at this station and the neighboring village of Barendrecht. Zwijndrecht is located along the A16 Rotterdam - Dordrecht. Between Zwijndrecht and Dordrecht this highway passes through a tunnel under the water Oude Maas.

The industry produces, inter alia, concrete; there are some shipyards. Much trade in Zwijndrecht owes its existence near the Port of Rotterdam. In Zwijndrecht but also live quite a few commuters who work in Dordrecht, Rotterdam, etc..

History

The name comes from Zwijndrecht mandatory (standing only submerged at high tide gutter; compare Zwin in Bruges ) and drecht (ferry, ford, crossing point, compare the many other local places with names ending in- drecht ). As the place was in 1005 or 1006 first mentioned in a document, it was still possible at low tide, Dordrecht reach of dry foot here. There were isolated cases already dikes, but these were of a storm surge in 1322, unable to cope. Then prescribed Count William III. of Holland in collaboration with the influential Mr Hendrik ( Heinrich) van Brederode 1331 embankment of the river islands. Everyone who carried out part of the embankment or allowed to run was " Ambachtsheer " (Official Mr ) of the polder lands newly acquired. Then came several places, including Hendrik -Ido- Ambacht, Heerjansdam and an extension of Zwijndrecht. During this time it was not a real village, but only to the " waard " (Werder ), an entire reclaimed area. But even after the area was hit a few times by floods, of which Elisabeth flood in November 1421 was the worst.

In the Middle Ages these places developed by fishing villages to farmers and gardeners settlements. From the 15th century onwards to Zwijndrecht developed as a center of the salt trade; later but especially also as agrarian center. In 1850 began the Zwijndrechter gardener to export vegetables to the UK and Germany. As in 1900, the Marine had increased greatly between Rotterdam and the Ruhr over the Rhine, the village changed into a small industrial town. Meanwhile, many large companies Zwijndrecht have left after 1975 for environmental and cost reasons.

Twinning

• Zwijndrecht (Belgium )
• Poprad ( Slovakia)
• Norderstedt in Schleswig- Holstein ( Germany )

Attractions

• The sculpture garden in one of the city parks
• The village church of Heerjansdam ( built in the 15th century )

Sons and daughters of the town

• Peter van Dalen (born 1958 ), Dutch politician