Culemborg

Culemborg
—  Municipality  —
Flag Coat of arms
Coordinates: 51°57′N 5°13′E
Country	Netherlands
Province	Gelderland
Area(2006)
• Total	31.18 km2 (12 sq mi)
• Land	29.58 km2 (11.4 sq mi)
• Water	1.60 km2 (0.6 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2007)
• Total	27,177
• Density	919/km2 (2,380.2/sq mi)
	Source: CBS, Statline.
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)

Culemborg (formerly also spelled Kuilenburg or Kuylenburgh) is a municipality and a city in the centre of the Netherlands. The city is situated just south of the Lek River. The cities of Utrecht and 's-Hertogenbosch can easily be reached by train.

It received city rights in 1315.

In Joannes Blaeu's map of 1649, Culemborg remains entirely enclosed by walls behind its city moat-like encircling canals. The moated castle stands outside the city walls. Houses present a united front along streets and the two canals that cut the city in three sections, but they all face gardens behind, and market gardens are plentiful within the city walls.

In 1995, Culemborg was one of the cities which was temporarily evacuated because of the risk of flooding.

Culemborg in Joan Blaeu's map from his Tooneel der Steeden, 1649

Transportation

Culemborg is served by Culemborg railway station, which offers trains to Utrecht (city) 4x per hour and 2x per hour to 's-Hertogenbosch and Tiel each. The railway station also provides a bus hub, offering buses to the various neighbouring cities and villages (namely Buren, Beusichem and Nieuwegein).

Race riots

On new years eve 2009/2010 longer existing tensions between Dutch-Moroccan and Dutch-Moluccan youth culminated in violent race riots in the district of Terweijde. The riots escalated when a group of 5 Moroccans drove a car into a group of Moluccans standing in a garden in front of a house, although tension had been growing after a car was set on fire a few days earlier.

Stringent measures were taken to prevent further escalation of violence. Terweijde was subjected to emergency regulations and a ban on large public gatherings was brought into effect in the wake of the increased tension between the two ethnic groups.

Notable people from Culemborg

• Anthony van Diemen (1593–1645), Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
• Jan van Riebeeck (1619–1677), colonial administrator and founder of Cape Town (South Africa)
• Otto van Rees (1823-1892), minister and Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies
• Wilhelmina Cooper (May 1, 1939 – March 1, 1980), fashion model and founder of Wilhelmina Models, New York
• Rudi Martinus van Dijk (1932–2003), classical composer
• Elly van Hulst (born 1959), middle distance runner
• Arjan Vermeulen (born 1969), football player
• Patrick Pothuizen (born 1972), football player
• Jelka van Houten (born 1978), actress
• Michiel Elijzen (born 1982), bicycle racer

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Culemborg

• Dutch: 79.4%
• Black people: 1.9%
• European: 8.6%
• Arabs: 7.9%
• Other non Western: 4.0%:

External links

• (Dutch) Official website
• (Dutch) Map
• Site focusing on Sinterklaas in Culemborg. Only online in Sinterklaas periods.