Schiedam
| Schiedam | |||
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| Nickname(s): Brandersstad | |||
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| Coordinates: 51°54′42″N 04°23′58″E / 51.91167°N 4.39944°E | |||
| Country | Netherlands | ||
| Province | South Holland | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Joan Leemhuis-Stout (interim) (VVD) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 19.89 km2 (7.68 sq mi) | ||
| • Land | 18.18 km2 (7.02 sq mi) | ||
| • Water | 1.71 km2 (0.66 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2005) | |||
| • Total | 75,111 | ||
| • Density | 3,768/km2 (9,760/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CETDST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postcode | 3111 - 3125 | ||
| Website | http://www.schiedam.nl | ||
Schiedam ([sχiˈdɑm] (
listen)) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It is part of the Rotterdam metropolitan area. The city is located west of Rotterdam, east of Vlaardingen and south of Delft. In the south it is connected with the village of Pernis by the Beneluxtunnel.
It is known because of its historical center with its canals, and the tallest old windmills in the world. Schiedam is also known for the production of jenever (gin) - such as the internationally-renowned Ketel One - so much so that in French and English the word schiedam (usually without a capital s-) refers to the town's Holland gin. This was the town's main industry during the early Industrial Revolution in the 18th and 19th century, a dark period to which it owed its former nickname "Zwart Nazareth" of "black Nazareth".
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[edit] History
Around the year 1250 the river Schie was dammed to protect the polderland from the seawater. The dam attracted trade activities because goods for and from the hinterland had to be transhipped. A small town developed around the dam and its activities.
In the year 1275 Schiedam received city rights from Aleida van Avesnes, sister of William II, count of Holland.
The 18th century was Schiedam's Golden Age, when the gin industry flourished. Five windmills in the town, called De Noord, Walvisch, Drie Koornbloemen, Nieuwe Palmboom and Vrijheid, and many storehouses are relicts of this past. In one of the former factories at the Lange Haven the Jenever Museum is established.
On 10 august 1856 the first major train accident in the Netherlands happened near the Schiedam railway station, causing 3 deaths. On 4 May 1976 the Schiedam train disaster took place near the station which caused 24 deaths.[1]
[edit] Geography
The city of Schiedam is located in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is enclosed between Rotterdam (east), Vlaardingen (west) and the river Nieuwe Maas (south).
[edit] Demographics
[edit] Population
- 2004 - 75,619
- 2006 - 75,111
[edit] Attractions
[edit] Museums
- Het Stedelijk Museum
- Het Gedistilleerd Museum Jenever Museum
- Het Borrelmuseum (in 't Spul on Hoogstraat)
- Museummolen De Nieuwe Palmboom
- Nationaal Coöperatie Museum Schiedam / 't Winkeltje
- Artgallery 't Walvisch
[edit] Monuments
- The old city hall (Het Oude stadhuis) (photo)
- The canals of Schiedam
- The Wheat Exchange (De Korenbeurs)
- Church of Saint John (Sint Jan)
- The ruins of the castle Huis te Riviere (photo)
- Saint Lidwina basilica (photo)
- De Plantage
- The Porters' Guild House (Het Zakkendragershuisje)
- Het Proveniershuis
- The historical windmills of Schiedam. This includes De Noord the tallest windmill in the world which is used as a restaurant.
[edit] Events
- De Brandersfeesten
- The National Windmill Days (Nationale Molen- & Gemalen dag)
[edit] Sport
The most popular sports in Schiedam are soccer and also field hockey. Cricket is more popular in Schiedam than in most other Dutch cities.[2]
[edit] People from Schiedam
- Maarten Biesheuvel (born 1939) - Dutch writer
- Rob Cordemans (born 1974) - Dutch baseball player
- Luc Castaignos (born 1992) - footballer, currently playing for Internazionale FC.
- Rinus Gosens (born 1920) - footballer
- Herman Heinsbroek (born 1951) - Dutch entrepreneur and former Minister of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands
- Erik Jazet (born 1971) - hockey player and coach
- Ali El Khattabi (born 1977) - footballer
- Danny Koevermans (born 1978) - footballer
- Saint Lidwina (1380–1433) - Catholic saint
- Robert Maaskant (born 1969) - footballer
- Piet Paaltjes pen name of Francois Haverschmidt (1835–1894) - Protestant clergyman and romantic author
- Patricia Paay - singer and now tv juror
- Rien Poortvliet (1932–1995) - sketcher and painter
- Jan van Riebeeck - (1619–1677), colonial administrator and founder of Cape Town (South Africa). Van Riebeeck grew up in Schiedam, although he was born in Culemborg, Netherlands.
- Andre van Troost (born 1972) - English County cricket player (Somerset)
- Pieter van Vollenhoven (born 1939) - husband of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands
- Pauline van der Wildt (born 1944) - swimmer
- Elizabeth Witmer (born 1946) - member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada
- John de Wolf (born 1962) - footballer
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Schiedam |
- Official site
- Historical Society Schiedam
- World's Tallest Windmills - Schiedam Holland
- Windmills of Schiedam, official site
[edit] References
- ^ (Dutch) "Eerste treinramp met doden ook bij Schiedam". Dagblad van het Noorden. May 1, 2004. http://www.archiefleeuwardercourant.nl/vw/article.do?id=DVHN-20040501-DW01006004&vw=org&lm=treinramp%2Cschiedam. Retrieved December 02, 2011.
- ^ FT.com / Arts & Weekend / Sport - Hail Holland, world cricket's unlikely lads
