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Vlaardingen

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Vlaardingen
Municipality
Flag of Vlaardingen
Flag
Coat of arms of Vlaardingen
Coat of arms
Nickname: 
Haringstad (Herring town)
Location of Vlaardingen
CountryNetherlands
ProvinceSouth Holland
Area
(2006)
 • Total26.71 km2 (10.31 sq mi)
 • Land23.76 km2 (9.17 sq mi)
 • Water2.95 km2 (1.14 sq mi)
Population
 (1 January, 2007)
 • Total71,314
 • Density3,001/km2 (7,770/sq mi)
 Source: CBS, Statline.
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Websitewww.vlaardingen.nl
Old harbour in the centre of Vlaardingen.

Vlaardingen (pronunciationⓘ) is a city in South Holland in the Netherlands. It is located on the north bank of the Nieuwe Maas/Nieuwe Waterweg river at the confluence with the Oude Maas. On the east the city is separated from Schiedam by a motorway. Other places nearby are Maassluis to the west and Schipluiden and Delft to the north. The municipality administers an area of 26.71 km², of which 23.81 km² is land, with 71,938 residents (in May 2006).

The "Haring en Bierfeest" (herring and beer festival) is held each year on the first Saturday of June. In 2003 the mayor decided to close this festivity, because there was a lot of fighting in the city. At the moment this event is called "Vlaardings Loggerfestival".

The centre of the city is on the west side of the old harbour, which is a widened section of the canal (Vlaardingse vaart) which runs from Vlaardingen to the northwest. Some historical buildings in the centre are the Grote Kerk (big church), the old city hall, the Waag (Weighbridge), the Visbank (Fish auction) and the Oude Lijnbaan (literally the Old Line Road, where in the past ropes were made).The Grote Kerk was probably established between 1156 and 1164 and has been expanded, damaged and rebuilt over the centuries. To the north of the old harbour is the old windmill, which is still in operation and sells ground cereals. The harbour itself now seems to be occupied mainly by recreational and antique boats. Near the harbour is a fishing museum.

A Unilever research centre is located in Vlaardingen. There are still some ship repair business(es) in east Vlaardingen beside the Nieuwe Maas River.

History

The area around Vlaardingen was already settled by about 2900BC to 2600BC. In 1990, a skeleton dated at about 1300 BC was dug up at the periphery of Vlaardingen; some human nuclear DNA was identified, the oldest found anywhere in the Netherlands. Between roughly 250 AD and 700 AD the region was uninhabited, like much of the west of the Netherlands. In 726 or 727 the area is again mentioned as Marsum, where a little church was founded around which Vlaardingen formed.

Vlaardingen in 1867.

In 1018 Vlaardingen was a stronghold of Dirk III, who levied an illegal toll on ships on the Meuse river. An army sent by German Emperor Henry II in order to stop the practice was defeated by Dirk III in the Battle of Vlaardingen. In 1047, his successor Dirk IV repelled another such attack.

The flood disaster of December 21, 1163 ended the growth of Vlaardingen. The Counts of Holland moved away and its development stagnated.

In 1273 Vlaardingen was granted city rights by Floris V, Count of Holland.

In 1574, during the Eighty Years War of Dutch independence, a group of Watergeuzen burnt down Vlaardingen as commanded by William of Orange to prevent the Spanish from capturing the city. Vlaardingen later became a ship-building area and a significant harbour for the herring fishing industry. The fishing boats ceased to use Vlaardingen in the years after World War II.

In 1855 the former municipality of Zouteveen was merged into the municipality Vlaardingerambacht which in turn was merged with Vlaardingen by the Germans in 1941.

Vlaardingen consists of 8 districts/neighbourhoods: 1. Vlaardingen centrum 2. Westwijk 3. Vettenoordse polder (includes industry) 4. Vlaardingen oost 5. Ambacht/Babberspolder 6. Holy Zuid 7. Holy Noord 8. Broekpolder

Politics

Mayor: mr. T.P.J. Bruinsma (PvdA)

Seats in the city council after the municipal elections in March 2006:

  • Labour Party (PvdA), 12 seats
  • Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), 5 seats
  • Socialist Party (SP), 4 seats
  • People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), 4 seats
  • Vlaardingen Ahead 2000/Livable Vlaardingen (VV2000/LV), 3 seats
  • GreenLeft (GL), 3 seats
  • Christian Union/Political Reformed Party (CU/SGP), 2 seats
  • General Union for the Elderly (AOV)), 1 seat
  • City Interests Vlaardingen (SBV), 1 seats

Coalition: PvdA+CDA+GroenLinks (12+5+3=20).

Aldermen:

  • A. Attema (PvdA),
  • J. Versluijs (PvdA)
  • C. Oosterom (CDA)
  • B.E. van der Velde (GreenLeft),
  • City secretary: mr. ing. J. Brinkman
"Watchful Eye" dike monument

Notable people

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vlaardingen.

51°54′N 4°20′E / 51.900°N 4.333°E / 51.900; 4.333

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