Maassluis () is a town in the western

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

, in the province of

South Holland South Holland ( ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.8 million as of January 2023 and a population density of about , making it the country's most populous province and one of the world's most densely populated areas. ...

. The municipality had a population of in and covered of which was water. It received

town rights Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...

in 1811.

History

Maassluis was founded circa 1340 as a settlement next to a

lock Lock(s) or Locked may refer to: Common meanings *Lock and key, a mechanical device used to secure items of importance *Lock (water navigation), a device for boats to transit between different levels of water, as in a canal Arts and entertainme ...

(in Dutch: ''sluis'') in the sea barrier between the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...

and

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...

. Originally ''Maeslandsluys'', it was part of Maesland. In 1489 the settlement was sacked. During the

Eighty Years' War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt (; 1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish Empire, Spanish government. The Origins of the Eighty Years' War, causes of the w ...

Philips of Marnix, lord of Sint-Aldegonde Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), simply branded Philips, is a Dutch multinational health technology company that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, its world headquarters have been situated in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarter ...

, started to build a defense wall but before its completion, the Spanish captured it in 1573 and Philips of Marnix was taken prisoner. A year later Maeslandsluys was looted by

mutinous Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military or a crew) to oppose, change, or remove superiors or their orders. The term is commonly used for insubordination by members of the military against an officer or superior, bu ...

Spanish troops. On 16 May 1614, Maeslandsluys was separated from Maesland by the counts of Holland and renamed Maassluis. This separation may have been religiously motivated: Maassluis was predominantly Protestant and Maasland Catholic. In 1624 the defense wall was demolished to make way for the Great Church, started in 1629. Construction stopped for five years because privateers from Dunkirk raided fishing boats from Maassluis, throwing their crew overboard. It was finished in 1639. On 4 December 1732, the Garrels Organ was inaugurated. Built from 1730 to 1732 by Rudolf Garrels, a pupil of

Arp Schnitger Arp Schnitger (2 July 164828 July 1719 (buried)) was an influential Northern German organ builder. Considered the paramount manufacturer of his time, Schnitger built or rebuilt over 150 organs. He was primarily active in Northern Europe, especial ...

, it was a gift by Govert van Wijn, ship-owner from Maassluis. In 1811

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

granted

. During World War II, the working population was transferred to Germany for the war industry. Maassluis' ancient church was hit by allied bombers.

Jewish history

The Jewish community had its own synagogue, a teacher, a singer and a ritual butcher. Its most common professions were salesman, street trader and butcher. The economy was vulnerable and community growth ended with the industrial revolution. The area became easier to reach and competition became too much. The number of Jews fell from 92 to eight between 1892 and 1930. A cause was the building of a railway in 1881 between Maassluis and Rotterdam. Most Jewish traders moved to Rotterdam, The Hague and Amsterdam, which in the last decade of the 19th century had a growing Jewish population. Integration in Maassluis ended during the Second World War. The Coltof and Van Gelderen families were deported in 1942 and murdered in Auschwitz.

Economy

Maassluis was historically dependent on the fishing near the coast and off Iceland. In the 19th century the tugboat company, L. Smit, and the

marine salvage Marine salvage is the process of recovering a ship and its cargo after a shipwreck or other maritime casualty. Salvage may encompass towing, lifting a vessel, or effecting repairs to a ship. Salvors are normally paid for their efforts. Howev ...

company W.A. van den Tak merged to become Smit-Tak, now a division of the world's largest salvage company, Smit International. Also, there is still a large shipping agency called Royal Dirkzwager. Maassluis is now mainly a commuter town for

People born in Maassluis

Bartholomeus Meyburgh Bartholomeus Meyburgh (1628–1708), also spelt Meijburch, Meyburch, and Meyburg, was a Dutch Golden Age painter known for his portraits and religious works. Biography Bartholomeus Meyburgh was born in Maassluis or The Hague, Netherlands, probab ...

(1624-1708), a

Dutch Golden Age The Dutch Golden Age ( ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands which roughly lasted from 1588, when the Dutch Republic was established, to 1672, when the '' Rampjaar'' occurred. During this period, Dutch trade, scientific development ...

painter of portraits and history *

Abraham Kuyper Abraham Kuyper ( , ; 29 October 1837 – 8 November 1920) was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands between 1901 and 1905, an influential neo-Calvinist pastor and a journalist. He established the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands, which upo ...

(1837-1920), journalist, theologian &

Prime Minister of the Netherlands The prime minister of the Netherlands () or, before 1945, the chairman of the Council of Ministers () is the ''de facto'' head of government of the Netherlands.''Grondwet voor het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden'' onstitution of the Kingdom of the N ...

1901/1905 * Louis Fles (1872-1940), businessman, activist and author * Cornelis Lievense (1890-1949), businessman, president of the Union Banking Corporation *

Arie Bijl Arie Bijl (Maassluis, 23 December 1908 – Hamburg- Neuengamme, 2 January 1945) was a Dutch theoretical physicist and resistance man. Arie Bijl was the youngest child of Simon Bijl (1869–1951), owner of a milk factory, and Willemijntje van der ...

(1908–1945), a Dutch theoretical physicist and WWII resistance man *

Maarten 't Hart Maarten 't Hart (born 25 November 1944 in Maassluis) is a Dutch writer. Trained as a biologist in zoology and ethology at the Leiden University, he taught that subject before becoming a full-time writer in the 1980s, having made his debut as a ...

(born 1944), biologist and writer * Agnes van Ardenne (born 1950), a retired Dutch politician and diplomat * Niko Koffeman (born 1958), a Dutch politician and animal rights activist * Chris Woerts (born 1959), former journalist, businessman interested in sport

Sport

Jan Verhaas Jan Verhaas (; born 5 October 1966) is a Dutch snooker and pool referee. He was born in Maassluis, South Holland, and now lives in Brielle. He is tall. Career After working as a process operator for Shell Chemicals, Verhaas qualified as a cla ...

(born 1966), a Dutch snooker and pool referee * Koen Pijpers (born 1969), a Dutch retired field hockey player * Françoise Harteveld (born 1977), a Dutch judoka *

Khalid Boulahrouz Khalid Boulahrouz (; born 28 December 1981) is a Dutch former professional association football, footballer who played as a Defender (association football), defender. Nicknamed "The Human cannibalism, Cannibal" for his ability to "eat up" the op ...

(born 1981), a Dutch former footballer with 235 club caps * Tonny Trindade de Vilhena (born 1995), footballer with over 200 club caps

In media

Maassluis was the setting for ''

Spetters ''Spetters'' (English translation: ''Splashes'') is a Dutch film released in 1980 and directed by Paul Verhoeven. The film follows the lives of three young men who have little in common but their love for dirt-bike racing. Set on the outskirts o ...

'', filmed by director

Paul Verhoeven Paul Verhoeven (; born 18 July 1938) is a Dutch filmmaker, who has worked variously in the Netherlands, the United States, and in France. He is known for directing genre films with strong satirical elements, often featuring graphic violence and ...

in 1980.

Image gallery

Image:Maassluis Grote Kerk bij avond.jpg, Great Church of Maassluis File:Maassluis, de Furie met de Groote Kerk RM26609 IMG 0511 2016-06-06 11.37.jpg, Tugboat (de Furie) with church (de Groote Kerk) File:Nationale Intocht Sinterklaas in Maassluis, sleepboot de Furie met Zwarte Pieten IMG 4625 2016-11-12 11.45.jpg,

Ship A ship is a large watercraft, vessel that travels the world's oceans and other Waterway, navigable waterways, carrying cargo or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research and fishing. Ships are generally disti ...

: ''De Furie'' during national arrival of Sinterklaas in Maassluis Image:Maassluis, de molen 2009-08-23 14.48.JPG, Windmill: de Hoop File:Maassluis, de Wippersmolen RM26626 foto14 2016-06-06 15.39.jpg, Windmill: de Wippersmolen Image:Maassluis gebouw uit 1649.jpg, Historic building from 1649 File:Maassluis, straatzicht de Doctor Kuyperkade foto6 2016-06-06 15.11.jpg, Streetview: de Doctor Kuyperkade Image:Maassluis_061.JPG, The "Marnixkade" File:Maassluis, straatzicht de Wip met de Sluis GM055627-34, het voormalig stadhuis RM26604 en beeld van Fredie Kloen met boei foto6 2016-06-06 11.44.jpg, Streetview: the Wip File:Maassluis, vloedpaal met beeld van Friedie Kloen bij de Koepaardbrug foto7 2016-06-06 11.19.jpg, Flow pole with statue File:Maassluis, de Calypso van Dorothé Jehoel op rotonde Westlandseweg-Wagenstraat-Rozenlaan foto4 2016-06-06 12.21.jpg, Sculpture (de Calypso) File:Maassluis, kunstwerk drijvend op vlot bij Oleanderpark-Ververij foto10 2016-06-06 14.34.jpg, Artwork floating on raft File:Maassluis oorlogsmonument2.jpg, War memorial by Ek van Zanten

References

External links

*
histvermaassluis.nljoodsmaassluis.com
{{Authority control Municipalities of South Holland Populated places in South Holland Holocaust locations in the Netherlands Populated places established in the 14th century