Alblasserdam () is a town and municipality 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. ...

. It covers an area of , of which is water, and has a population of as of . Alblasserdam is officially a part of the Drechtsteden region. A portion of the small village of Kinderdijk, which boasts the largest and most famous concentration of windmills in the

, is part of Alblasserdam.

Etymology

The name ''Alblasserdam'' is derived from its location near the creek Alblas where a dam was built. Inhabitants of Alblasserdam are called ''Alblasserdammers'' (singular: ''Alblasserdammer'').

History

13th-19th century

The town of Alblasserdam was first mentioned in the chronicles of Melis Stoke in 1299, but the municipality wasn't formed until 1447. Before that, it was part of Oud-Alblas. Because of its location on the Noord river, one of the busiest waterways in Western Europe, water has played a major role in Alblasserdam's history. The river was important for its development and makes it an advantageous location for industry. Alblasserdam's strategic location also brought it negative consequences. For example, between 1350 and 1821, the Alblasserwaard

polder A polder () is a low-lying tract of land that forms an artificial hydrology, hydrological entity, enclosed by embankments known as levee, dikes. The three types of polder are: # Land reclamation, Land reclaimed from a body of water, such as a ...

flooded 32 times.

20th century

During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, mayor Simon Berman and the local government of Alblasserdam kept busy with 60 Belgian refugees within the municipal boundaries. An ad hoc municipal fund for the unemployed was established. Alblasserdam suffered during the German raid on Rotterdam on 11 May 1940, when its town centre was severely damaged. The historic Kerkstraat (Church Street) and the characteristic dike construction along the river, however, were spared. The invaders placed the Netherlands under German occupation. The North Sea flood of 1953 also affected a portion of Alblasserdam. The

Delta Works The Delta Works () is a series of construction projects in the southwest of the Netherlands to protect a large area of land around the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta from the sea. Constructed between 1954 and 1997, the works consist of dams, slu ...

program included reinforcements to the dikes and improvement of the locks. Therefore, water no longer poses a direct danger to Alblasserdam. In 1987, the custom yacht builder Oceanco started building yachts in the 80 metre+ range. In 1999 the town celebrated its 700th anniversary.

21st century

Bert Blase served as mayor from 1999 to 2014, when he was appointed as mayor of Vlaardingen. Subsequently, the mayor of Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, Jan Heijkoop, also acted as mayor Alblasserdam. On March 30, 2023 Jan Willem Boersma was installed as mayor of Alblasserdam, succeeding Jaap Paans, who had been the mayor of Alblasserdam since July 1, 2015.

Public transportation

*Waterbus route 1: **

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 ...

Willemskade - Krimpen aan den IJssel Stormpolder -

Ridderkerk Ridderkerk () is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of in and covers an area of of which is covered by water. The municipality of Ridderkerk also includes th ...

De Schans - Alblasserdam Kade -

Dordrecht Dordrecht (), historically known in English as Dordt (still colloquially used in Dutch, ) or Dort, is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Western Netherlands, lo ...

Merwekade.

Notable people

* Fop Smit (1777–1866) a Dutch naval architect, shipbuilder and shipowner; founded what became Smit International * Simon Berman (1861–1934) the Mayor of Alblasserdam, 1914-1923 * Cornelis van Eesteren (1897-1988) a Dutch architect and urban planner * Koos Schouwenaar (1902–1941) a Dutch rower, competed at the

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the IX Olympiad (), was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from 28 July to 12 August 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The city of Amsterdam had previously bid for ...

* Patrick van Kerckhoven (born 1970) a darkcore or gabber DJ and producer

Gallery

File:Wantij ship Waterbus Alblasserdam 2018.jpg, Wantij ship Waterbus Alblasserdam File:Kinderdijk in a sunny day - panoramio.jpg, Kinderdijk File:Pool side house, kinderdijk - panoramio.jpg, Pool side house, kinderdijk File:Windpump at Molens Kinderdijk - panoramio.jpg, Windpump at Molens Kinderdijk

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Municipalities of South Holland Populated places in South Holland Alblasserwaard Drechtsteden