Meerkerk is a village in the

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

province of

Utrecht Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...

. It is a part of the municipality of

Vijfheerenlanden Vijfheerenlanden (; ), is a municipality in the province of Utrecht in the Netherlands. The municipality was created on 1 January 2019 through the merger of the former municipalities of Vianen (Utrecht), Leerdam and Zederik (both South Holland). ...

, and lies about 9 km north of

Gorinchem Gorinchem ( ), pronunciation respelling, also spelled Gorkum, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of of which is water. It had a population of in . The munici ...

. In 2001, the village of Meerkerk had 2281 inhabitants. The built-up area of the village was 0.71 km², and contained 818 residences.Statistics Netherlands (CBS)
''Bevolkingskernen in Nederland 2001''
. (Statistics are for the continuous built-up area). The statistical area "Meerkerk", which also can include the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 2310.Statistics Netherlands (CBS)
''Statline: Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2003-2005''
. As of 1 January 2005.

History

Not much is known of Meerkerk's early history. According to municipal sources, the town was first mentioned in a clerical document, written in 1266 or 1267AD. The origins of the name 'Meerkerk' (Literally translated: 'Lakechurch') are unclear, though it is probable it derived from 'De Kerk bij het Meer', meaning 'The Church by the Lake', referring to several small strips of land called 'Het Meer' (The Lake). In the early centuries of its existence the village played an important role in regional traffic, due to its favourable location by the river Viaanse Vaart. During the French occupation of the Netherlands in the early 19th century

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 ...

ordered the construction of a major road connection between

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

and

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

, passing through Meerkerk as well. According to local legend, the emperor himself once spent some time in Meerkerk during an official visit to the Netherlands. The main road was made by the army of Napoleon, and it was the first road of stone in the region. Meerkerk was a separate municipality 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. ...

until 1986, when it became part of

Zederik Zederik () is a former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covered an area of of which is water. It had a population of in . The municipality of Zederik was formed on January 1, 1986, thro ...

. When Zederik merged into the new municipality Vijfheerenlanden in 2019, it became a part of the province of Utrecht. Since 1886 the Zederik Channel passes the town, maintaining Meerkerk's importance to regional traffic. By the end World War II the municipality expanded its borders, giving the population a chance to increase to some 2500 souls.

Gallery

File:Meerkerk - Voormalig postkantoor.JPG, Former post office File:Gorinchemsestraat 21 - Meerkerk (1).jpg, House in Meerkerk File:De haven van Meerkerk aan het Merwedekanaal (01).JPG, Harbour File:De zeer landelijke weg Noordseweg.jpg, Country road

References

{{Authority control Former municipalities of South Holland Populated places in Utrecht (province) Vijfheerenlanden