Dordrecht

Dordrecht
	Dordrecht
; Flag	; Coat of arms
	Coordinates: 51°49′N 4°40′E / 51.81°N 4.67°E
Country	Netherlands
Province	South Holland
	Area (2006)
- Total	99.45 km2 (38.4 sq mi)
- Land	79.53 km2 (30.7 sq mi)
- Water	19.92 km2 (7.7 sq mi)
	Population (1 January 2007)
- Total	118,613
- Density	1,491/km2 (3,861.7/sq mi)
	Source: CBS, Statline.
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Website	www.dordrecht.nl

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This article is about the Dutch city. For the city in South Africa, see Dordrecht, Eastern Cape.

Satellite image of part of the Rhine-Meuse delta, showing the Island of Dordrecht and the eponymous city (7)

Dordrecht (population 118.390 in 2008) is a city and municipality in the Dutch province of South Holland, the Netherlands, and the fourth largest city of the province. The municipality covers the entire Dordrecht Island, also often called the Island of Dordt, bordered by the rivers Oude Maas, Beneden Merwede, Nieuwe Merwede, Hollands Diep, and Dordtsche Kil. Dordrecht is the largest and most important city in the Drechtsteden and is also part of the Randstad, the main conurbation in the Netherlands.

[edit] Etymology

The name Dordrecht comes from Thyre, the name of a river, and Middle Dutch drecht "ford", meaning "Thure river crossing". Some documentation speaks of the river actually being called Thuredrith. Inhabitants of Dordrecht are Dordtenaren (singular: Dordtenaar). Dordrecht is informally called Dordt by its inhabitants and sometimes D-town by its younger population.

During Carnaval, Dordrecht is called Ooi- en Ramsgat (Ewe's and Ram's hole), and its inhabitants are Schapenkoppen (Sheepheads). This name originates from an old folk story. Import of meat or cattle was taxed in the 17th century. To avoid having to pay, two men dressed up a sheep they had bought outside the city walls, attempting to disguise it as a man. The sheep was discovered because it bleated as the three men (two men and one sheep) passed through the city wall gate.

[edit] History

The city was formed along the Thure river, in the midst of peat swamps. This river was a branch of the river Dubbel and ran approximately near the current Bagijnhof. In 1049 the first reference to Dordrecht was made. Count Dirk IV was murdered that year near "Thuredrech".

View of Dordrecht, by Aelbert Cuyp.

Dordrecht was granted city rights by William I, Count of Holland, in 1220, making it the oldest city in Holland.

In 1253 a Latin school was founded in Dordrecht. It still exists today as the Johan de Witt Gymnasium and is the oldest gymnasium in the Netherlands. From 1600 to 1615 Gerhard Johann Vossius was rector at this school.

On 17 April 1421, the Saint Elisabeth's flood drowned large parts of southern Holland, causing Dordrecht to become an island. Over 100,000 people died in the flood.

Because of its strategic location the city developed into an important market city. It traded primarily in wine, wood, and cereals.

In 1572, representatives of all Dutch cities gathered in Dordrecht to declare their independence from Spain and acknowledge William of Orange as the leader of the fledgling Dutch state, marking the beginning of the Eighty Years War.

In 1618/1619, an important church meeting took place, called the Synod of Dordrecht, settling a theological dispute between the orthodox Calvinists and the liberal Arminians that had brought the country on the brink of civil war. The Arminians were defeated, resulting in the formulation of the Dordrecht Confession of Faith.

Plan of Dordrecht from 1868.

From 1780 to 1787, Dordrecht was home to the Patriots faction which intended to remove the hereditary Stadtholder position held by the House of Orange-Nassau. The Netherlands was after all a republic de jure. Soon after, more cities followed and William V fled from Holland. But his brother-in-law, King Frederick William II of Prussia, came to the aid of William V and on 18 September 1787, Dordrecht capitulated to Prussian troops. The Patriots were defeated and Willem V was restored in his position as Stadtholder.

In the 18th century, the importance of Dordrecht began to wane, and Rotterdam became the main city in the region. Yet throughout the centuries, Dordrecht held a key position in the defense of Holland. It hosted an army division well into the 20th century. During the mobilization of August 1939, infantry and artillery were sent to Dordrecht to defend the island.

At the end of the Second World War, during the winter of 1944-45, Dordrecht and its surroundings were in the middle between the opposing armies. The border between occupied and liberated regions ran along the Hollands Diep.

In 1970, the municipality Dubbeldam (then ca. 10,000 inhabitants) and the southern part of the municipality of Sliedrecht were incorporated into Dordrecht, making Dordrecht Island one municipality.

[edit] Demography

The Synod of Dordrecht 1618/19

Around 18% of the population of Dordrecht is of non-Western origin. This group is expanding while the growth of the indigenous population is decreasing. The allochthonous population consists for a large part of young people while the indigenous population has started to age very quickly. Over 6 thousand Turks live in Dordrecht, many of whom are originally from Kayapinar.

According to the Social Geographical Office of Dordrecht, as of 1 January 2005 the population consisted of the following ethnic groups;

Population of Dordrecht as of 1 January 2005
Ethnic group	Number of residents
Native Dutch	86.594
Western allochtonen	11.610
Turks	6113
Moroccans	2521
Surinameses	2759
Netherlands Antilleans	3199
Other non-Western allochtonen	6528
Total as of 01-01-2005	119.324

[edit] Economy

The current economy of Dordrecht is based on ship building, wood industry, and steel industry. The city has the sixth largest sea port in the Netherlands. One of the largest employers on Dordrecht Island is DuPont de Nemours (Nederland) B.V. It has 9 factories here with a workforce of 900 people.

Together with Zwijndrecht, Papendrecht, and Sliedrecht (the "Drecht Cities"), Dordrecht is planning a new ambitious vision to revitalize the region's economy, moving from industry to more business services.

In development are the "Learning" and "Health" Business Parks. The Learning Park is intended to have 60,000 m² of space for educational institutions. In the Health Park, a wide range of health services will be located, with the Dordwijk Campus of the Albert Schweitzer Hospital as focal point. Other services include a blood bank, pharmacy, and mental health clinic.

Near the Health Park a new Sport Park will be built. A new large sport centre, the equivalent size of 3 soccer fields, is planned complete with gyms, skating rink, and a pool. Next to this Sport Park, a huge outdoor event terrain will be established.

[edit] Government and Politics

[edit] College van B&W

In December 2008, the College van Burgemeester en Wethouders ('Board of Aldermen') in Dordrecht consisted of the following:

R.J.G. (Ronald) Bandell, mayor since 2000.
J.W. Spigt, alderman
F.J. van den Oever, alderman
D.A. van Steensel, alderman
A.T. Kamsteeg, alderman
J.H. Lagendijk, alderman

[edit] Local election

The results of the Dutch municipal elections, 2006 in Dordrecht were as follows;

Dutch municipal elections of 2006
Party	Votes in %	Seats in City council
PvdA	29,4	12
VVD	15,1	6
BV Dordt	14,9	6
CDA	10,5	4
ChristenUnie-SGP	8,5	3
GroenLinks	7,3	3
VSP	6,8	2
ECODORDT	4,6	2
D66	2,9	1
Turnout	48,6	39

[edit] Partner cities

Partner cities of Dordrecht are:

Hastings in England
Recklinghausen in Germany, since 1974
Bamenda in Cameroon, since 1993
Varna in Bulgaria, since 2001
Dordrecht in South Africa, since 2006

[edit] Places of interest

The Grote Kerk and one of the many canals (New Harbor)

river quay and Groothoofds Gate
Onze lieve vrouwe Kerk (Our dear lady's Church) or Grote Kerk (Big Church)
canals
merchant houses
Dordrechts Museum

[edit] Public transport

Dordrecht is well connected to the Dutch railroad system, and has several international connections. The train system hosts:

Four trainlines

South-West direction Roosendaal-and further (including international to Belgium/France)
South-East direction Breda, Eindhoven
North-West direction Rotterdam, The Hague, Amsterdam
East direction Gorinchem, Geldermalsen

The four operating trainlines serve three railway stations within the city boundaries (Dordrecht, Dordrecht Zuid, Dordrecht Stadspolders).

Main connections

Frequent international trains to Antwerp and Brussels, Belgium
Frequent services within the Netherlands:
- Intercity line to Rotterdam, The Hague, Leiden, Schiphol airport and Amsterdam (north-west)
- Intercity line to Roosendaal and on to Vlissingen (south west)
- Intercity line to Breda, Tilburg, Eindhoven , Helmond and Venlo (south east)
- Several semi-fast services and local trains originate or call at Dordrecht; semi-fast services Amsterdam-Breda.
Detailed information available from the site of the Nederlandse Spoorwegen (Dutch Railways) [1]

Arriva, the city bus company of Dordrecht, also serving Werkendam, and also operating the Kop van 't Land ferry on the way.

Waterbus:
- route 1: Rotterdam Willemskade - Krimpen aan den IJssel Stormpolder - Ridderkerk De Schans - Alblasserdam Kade - Dordrecht Merwekade.
- route 2: Dordrecht Hooikade - Zwijndrecht Veerplein - Dordrecht Merwekade - Papendrecht Veerdam - Papendrecht Oosteind - Hollandse Biesbosch - Sliedrecht Middeldiep

[edit] Famous people from Dordrecht

See also People from Dordrecht

Beatrix the Rich (b. 1420/21?) - an orphan found after the St. Elizabeth's flood whose education was paid for by the city and who became ancestor of many people of Dordrecht.
Simon "the Danser" Simonszoon (1577-1611) - privateer and pirate
Gerhard Johann Vossius (1577-1649) - scholar and theologian
Jacob Cats (1577-1660) - stipendiary magistrate of Dordrecht and Grand Pensionary of Holland
Matthijs Balen (1611-1691) - writer, famous for Beschryving der Stad Dordrecht ("Description of City Dordrecht") from 1676
Aelbert Cuyp (1620-1691) - painter, famous for his landscapes
Cornelis de Witt (1623-1672) - statesman and brother of Johan de Witt
Johan de Witt (1625-1672) - Grand Pensionary and brother of Cornelis de Witt
Samuel Dirksz van Hoogstraten (1627-1678) - painter, poet, and composer
Arnold Houbraken (1660-1719) - painter and writer
François Valentijn (1666-1727) - dominie and writer, famous for Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën ("Old and New East-India"), a book about the history of the Dutch East India Company and the countries of the Far East
Aart Schouman (1710-1792) - painter and engraver
Johannes Immerzeel Jr. (1776-1841) - writer and poet
Jan Schouten (1786-1852) - master ship builder, freemason, and poet
Ary Scheffer (1795-1858) - painter
Simon van Gijn (1836-1922) - banker and collector, whose home is now a museum in Dordrecht
Cornélie van Zanten (1855-1946) - opera singer, author, and teacher
Karel Lotsy (1893-1959) - sport leader, especially of the Netherlands national football team
Marinus Vertregt (1897-1973) - astronomer
Peter Hurkos (1911-1988) - popular entertainer known for performing psychic feats
Kees Buddingh' (1918-1985) - poet and writer
Jan Eijkelboom (1926-2008) - journalist, poet, and writer
Willy Batenburg (1926-2000) - folk singer
Ad Scheepbouwer (1944) - chairman of the board of KPN

[edit] Honorary citizens of Dordrecht

Simon Marinus Hugo van Gijn (1848-1937), since 1926 - member of House of Representatives
Dr. Theodoor Stoop
Top Naeff (1878-1953) - writer
Cees Buddingh', since 1978
Jan Eijkelboom, since 2001
Magnacult

[edit] Image gallery

Hofstraat	Grote Kerk	Groothoofdspoort	Het Hof (The Court)
Statue of brothers 'de Witt' in front of the library	City Hall	Pottenkade next to the Grote Kerk	Windmill 'Kyck over den Dyck'
Dordrechts Museum