Bleskensgraaf
Encyclopedia
Bleskensgraaf is a town in the Dutch
province of South Holland
. It is a part of the municipality of Graafstroom
, and lies about 10 km northeast of Dordrecht
. It has an area of 1272 hectares. On the 1st of January 2009 Bleskensgraaf and Hofwegen had 2797 inhabitants in 936 residences
Until 1855, Bleskensgraaf was a separate municipality. In 1855 the municipality Bleskensgraaf and the heerlijkheid
or seigniory 'Hofwegen' merged into one municipality named 'Bleskensgraaf and Hofwegen'. In 1986 it became the new municipality Graafstroom
together with 6 adjacent towns. The town hall of Graafstroom
is located in Bleskensgraaf.
The town got its name because of the landlord (count) "Willem van Blassekijn".
Over the years the name Blassekijnsgraeve changed into Bleskensgraaf.
On letters it often says "Bleskensgraaf CA". CA stands for 'cum annexis' which means 'with surroundings'.
The centre of Bleskensgraaf is made up out of new buildings. The old centre was bombarded during the Second World War
at 06:25 on May 12, 1940. Seven people died and forty houses were destroyed. The town hall was leveled and the church sustained irreparable damage. The reconstruction was fast and took a couple of years. In September 1948 the new church officially openend and the new town hall openend on May 12, 1955.
Old buildings that remain are a couple of windmill
s: flourmill 'Molen de Vriendschap' (Mill the Friendship) built in 1890 and two Hollow post mills
, named the 'Hofwegense Molen' and the 'Wingerdse Molen' built in 1513 and many old farmhouses.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
province of South Holland
South Holland
South Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world...
. It is a part of the municipality of Graafstroom
Graafstroom
Graafstroom is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 9,697 in 2004, and covers an area of 69.32 km² of which 2.21 km² is water....
, and lies about 10 km northeast of Dordrecht
Dordrecht
Dordrecht , colloquially Dordt, historically in English named Dort, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the fourth largest city of the province, having a population of 118,601 in 2009...
. It has an area of 1272 hectares. On the 1st of January 2009 Bleskensgraaf and Hofwegen had 2797 inhabitants in 936 residences
Until 1855, Bleskensgraaf was a separate municipality. In 1855 the municipality Bleskensgraaf and the heerlijkheid
Heerlijkheid
A heerlijkheid was the basic administrative and judicial unit in rural areas in Dutch-speaking lands before 1800. It originated in the feudal subdivision of government authority in the Middle Ages. The closest English equivalents of the word are "seigniory" and "manor"...
or seigniory 'Hofwegen' merged into one municipality named 'Bleskensgraaf and Hofwegen'. In 1986 it became the new municipality Graafstroom
Graafstroom
Graafstroom is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 9,697 in 2004, and covers an area of 69.32 km² of which 2.21 km² is water....
together with 6 adjacent towns. The town hall of Graafstroom
Graafstroom
Graafstroom is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 9,697 in 2004, and covers an area of 69.32 km² of which 2.21 km² is water....
is located in Bleskensgraaf.
The town got its name because of the landlord (count) "Willem van Blassekijn".
Over the years the name Blassekijnsgraeve changed into Bleskensgraaf.
On letters it often says "Bleskensgraaf CA". CA stands for 'cum annexis' which means 'with surroundings'.
The centre of Bleskensgraaf is made up out of new buildings. The old centre was bombarded during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
at 06:25 on May 12, 1940. Seven people died and forty houses were destroyed. The town hall was leveled and the church sustained irreparable damage. The reconstruction was fast and took a couple of years. In September 1948 the new church officially openend and the new town hall openend on May 12, 1955.
Old buildings that remain are a couple of windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
s: flourmill 'Molen de Vriendschap' (Mill the Friendship) built in 1890 and two Hollow post mills
Post mill
The post mill is the earliest type of European windmill. The defining feature is that the whole body of the mill that houses the machinery is mounted on a single vertical post, around which it can be turned to bring the sails into the wind. The earliest post mills in England are thought to have...
, named the 'Hofwegense Molen' and the 'Wingerdse Molen' built in 1513 and many old farmhouses.