Harderwijk
Encyclopedia
is a municipality
and a small city in the eastern Netherlands
.
from Count Otto II of Guelders in 1231. A defensive wall surrounding the city was completed by the end of that century. The oldest part of the city is near where the streets Hoogstraat and Grote Poortstraat are today. Around 1315 the city was expanded southwards, which included the construction of what is now called the Grote Kerk (Large Church). A second, northward expansion took place around 1425. Particularly along the west side of town much of the wall still exists, although often not in entirely original form. This also goes for the only remaining city gate, the picturesque Vischpoort.
Between 1648 and 1811 the University of Harderwijk
operated in the city. Carolus Linnaeus
graduated at this university. The university, together with the universities of Zutphen and Franeker
was abolished by Napoleon.
Harderwijk was a member of the Hanseatic League
. It lies on what used to be the Zuider Zee
shore (Southern Sea, now the IJsselmeer
) and consequently its economy was strongly based on fishing and seafaring in general. This dramatically changed after 1932, when the Zuiderzee was cut off
from the North Sea
for safety reasons. Because of this, there are few fishing boats remaining in the harbour these days, which is now mainly home to yachts. An annual event illustrating the former importantance of the fishing industry to Harderwijk is Aaltjesdag, which translates to Eel
day. Fish can still be bought at stands and restaurants on the boulevard throughout the year except for the winter months. Tourists are common customers, while local people no longer make their living from the fisheries.
Today, Harderwijk is probably known best for the Dolfinarium, a marine mammal park
where dolphin shows are held and various other marine mammals and fish are kept.
region and the southeastern half of the municipality consists largely of forests.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
and a small city in the eastern Netherlands
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...
.
The history of Harderwijk
Harderwijk received city rightsCity rights in the Netherlands
City rights are a medieval phenomenon in the history of the Low Countries. A liegelord, usually a count, duke or similar member of high nobility, granted a settlement he owned certain town privileges that settlements without city rights did not have....
from Count Otto II of Guelders in 1231. A defensive wall surrounding the city was completed by the end of that century. The oldest part of the city is near where the streets Hoogstraat and Grote Poortstraat are today. Around 1315 the city was expanded southwards, which included the construction of what is now called the Grote Kerk (Large Church). A second, northward expansion took place around 1425. Particularly along the west side of town much of the wall still exists, although often not in entirely original form. This also goes for the only remaining city gate, the picturesque Vischpoort.
Between 1648 and 1811 the University of Harderwijk
University of Harderwijk
The University of Harderwijk , also named the Guelders Academy , was located in the town of Harderwijk, in the Republic of the United Provinces...
operated in the city. Carolus Linnaeus
Carolus Linnaeus
Carl Linnaeus , also known after his ennoblement as , was a Swedish botanist, physician, and zoologist, who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of binomial nomenclature. He is known as the father of modern taxonomy, and is also considered one of the fathers of modern ecology...
graduated at this university. The university, together with the universities of Zutphen and Franeker
Franeker
Franeker is one of the eleven historical cities of Friesland and capital of the municipality of Franekeradeel. It is located about 20 km west of Leeuwarden on the Van Harinxma Canal. As of 1 January 2006, it had 12,996 inhabitants. The city is famous for the Eisinga Planetarium from around...
was abolished by Napoleon.
Harderwijk was a member of the Hanseatic League
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
. It lies on what used to be the Zuider Zee
Zuider Zee
The Zuiderzee was a shallow bay of the North Sea in the northwest of the Netherlands, extending about 100 km inland and at most 50 km wide, with an overall depth of about 4 to 5 metres and a coastline of about 300 km . It covered...
shore (Southern Sea, now the IJsselmeer
IJsselmeer
IJsselmeer is a shallow artificial lake of 1100 km² in the central Netherlands bordering the provinces of Flevoland, North Holland and Friesland, with an average depth of 5 to 6 m. The IJsselmeer is the largest lake in Western Europe....
) and consequently its economy was strongly based on fishing and seafaring in general. This dramatically changed after 1932, when the Zuiderzee was cut off
Afsluitdijk
The Afsluitdijk is a major causeway in the Netherlands, constructed between 1927 and 1933 and running from Den Oever on Wieringen in North Holland province, to the village of Zurich in Friesland province, over a length of and a width of 90 m, at an initial height of 7.25 m above sea-level.It is...
from the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
for safety reasons. Because of this, there are few fishing boats remaining in the harbour these days, which is now mainly home to yachts. An annual event illustrating the former importantance of the fishing industry to Harderwijk is Aaltjesdag, which translates to Eel
Eel
Eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and approximately 800 species. Most eels are predators...
day. Fish can still be bought at stands and restaurants on the boulevard throughout the year except for the winter months. Tourists are common customers, while local people no longer make their living from the fisheries.
Today, Harderwijk is probably known best for the Dolfinarium, a marine mammal park
Marine mammal park
A marine mammal park is a commercial theme park or aquarium where marine mammals such as dolphins, beluga whales and sea lions are kept within water tanks and displayed to the public in special shows. A marine mammal park is more elaborate than a dolphinarium, because it also features other marine...
where dolphin shows are held and various other marine mammals and fish are kept.
Veluwe
Harderwijk is on the western boundary of the VeluweVeluwe
The Veluwe is a forest-rich ridge of hills in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. The Veluwe features many different landscapes including woodland, heath, some small lakes and Europe's largest sand drifts....
region and the southeastern half of the municipality consists largely of forests.
Born in Harderwijk
- Marco RoelofsenMarco RoelofsenMarco Roelofsen is a retired football midfielder from the Netherlands, who started his professional career in the 1987/1988 season. He played for FC Twente, NEC Nijmegen, FC Zwolle, and SC Heerenveen. He retired in 2004. His nephew Richard Roelofsen also played football on the highest level in...
(1968), Dutch football (soccer) midfielder - Richard RoelofsenRichard RoelofsenRichard Roelofsen is a retired football striker from the Netherlands, who started his professional career in the 1988/1989 season. He played for FC Zwolle, Vitesse Arnhem, MVV Maastricht, Roda JC, NAC Breda, De Graafschap and Heracles Almelo...
(1969), Dutch football (soccer) striker - Henk SchiffmacherHenk SchiffmacherHendrikus Johannes Everhardus Schiffmacher is a Dutch tattoo artist who is also considered an expert within the field of body decoration, having curated exhibitions, written books and presented television shows on the subject...
(1952), tattoo artistTattoo artistA tattoo artist is an individual who applies permanent decorative tattoos, often in an established business called a tattoo shop, tattoo studio or tattoo parlour...
External links
- Official Website of Harderwijk
- Map of Harderwijk
- Dolfinarium Harderwijk (official website)