Hardinxveld-Giessendam
Encyclopedia
Hardinxveld-Giessendam is a municipality in the western Netherlands
, in the province of South Holland
. The municipality had a population of 17,828 in 2004, and covers an area of 19.35 km² (7.47 mile²) of which 2.44 km² (0.94 mile²) is water.
The municipality of Hardinxveld-Giessendam consists of the two population centres Giessendam
/Neder-Hardinxveld and Boven-Hardinxveld. Until they were merged together in 1957, Giessendam and Hardinxveld were two municipalities, consisting of only a few streets and dykes and only a few thousand inhabitants.
The town's economy is for a large part dependent on ship building (e.g. Damen Shipyards Group) and general contracting. Several industry parks are present.
. It is known that in 1105 a priest was present here, and therefore a church as well. Since 1282, Hardinxveld became a grand fiefdom
. Through the centuries it suffered from warfare such as the Gelder Wars and the Eighty Years' War
The name Giessendam first appeared in 1231 and is most likely derived from the dam on the little peat river Giessen. This dam was the boundary between Hardinxveld and Giessendam for a long time.
The municipality was formed in 1957 by the merger of the former municipalities Hardinxveld and half of Giessendam. The rest of Giessendam's territory went to the new municipality of Giessenburg which in turn was merged with Giessenlanden
in 1986.
Since the 1960s, the municipality has grown significantly through the development of new neighbourhoods such as De Peulen, de Wielwijk, de Westwijk, and Tienmorgen. In recent years, the municipality had serious fiscal problems, resulting in direct oversight by the Province for a period of time. Considerable savings had to be made, necessitating significant increases to the relative low taxation in the town.
Highspeed Railway, thorough soil research was performed in 1997. During that research in Hardinxveld-Giessendam, some archeological items were found, including a 7500-year old skeleton of a woman, now named "Trijntje". It is the oldest skeleton found in the Netherlands up to this time. Since December 2003, the reconstructed corpse has been added to the collection of the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden
(National Museum of Antiquities) in Leiden. In April 1998, a dugout canoe
was found.
, on the Elst–Dordrecht railway, is situated in the municipality.
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...
, in the 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...
. The municipality had a population of 17,828 in 2004, and covers an area of 19.35 km² (7.47 mile²) of which 2.44 km² (0.94 mile²) is water.
The municipality of Hardinxveld-Giessendam consists of the two population centres Giessendam
Giessendam
Giessendam is a town in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is located about 10 km east of Dordrecht, on the river Beneden-Merwede. Giessendam was a separate municipality until 1957, when it merged with Hardinxveld to form the new municipality of Hardinxveld-Giessendam.-External links: Map...
/Neder-Hardinxveld and Boven-Hardinxveld. Until they were merged together in 1957, Giessendam and Hardinxveld were two municipalities, consisting of only a few streets and dykes and only a few thousand inhabitants.
The town's economy is for a large part dependent on ship building (e.g. Damen Shipyards Group) and general contracting. Several industry parks are present.
History
The village Hardinxveld is one of the oldest settlements of the AlblasserwaardAlblasserwaard
The Alblasserwaard is a polder in the province South Holland in the Netherlands. It is mainly known for the windmills of Kinderdijk, a village in the northwest of the Alblasserwaard.-History:...
. It is known that in 1105 a priest was present here, and therefore a church as well. Since 1282, Hardinxveld became a grand fiefdom
Fiefdom
A fee was the central element of feudalism and consisted of heritable lands granted under one of several varieties of feudal tenure by an overlord to a vassal who held it in fealty in return for a form of feudal allegiance and service, usually given by the...
. Through the centuries it suffered from warfare such as the Gelder Wars and the Eighty Years' War
The name Giessendam first appeared in 1231 and is most likely derived from the dam on the little peat river Giessen. This dam was the boundary between Hardinxveld and Giessendam for a long time.
The municipality was formed in 1957 by the merger of the former municipalities Hardinxveld and half of Giessendam. The rest of Giessendam's territory went to the new municipality of Giessenburg which in turn was merged with Giessenlanden
Giessenlanden
Giessenlanden is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 65.12 km² of which 1.55 km² is water....
in 1986.
Since the 1960s, the municipality has grown significantly through the development of new neighbourhoods such as De Peulen, de Wielwijk, de Westwijk, and Tienmorgen. In recent years, the municipality had serious fiscal problems, resulting in direct oversight by the Province for a period of time. Considerable savings had to be made, necessitating significant increases to the relative low taxation in the town.
Archeology
Before the construction of the BetuwerouteBetuweroute
The Betuweroute is a double track freight railway from Rotterdam to Germany. Betuweroute is the official name, after the Betuwe area through which it passes, but the line is popularly referred to as Betuwelijn, after an older track in the same region. The Germans have named their part the...
Highspeed Railway, thorough soil research was performed in 1997. During that research in Hardinxveld-Giessendam, some archeological items were found, including a 7500-year old skeleton of a woman, now named "Trijntje". It is the oldest skeleton found in the Netherlands up to this time. Since December 2003, the reconstructed corpse has been added to the collection of the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden
Rijksmuseum van Oudheden
The Rijksmuseum van Oudheden is the national archaeological museum of the Netherlands. It is located in Leiden. The Museum grew out of the collection of Leiden University and still closely co-operates with its Faculty of Archaeology...
(National Museum of Antiquities) in Leiden. In April 1998, a dugout canoe
Dugout (boat)
A dugout or dugout canoe is a boat made from a hollowed tree trunk. Other names for this type of boat are logboat and monoxylon. Monoxylon is Greek -- mono- + ξύλον xylon -- and is mostly used in classic Greek texts. In Germany they are called einbaum )...
was found.
Transportation
The Hardinxveld-Giessendam railway stationHardinxveld-Giessendam railway station
Hardinxveld-Giessendam is a railway station for Hardinxveld and Giessendam in the Netherlands. It is located on the Elst–Dordrecht railway, between Dordrecht and Geldermalsen.-History:...
, on the Elst–Dordrecht railway, is situated in the municipality.
External links
- Official Website
- Protest page of some citizens
- http://www.plattegronden.nl/gemeentehardinxveld-giessendam/