Maassluis
Encyclopedia
Maassluis is a town in the western Netherlands
, in the province of South Holland
. The municipality had a population of 32,847 in 2004, and covers an area of 10.11 km² (of which 1.51 km² water).
It received city rights
in 1811. It was also the setting for the Dutch cult classic, Spetters
, filmed by noted director Paul Verhoeven there in 1980.
(in Dutch: sluis) in the sea barrier between the North Sea
and Rotterdam
. Originally called Maeslandsluys, it was part of Maesland
. In 1489 the settlement was sacked. During the Eighty Years' War, Philips of Marnix, lord of Sint-Aldegonde, started to build a defense wall but before its completion, it was captured by the Spanish in 1573 and Philips of Marnix was taken prisoner. A year later Maeslandsluys was looted by mutinous
Spanish troops.
On 16 May 1614, Maeslandsluys was separated from Maesland by the counts of Holland and renamed to Maassluis. This separation may have been religiously motivated: Maassluis was predominantly Protestant whereas Maasland catholic. In 1624 the defense wall was demolished to make way for the Great Church, for which construction started in 1629. The construction was stopped for 5 years because privateers from Dunkirk raided many fishing boats from Maassluis and would throw the crew overboard. In 1639 the Great Church was completed. On 4 December 1732, the famous Garrels Organ was inaugurated. Built from 1730 to 1732 by Rudolf Garrels, a pupil of Arp Schnitger, it was a gift by Govert van Wijn, ship-owner from Maassluis.
In 1811 Napoleon Bonaparte granted it city rights.
During World War II, like many other towns in the Netherlands, the active working population of Maassluis was transferred to Germany for working in the war industry. Maassluis' ancient church suffered a lot in the second world war when it was bombed by allied bombers.
The integration in Maassluis ended brutally during the Second World War. The Coltof and Van Gelderen families were deported in 1942. All were murdered in Auschwitz.
company W.A. van den Tak, which fused and became known as Smit-Tak, now a division of the world's largest salvage company Smit International
. Also, there is still a large shipping agency called Royal Dirkzwager. These days it is mainly a commuter town for Rotterdam
.
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 32,847 in 2004, and covers an area of 10.11 km² (of which 1.51 km² water).
It received city rights
City 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....
in 1811. It was also the setting for the Dutch cult classic, Spetters
Spetters
Spetters is a Dutch film released in 1980 directed by Paul Verhoeven.Spetters led to many protests across the board about the caricatural manner in which Verhoeven portrayed gays, Christians, the police, and the press. Although Verhoeven made one more film in the Netherlands, the response to...
, filmed by noted director Paul Verhoeven there in 1980.
History
Maassluis was founded circa 1340, as a settlement next to a lockLock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
(in Dutch: sluis) in the sea barrier between 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...
and Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
. Originally called Maeslandsluys, it was part of Maesland
Maasland
Maasland is a town in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It lies in the municipality of Midden-Delfland and covers an area of 24.42 km² ....
. In 1489 the settlement was sacked. During the Eighty Years' War, Philips of Marnix, lord of Sint-Aldegonde, started to build a defense wall but before its completion, it was captured by the Spanish in 1573 and Philips of Marnix was taken prisoner. A year later Maeslandsluys was looted by mutinous
Mutiny
Mutiny is a conspiracy among members of a group of similarly situated individuals to openly oppose, change or overthrow an authority to which they are subject...
Spanish troops.
On 16 May 1614, Maeslandsluys was separated from Maesland by the counts of Holland and renamed to Maassluis. This separation may have been religiously motivated: Maassluis was predominantly Protestant whereas Maasland catholic. In 1624 the defense wall was demolished to make way for the Great Church, for which construction started in 1629. The construction was stopped for 5 years because privateers from Dunkirk raided many fishing boats from Maassluis and would throw the crew overboard. In 1639 the Great Church was completed. On 4 December 1732, the famous Garrels Organ was inaugurated. Built from 1730 to 1732 by Rudolf Garrels, a pupil of Arp Schnitger, it was a gift by Govert van Wijn, ship-owner from Maassluis.
In 1811 Napoleon Bonaparte granted it city rights.
During World War II, like many other towns in the Netherlands, the active working population of Maassluis was transferred to Germany for working in the war industry. Maassluis' ancient church suffered a lot in the second world war when it was bombed by allied bombers.
Jewish history
The Jewish community in Maassluis had its own synagogue for their religious duties; a teacher, a singer and a ritual butcher. The most common Jewish professions were salesman, (street) trader, and butcher. The community had its own social live and charity. The Jewish economical positions were very vulnerable and community growth seized due to the industrial revolution. The infrastructure improved, so the trading areas became easier to reach for several kinds of tradesmen. The competition became simply too much for the small Jewish tradesman in villages like Maassluis. The Jewish community displays above-mentioned economical problems. The amount of Jews in Maassluis declined between 1892 and 1930 from 92 to 8. An important cause for this decline was the building of a railway in 1881 between Maassluis and Rotterdam. The majority of the Jewish traders moved to cities like Rotterdam, The Hague and Amsterdam. In the last decade of the 19th century, these municipalities enjoyed a steady growing Jewish population.The integration in Maassluis ended brutally during the Second World War. The Coltof and Van Gelderen families were deported in 1942. All were murdered in Auschwitz.
Economy
Maassluis was historically dependent on the fishing industry. Its fishermen would fish mainly near the coast of the North Sea and the coast of Iceland. But in the 19th century the town became home to the tugboat company L. Smit & Co. and the marine salvageMarine salvage
Marine salvage is the process of rescuing a ship, its cargo, or other property from peril. Salvage encompasses rescue towing, refloating a sunken or grounded vessel, or patching or repairing a ship...
company W.A. van den Tak, which fused and became known as Smit-Tak, now a division of the world's largest salvage company Smit International
Smit International
Smit Internationale N.V. is a Dutch company operating in the maritime sector. The company was founded in 1842 by Fop Smit as a towage company with only the 140 hp paddle steamer tug 'Kinderdijk'....
. Also, there is still a large shipping agency called Royal Dirkzwager. These days it is mainly a commuter town for Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
.
People born in Maassluis
- Abraham KuyperAbraham KuyperAbraham Kuijper generally known as Abraham Kuyper, was a Dutch politician, journalist, statesman and theologian...
(1837-1920), prime minister, journalist, theologian - Louis FlesLouis FlesLevie Jacob "Louis" Fles was a Dutch businessman, activist and author. He was a member of the organizing committee of the 1928 Summer Olympics. Louis Fles is best known for writing and broadcasting against Zionism and organized religion....
(1872-1940), businessman, activist and author - Cornelis LievenseCornelis LievenseCornelis Lievense was a Dutch businessman who ran several import/export companies in the United States from the 1920s through the 1940s.Lievense was born in Maassluis, The Netherlands, and came to the United States in 1924...
(1899-1949), businessman - Bas van Toor (born 1935), clown brother of Adriaan
- Adriaan van Toor (born 1942), clown brother of Bas
- Maarten 't HartMaarten 't HartMaarten 't Hart is a Dutch biologist who studied zoology and ethology at the University of Leiden and taught that subject before becoming a full-time writer in the 1980s. He is the author of many novels, including Het Woeden der Gehele Wereld and De kroongetuige...
(born 1944), biologist, writer - Niko KoffemanNiko KoffemanNiko Karel Koffeman is a Dutch politician. He represents the Party for Animals in the Senate of the States-General.-Career:...
(born 1958), politician - Chris WoertsChris WoertsChris Woerts is a Dutch business man and currently marketing manager as well as commercial director of Feyenoord Rotterdam....
(born 1959), businessman - Jan VerhaasJan VerhaasJan Verhaas is a Dutch snooker referee. He lives in Brielle.-Career:After working as a process operator for Shell Chemicals, Verhaas qualified as a class 1 snooker referee in 1990. At the age of 25, he was discovered during a tournament in Rotterdam...
(born 1966), snooker referee - Koen PijpersKoen PijpersKoen Pijpers is a former field hockey player from the Netherlands who represented the Dutch national team.-References:...
(born 1969), hockey player - Serge ZwikkerSerge ZwikkerSerge Zwikker is a Dutch-American basketball player. His nephew is Christopher Johnatan Uhl. Serge came to the United States and played high school basketball for legendary coach Stu Vetter, at Flint Hill Prep and then Harker Prep.Zwikker played four years of college basketball for the University...
(born 1973), basketball player - Khalid BoulahrouzKhalid BoulahrouzKhalid Boulahrouz is a Dutch footballer of Berber Moroccan Rif descent, who plays for the Netherlands and VfB Stuttgart. His nickname is "Khalid the Cannibal" for his ability to "eat up" his opposition....
(born 1981), footballer
External links
- Official Website
- Official website from the Cultural Council Maassluis
- Maassluis during WW2
- http://www.plattegronden.nl/maassluis/
- http://www.histvermaassluis.nl/
- http://www.joodsmaassluis.com