Monnickendam
Encyclopedia
Monnickendam(52°28′N 5°2′E) is a city in the Dutch
province of North Holland
. It is a part of the municipality of Waterland
, and lies on the coast of the IJsselmeer
, about 8 km southeast of Purmerend
. It received city rights
in 1355 and suffered a lot of damage during the fires of 1500 and 1513.
Monnikendam was also the name of a number of warships - mainly built at the port of that name - during the Anglo-Dutch Wars
.
Monnickendam was a separate municipality until 1991, when it was merged into Waterland. Although it is a small fishing village today, it was an important port in earlier centuries. It possesses a seventeenth century weigh house, once used by merchants and port officials, and a bell tower
that dates from 1591. The fourteenth century church of St. Nicholas, renovated in 1602, is particularly notable. The synagogue
was built in 1894. Jewish
families named Monnikendam trace their roots to this town.
The town was the site of an artist's colony in the early twentieth century.
In 2001, the town of Monnickendam had 9,546 inhabitants. The built-up area of the town was 1.34 km², and contained 3,766 residences. The wider statistical area of Monnickendam has a population of around 9,680.
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 North Holland
North Holland
North Holland |West Frisian]]: Noard-Holland) is a province situated on the North Sea in the northwest part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is Haarlem and its largest city is Amsterdam.-Geography:...
. It is a part of the municipality of Waterland
Waterland
Waterland is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is located north of Amsterdam, on the borders of the IJsselmeer.-Population centres :...
, and lies on the coast of 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....
, about 8 km southeast of Purmerend
Purmerend
Purmerend is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.The city is surrounded by polders, such as the Purmer, Beemster and the Wormer. The city became the trade center of the region but the population grew relatively slow. Only after 1960 did the population...
. 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 1355 and suffered a lot of damage during the fires of 1500 and 1513.
Monnikendam was also the name of a number of warships - mainly built at the port of that name - during the Anglo-Dutch Wars
Anglo-Dutch Wars
The Anglo–Dutch Wars were a series of wars fought between the English and the Dutch in the 17th and 18th centuries for control over the seas and trade routes. The first war took place during the English Interregnum, and was fought between the Commonwealth of England and the Dutch Republic...
.
Monnickendam was a separate municipality until 1991, when it was merged into Waterland. Although it is a small fishing village today, it was an important port in earlier centuries. It possesses a seventeenth century weigh house, once used by merchants and port officials, and a bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
that dates from 1591. The fourteenth century church of St. Nicholas, renovated in 1602, is particularly notable. The synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
was built in 1894. Jewish
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
families named Monnikendam trace their roots to this town.
The town was the site of an artist's colony in the early twentieth century.
In 2001, the town of Monnickendam had 9,546 inhabitants. The built-up area of the town was 1.34 km², and contained 3,766 residences. The wider statistical area of Monnickendam has a population of around 9,680.
Notable people associated with Monnickendam
- Cornelis Dirkszoon, mayor during the 80-year war.
- Hermann Jung (about 1608–1678) famous Lutheran theologian and preacher in Monnickendam. Born probably at Brokreihe(-Nord) near Hodorf (Holstein) around 1608. Friend of Jan Amos ComeniusComeniusJohn Amos Comenius ; ; Latinized: Iohannes Amos Comenius) was a Czech teacher, educator, and writer. He served as the last bishop of Unity of the Brethren, and became a religious refugee and one of the earliest champions of universal education, a concept eventually set forth in his book Didactica...
and a correspondent of Philipp Jakob SpenerPhilipp Jakob SpenerPhilipp Jakob Spener was a German Christian theologian known as the "Father of Pietism."...
. Hermann Jung developed himself from a preacher of the small Lutheran community in Monnickendam to an important representative of the early Lutheran pietismPietismPietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and later. It proved to be very influential throughout Protestantism and Anabaptism, inspiring not only Anglican priest John Wesley to begin the Methodist movement, but also Alexander Mack to...
in the Netherlands. - Wendelmoet ClaesdochterWendelmoet ClaesdochterWendelmoet Claesdochter, or Weynke Arisdochter of Monnickendam, , was a Dutch Lutheran. She was executed for heresy by burning, and is known as the first woman victim to the religious persecutions in the Netherlands during the reign of Emperor Charles...
, first female martyr during the reformation. Condemned to death by fire in 1527 in the Hague. - Simon Lambrechtszoon Mau, captain of the "Duyfken", joining the first expedition to Dutch Indie, using the route "Om de Zuid", around Africa