Delfzijl (; gos, Delfsiel) is a city and former municipality with a population of 25,651 in the province of
Groningen
Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of the northern part of t ...
in the northeast of the Netherlands. Delfzijl was a sluice between the
Delf and the
Ems, which became fortified settlement in the 16th century. The fortifications were removed in the late 19th century. Delfzijl is the fifth largest
seaport
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
in the Netherlands, and the largest port in the North East of the country.
Etymology
The name ''Delfzijl'' means 'sluice of the Delf'.
[ Ronald Stenvert, Chris Kolman, Ben Olde Meierink, Sabine Broekhoven & Redmer Alma,]
Delfzijl
, ''Monumenten in Nederland: Groningen'', 1998. Retrieved on 27 March 2015. The Delf was a
canal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow un ...
connecting the rivers
Fivel
The Fivel was a historical river in the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. It received its water from peat bogs around Kolham and Slochteren, flowed past , and , and meandered north of Winneweer. The Fivel debouched into a wide estuary of t ...
and
Ems, and is now part of the
Damsterdiep. The Dutch verb ''delven'' means 'to delve' or 'to dig' and the Dutch noun ''zijl'' means 'water outlet' or '
sluice
Sluice ( ) is a word for a channel controlled at its head by a movable gate which is called a sluice gate. A sluice gate is traditionally a wood or metal barrier sliding in grooves that are set in the sides of the waterway and can be considered ...
'.
History
![Delfsiil - Delfzijl (Atlas van Loon)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/Delfsiil_-_Delfzijl_%28Atlas_van_Loon%29.jpg)
Delfzijl was established at the location where three sluices ( nl, zijlen) were connected. In 1317, a
sluice
Sluice ( ) is a word for a channel controlled at its head by a movable gate which is called a sluice gate. A sluice gate is traditionally a wood or metal barrier sliding in grooves that are set in the sides of the waterway and can be considered ...
was built in the Delf, a canal which is now part of the Damsterdiep. Delfzijl has been the main sea port of Groningen since medieval times.
In 1580, a square
sconce
Sconce may refer to:
*Sconce (fortification), a military fortification
*Sconce (light fixture)
*Sconcing, imposing a penalty in the form of drink
*Sconce Point
Fort Victoria is a former military fort on the Isle of Wight, England (), built to ...
and a church were built in Delfzijl. Fortification was expanded with six
bastion
A bastion or bulwark is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fi ...
s in 1591. Also In 1591 Prince
Maurice of Orange
Maurice of Orange ( nl, Maurits van Oranje; 14 November 1567 – 23 April 1625) was ''stadtholder'' of all the provinces of the Dutch Republic except for Friesland from 1585 at the earliest until his death in 1625. Before he became Prince o ...
visited the port with a fleet of 150 ships which saw the
capture of the city from the Spanish by a combined Dutch and English army. Followoing this an unsuccessful attempt was made in 1594 by
Francisco Verdugo
Francisco Verdugo, Spanish military commander in the Dutch Revolt, (born in 1537 in Talavera de la Reina, province of Toledo, died in Luxembourg, 1595), became ''Maestre de Campo General,'' in the Spanish Netherlands. He was also the last Spanish ...
to capture the fortress Delfzijl. In 1628
Piet Hein moored his silver fleet at Delfzijl. The first sea battle in the
Eighty Years' War
The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) ( c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Refo ...
was fought nearby in 1658 in the Eems estuary between Dutch forces under Jan Abels and Spanish forces under François van Boshuizen. A fleet of Dutch ships from the West Indies landed here in 1665 under command of admiral
Michiel de Ruyter
Michiel Adriaenszoon de Ruyter (; 24 March 1607 – 29 April 1676) was a Dutch admiral. Widely celebrated and regarded as one of the most skilled admirals in history, De Ruyter is arguably most famous for his achievements with the Dutch N ...
, avoiding the English fleet that was blockading the Dutch coast. The fortification and the sluices were damaged during the
Christmas Flood of 1717. In 1813–1814, the French held the city, while it was
under siege
''Under Siege'' is a 1992 American action thriller film directed by Andrew Davis, written by J. F. Lawton, and starring Steven Seagal as a former Navy SEAL who must stop a group of mercenaries, led by Tommy Lee Jones, after they commandeer the ...
by the Dutch. The fortifications were removed in 1875,
making room for the train station, and leaving one branch of the moat for recreational purposes, with ice skating in some years.
The town was damaged in World War II, and artifacts of the battle can be found in monuments, bunkers, and old armored vehicles usually on display, but disrupted now since 2017 by a major reconstruction of the water front area. Nearby a group of museums attractively landscaped near woodlands and an indoor public swimming pool, an aquarium, and a sea dike, are also affected by the construction intending to make Delfzijl a better tourist attraction after the construction and more secure from sea flooding.
Delfzijl sits at an elevation above low tide, and usually above high tide except for a few days per year. The town is protected by dikes and gates that can be opened to let water out at low tide, and closed to prevent flooding at high tide. When normal draining at low tide is not sufficien
water is pumpednear Delfzijl at Farmsum in a modern pumping station that replaced the historical
old pump house in the 1970s. The possibility of rising sea level is a large concern in Delfzijl, and storms have occasionally splashed water over the sea dikes in recent years causing the dike to be raised starting in 2017.
Traditional industries of grain milling, paper made from straw, and bricks made from clay have given way to newer industries and technologies. Colonial days are remembered in Delfzijl by Indonesian food and a variety of minority groups who are integrated into the community.
On the edge of Delfzijl, and easily approached on foot or by bicycle across new parks and wood lands, the church at Uitwierde with its free standing tower dates from about the year 1200. The church sits on a historic protected artificial mound that dates from antiquity, and was necessary before dikes were built. The church pipe organ dates from 1888 and was moved from Heveskes in 1975. In the area are a few estates and manor houses with historic restaurants of interest as well as numerous farm houses and villages with old churches of historic interest.
Industrial expansion in the 1970s and 1980s displaced old villages of Weiwerd and Heveskes which are remembered in photos and local monuments maintained by previous residents. Foundations of a ruined monastery were discovered in the excavations of Heveskes mound, together with a monolithic tomb dated from 3400 BC which was disrupted about 2200 BC and was displayed in the Aquarium Museum at Delfzijl, until recent developments caused the building to be demolished. The monastery was mentioned in records of 1319, and was destroyed in war in 1586. The village of Oterdum which was built against an older section of sea dike was flooded occasionally by storms and was demolished in the 1970s for raising the dike elevation. Coffins traditionally buried in the old dike were moved to Farmsum, leaving monuments in the enlarged dike to commemorate the village and cemetery. A few Kilometers farther down the coast are the villages of Borgsweer and Termunten that give some idea of the traditional land use before industrial expansion. Nearby at Termunterzijl is located a gate in the sea dike and a small marina inside the fresh water harbor, giving an idea of how Delfzijl looked in the early years.
Geography
![Gem-Delfzijl-OpenTopo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/48/Gem-Delfzijl-OpenTopo.jpg)
Delfzijl is located at in the northeast of the province of
Groningen
Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of the northern part of t ...
, in the northeast of the Netherlands. It is situated on the southwest bank of the
Ems estuary
An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environment ...
, which forms the border with Germany.
Delfzijl was bordered by the Dutch municipalities of
Eemsmond
Eemsmond (; en, Ems Mouth) is a former municipality with a population of 15,864 in the north of the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. On 1 January 2019 it merged with the municipalities of Bedum, De Marne and Winsum t ...
(in the northwest),
Loppersum
Loppersum () is a village and former municipality in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands.
Geography
Loppersum is located in the province of Groningen in the north of the Netherlands.
The former municipality was bord ...
(west),
Appingedam
Appingedam (; gos, n Daam) is a city and former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. Although there is no certainty as to the exact age of Appingedam, historical research demonstrates that the place in which the city would eventually b ...
(west),
Slochteren
Slochteren () is a village and former municipality with a population of 15,546 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. On 1 January 2018, Slochteren merged with Hoogezand-Sappemeer and Menterwolde, forming the municipalit ...
(southwest),
Oldambt (south), and by the German municipalities of
Emden
Emden () is an independent city and seaport in Lower Saxony in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia and, in 2011, had a total population of 51,528.
History
The exact founding date of E ...
(east) and
Krummhörn
Krummhörn is a municipality in the district of Aurich, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated near the Ems estuary, approximately 15 km southwest of Norden, and 10 km northwest of Emden.
The community (Gemeinde) of Krummhörn compr ...
(northeast).
The former municipality contained the population centres:
*
Bierum
Bierum () is a village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Groningen (province), Groningen. It is a part of the municipality of Eemsdelta, and lies about 27 km northeast of Groningen (city), Groningen.
Bierum was a separate municipality unt ...
*
Biessum
Biessum () is a hamlet in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Groningen (province), Groningen. It is a part of the municipality of Eemsdelta, and lies about 25 km northeast of Groningen (city), Groningen.''ANWB Topografische Atlas Nederland'', ...
*
Borgsweer
Borgsweer () is a town in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is a part of the municipality of Eemsdelta
Eemsdelta () is a municipality in the province of Groningen, Netherlands formed from the merger of Appingedam, Delfzijl and Loppersum. The ...
* Delfzijl
*
Farmsum
Farmsum () is a village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Groningen (province), Groningen. It is a part of the municipality of Eemsdelta.
History
The village was first mentioned in the 10th or 11th century as "de Fretmarashem", and means "se ...
*
Godlinze
Godlinze (; Gronings: ''Glìns'') is a village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Groningen (province), Groningen. It is a part of the municipality of Eemsdelta, and is located about 24 km northeast of Groningen (city), Groningen.
Histor ...
*
Holwierde
Holwierde (; Gronings: ''Holwier'') is a village in the municipality of Eemsdelta in the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. It lies about 26 km northeast of the city of Groningen.
History
The village was first mentioned in 1247 as " ...
*
Krewerd
*
Losdorp
*
Meedhuizen
Meedhuizen () is a village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Groningen (province), Groningen. It is a part of the municipality of Eemsdelta, and lies about 24 km east of Groningen (city), Groningen.
History
The village was first mention ...
*
Spijk
*
Termunten
Termunten () is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is a part of the municipality of Eemsdelta, and lies about 33 km east of Groningen.
Termunten was an independent municipality until 1990, when it was merged with Delfzijl.
H ...
*
Termunterzijl
Termunterzijl (; Gronings: ''Ziel'') is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is a part of the municipality of Eemsdelta, and lies about 32 km east of Groningen.
History
The village was first mentioned in 1660 as "Zijl Ter Munt ...
*
Uitwierde
*
Wagenborgen
*
Weiwerd
*
Woldendorp
Woldendorp () is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is a part of the municipality of Eemsdelta, and lies about 31 km east of Groningen.
History
The village was first mentioned in 1399 as Waldmonathorp, and means "village of ...
Economy
![Chemie Park2 Delfzijl](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Chemie_Park2_Delfzijl.jpg)
The
Port of Delfzijl is the fifth biggest
seaport
A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
in the Netherlands and the home of an
aluminium
Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...
plant run by the company Aluminium Delfzijl (part of
Tata Steel Europe
Tata Steel Europe Ltd. (formerly Corus Group plc) was a steelmaking company headquartered in London, England, with its main operations in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The company was created in 2007, when Tata Group took over the ...
). In 2004 the
smelter
Smelting is a process of applying heat to ore, to extract a base metal. It is a form of extractive metallurgy. It is used to extract many metals from their ores, including Silver mining#Ore processing, silver, iron-making, iron, copper extracti ...
produced a record 112,400
tonne
The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the short ton ( United State ...
s of liquid
aluminium
Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...
. The
foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...
produced 157,700 tonnes of raw product. Natural gas and petroleum fields in the area encourage industries to locate in the industrial zones.
Delfzijl is also known for its chemical industry and a large
salt production
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quanti ...
plant held by
AkzoNobel
Akzo Nobel N.V., stylized as AkzoNobel, is a Dutch multinational company which creates paints and performance coatings for both industry and consumers worldwide. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the company has activities in more than 80 countries, ...
. On the edge of the town lies an industrial site with an area of 3 square kilometers which is one of the biggest employers in the area. This site is responsible for the second largest quantity of exported chemicals in the Netherlands (after
Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...
), and is known for its major exports of
chlorine
Chlorine is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Cl and atomic number 17. The second-lightest of the halogens, it appears between fluorine and bromine in the periodic table and its properties are mostly intermediate betwee ...
and related products.
Favorable winds are used to make electricity in modern wind turbines located away from the historical districts. The old wind mills are only used on special occasions.
A modern fresh water shipping canal connects Delfzijl with Groningen City and most of The Netherlands, bypassing the historical canals that are used for recreation. Delfzijl has a strong tradition of seafaring and there is a specialized school to train employees for the shipping industry located nearby in the fresh water port area established in 1930. After some years at sea the graduates are highly regarded and recruited by local industry where they work as factory operators, mechanics, supervisors, or practical engineers. The inland fresh water port is extensive with several canals coming together, making a sheltered loading area and facilities for hauling out smaller ships for refitting and inspections.
Farmlands occupy most of the region producing potatoes, sugar beets, oil seeds, grain, dairy products, cattle and wool making Delfzijl a local market town and adding to the economy. Much commerce occurs with the agricultural center in Veendam that previously operated a chamber of commerce for the region. Building of small ships occurs along modern canals in nearby
Winschoten
Winschoten (; gos, Winschoot) is a city with a population of 18,518 in the municipality of Oldambt in the northeast of the Netherlands. It is the largest city in the region of Oldambt in the province of Groningen which has 38,213 inhabitants.
...
, with rail and ship connections to Germany, adding to the commercial traffic around Delfzijl.
Fishing is done in the shallow seas with some of the boats operating out of Delfzijl and Farmsum harbor where much inland shipping is also handled. An old sea gate at Farmsum was replaced by newer gates nearby leaving a sheltered inland harbor. Low tide exposes extensive mud flats that add to tourism and environmental activities. Delfzijl is a bird sanctuary during high tides that cover the feeding grounds with sea water.
Considerable lumber is imported to supplement domestic supplies. A wide variety of cargoes from all over the world are handled by the port, which also receives visiting navy ships from NATO countries. Delfzijl harbors can accommodate boats of various types as well as small to medium-sized ships. Large ships can be handled in the new Eemshaven port near by at the mouth of the Eems estuary. Together the two harbors are promoted as industrial development areas under the name Groningen Province Sea Ports. The two ports give regular service to north sea petroleum production and staging grounds for new constructions in the north sea fields.
Transportation
![Delfzijl station voorkant](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Delfzijl_station_voorkant.jpg)
There are two railway stations in municipality giving frequent service to Groningen and points in between, with connections to other locations:
*
Delfzijl railway station
Delfzijl (; abbreviation: Dz) is a railway station in Delfzijl, Netherlands.
It is located on the Groningen–Delfzijl railway after Delfzijl West as the terminus for passengers. The railway line continues further east, but only for freight trai ...
*
Delfzijl West railway station
Delfzijl West () is a railway station located in Delfzijl, Netherlands. It is located on the Groningen–Delfzijl railway between Appingedam and Delfzijl. The station was opened on 1 June 1969. The train services are operated by Arriva.
History ...
A branch of the railroad tracks passes through gates in the sea dike to serve the harbor area and near by industries.
The regional airport of
Groningen at Eelde serves Delfzijl and the surrounding areas.
Local and regional busses connect Delfzijl to outlying villages and other towns. The large trucking company Lommerts has offices and terminals in Delfzijl harbor area connecting with sea going traffic.
Modern highways link Delfzijl with destinations in Europe, and easy access to inland resort areas near
Gieten
Gieten is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Aa en Hunze, and lies about 14 km east of Assen.
History
The village was first mentioned in 1223 as Geten. The etymology is unclear. Gieten is an ''e ...
in
Drenthe
Drenthe () is a province of the Netherlands located in the northeastern part of the country. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and the German state of Lower Saxony to the east. As of Nov ...
on weekends. A system of old and new draw bridges manages the flow of traffic across canals and around locks where water level is raised and lowered. Parking space is provided in various places, some of which impose a time limit and require a permit that can be purchased inexpensively. Some parking permits are also valid in other places of The Netherlands and foreign countries.
Delfzijl provides bicycle paths and traffic signals for pedestrians and cyclists. Special permissions and permits apply to small motor bikes not more than 50cc motor displacement or electric power not more than 4 kilowatts traveling not more than 45 kilometers per hour and within the local speed limit on streets and roads where they are allowed. Other permissions apply to larger motorbikes which are usually found with automobile traffic. Many people prefer to walk in Delfzijl which is made possible by reasonable distances, low crime rate, and mild maritime climate that is often cloudy, cool, wet, and windy.
Events
![Delfsail09 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Delfsail09_1.JPG)
Every five years the city organises
DelfSail, the second-largest sailing event of the Netherlands after
SAIL Amsterdam
SAIL Amsterdam is a quinquennial maritime event in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Tall ships from all over the world visit the city to moor in its eastern harbour.
The 2020 event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
History
The event w ...
. Part of the sea harbor near the center of Delfzijl is open to public on Sundays and special events are occasionally held when the heavy machinery is not moving and the sea gates are not closed.
Annually the "Pinksterfeesten" (Whitsunfestivities or Pentecost Festival) are organised in the city. Delfzijl is seeing a strong resurgence in the Dutch economy as the physical centerpoint of Energy Valley. This is the result of a strategic collaboration with the German town of
Emden
Emden () is an independent city and seaport in Lower Saxony in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia and, in 2011, had a total population of 51,528.
History
The exact founding date of E ...
on the other side of the Eems Estuary, and North Sea natural gas that comes on shore near Delfzijl.
Society
Delfzijl has a cultural center with meeting rooms, cinema, theater, and concert hall near the central wind mill for live performances and films, with additional cultural facilities in Groningen.
Education is available for people of all ages including those who travel to nearby Groningen University. Parents of school aged children participate in school activities several times a year around national holidays and school year schedules. Affordable health care is provided to everyone in, clinics, house calls, at a local hospital, and at the Groningen Academic Hospital which was established in 1797.
Government officials are mostly
appointed and operate with advice of elected local councils and parliaments in Groningen and The Hague. Authorities for public safety, city services, oversight of industry, harbor control, and management of water levels have a strong presence in Delfzijl and can call on assistance from trained volunteers when needed. Many political parties are active in Delfzijl, with much support given to labor, business, education, religious views, family values, and environmental protection. Small business shop keepers have a large influence on the city. There is much freedom of speech and action for people who are respectful of laws and authorities.
Many social activities take place in cafes, pubs, churches, and sports clubs. The residents keep their window blinds open at home in celebration of long lasting peace, but are otherwise protective of privacy. Most religious activities of Delfzijl are in the Dutch Protestant Established (Hervormde Kerk) or Reformed (Gereformeerde Kerk) churches, with notable minorities active in Catholic, Lutheran, and Baptist churches. Most of the churches in Delfzijl are joined in local and national organizations, although they retain much of their individual character. Salvation army is also active and included in the churches organization. A number of national holidays are celebrated each year, the biggest are Christmas, Easter, and the King's Birthday. Sports facilities are available and boating is popular in the sea, canals, and near by lakes.
Housing and commerce in Delfzijl is a blending of old and new facilities with architectural attention given to the unity and harmony of the town's appearance. New housing on the north side and west side of Delfzijl retain elements of traditional styles while providing modern facilities. Ownership in different parts of Delfzijl is also a blend of private and public property.
Modern Dutch language is understood everywhere and young educated people speak English, German, and French. Gronings dialect is found routinely spoken in outlying villages,
resembling old dialects along the coast nearby in Germany and Denmark. Local television carries Dutch and popular broadcasts from other countries and languages. Delfzijl is accustomed to receiving visitors and guest workers from foreign countries.
People from Delfzijl
![Ingrid van Engelshoven (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Ingrid_van_Engelshoven_%28cropped%29.jpg)
*
Gerard Diephuis (1817 in Farmsum – 1892) a Dutch jurist and academic
*
Anette Poelman
Anette Wiea Luka Poelman, (8 June 1853, Holwierde - 10 February 1914, Amsterdam) was a Dutch suffragist and philanthropist. She co-founded the first Woman Suffrage association in the Netherlands, FRP, in 1894 and served as its chairperson in 1894 ...
(1853 in Holwierde - 1914) a Dutch suffragist and philanthropist
*
Willem de Mérode
Willem de Mérode (September 2, 1887 in Spijk – May 22, 1939 in Eerbeek
Eerbeek is a town in the municipality of Brummen in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. Eerbeek was first mentioned in 1046 as ''Erbeke''. In the 18th ...
(1887 in Spijk – 1939) pseudonym of the Dutch poet, ''Willem Eduard Keuning''
*
Allard Oosterhuis Allard Lambertus Oosterhuis (19 July 1902, in Delfzijl – 1 January 1967, in Killiney) was a Dutch resistance hero during World War II.
In 1922, Oosterhuis went to Amsterdam to study medicine and after his study he became a doctor in Delfzijl. Th ...
(1902–1967),
Dutch resistance hero during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
*
Bonno Spieker (1935–2017), a former ship's engineer, later a politician
*
Lenie 't Hart (born 1941 in Farmsum) a Dutch animal caretaker and animal rights activist
*
Ivo Opstelten
Ivo Willem Opstelten (born 31 January 1944) is a retired Dutch politician and jurist. He is a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD).
Opstelten applied at Leiden University in May 1963 majoring in Law and obtaining an Bac ...
(born 1944) a retired Dutch politician and jurist, Mayor of Delfzijl 1980/87
*
Henk van Hoof
Hendrikus Andreas Lambertus "Henk" van Hoof (born 9 November 1947) is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and naval officer.
Van Hoof served in the Royal Netherlands Navy from April 1965 until May ...
(born 1947) a retired politician, former naval officer and Mayor of Delfzijl 2003/4
*
Janneke Snijder-Hazelhoff
Janna Fennechien "Janneke" Snijder-Hazelhoff (born 26 December 1952) is a Dutch farmer and politician. As a member of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie) she was an House of Representatives of th ...
(born 1952) a Dutch farmer and politician
*
Ingrid van Engelshoven
Ingrid Katharina van Engelshoven (born 12 July 1966) is a Dutch politician who served as Minister of Education, Culture and Science in the Third Rutte cabinet from 26 October 2017 until 10 January 2022.
A member of Democrats 66 (D66) party, s ...
(born 1966), politician,
management consultant
Management consulting is the practice of providing consulting services to organizations to improve their performance or in any way to assist in achieving organizational objectives. Organizations may draw upon the services of management consultants ...
and former
civil servant
The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...
*
Florentijn Hofman
Florentijn Hofman (born 16 April 1977) is a Dutch artist who creates playful urban installations like the Rubber Duck (sculpture), ''Rubber Duck'' and the ''HippopoThames'', a 2014 installation on the River Thames in London.
Life and career
...
(born 1977), a Dutch artist who creates playful urban installations
Sport
*
Jan Huberts
Jan Huberts (12 October 1937 – 19 November 2016) was a Grand Prix motorcycle road racer from the Netherlands. He had his best year in 1962 when he won two Grand Prix races and finished the season in third place behind Ernst Degner and Hans-Ge ...
(1937–2016),
Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
motorcycle road racer
*
Jan Boven
Jan Boven (born 20 February 1972 in Delfzijl, Groningen) is a road bicycle racer from the Netherlands, who turned professional in 1996, and remained with the same team, Rabobank
Rabobank (; full name: ''Coöperatieve Rabobank U.A.'') is a D ...
(born 1972), former
road cyclist
Road cycling is the most widespread form of cycling in which cyclists ride on paved roadways. It includes Recreational cycling, recreational, Road bicycle racing, racing, Bicycle commuting, commuting, and utility cycling. As users of the road, ...
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Bob Mulder
Bob Mulder (born 31 January 1974) is a retired professional association football, footballer from the Netherlands, who played for clubs like FC Groningen, MVV Maastricht, Heracles Almelo and BV Veendam.
External links
Player profile at Voetbal ...
(born 1974), former footballer with 117 club caps
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Loes Markerink
Loes Markerink (born 14 December 1985 in Delfzijl) is a road cyclist from the Netherlands. She won at the 2003 UCI Road World Championships the junior women's road race and finished second in the women's junior time trial. As a senior, she has ...
(born 1985), road cyclist
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Mart Dijkstra (born 1990), a Dutch footballer, over 200 club caps
International relations
Delfzijl is
twinned with:
References
External links
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{{Authority control
Cities in the Netherlands
Former municipalities of Groningen (province)
Populated places in Groningen (province)
Port cities and towns in the Netherlands
Port cities and towns of the North Sea
Municipalities of the Netherlands disestablished in 2021
Populated coastal places in the Netherlands
Eemsdelta