Dordrecht (), historically known in English as Dordt (still colloquially used in Dutch, ) or Dort, is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in the Western Netherlands, located in the

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...

South Holland South Holland ( nl, Zuid-Holland ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.7 million as of October 2021 and a population density of about , making it the country's most populous province and one of the world's most densely ...

. It is the province's fifth-largest city 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 ...

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a city and municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's administrative centre and its seat of government, and while the official capital of ...

Zoetermeer Zoetermeer () is a city in the Western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of of which is water. A small village until the late 1960s, it had 6,392 inhabitants in 1950. By 2013 this had grown to 123,328 ...

and

Leiden Leiden (; in English and archaic Dutch also Leyden) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. The municipality of Leiden has a population of 119,713, but the city forms one densely connected agglomeration wit ...

, with a population of . The municipality covers the entire Dordrecht Island, also often called ''Het Eiland van Dordt'' ("the Island of Dordt"), bordered by the rivers

Oude Maas The Oude Maas (; en, Old Meuse) is a distributary of the river Rhine, and a former distributary of the river Maas, in the Dutch province of South Holland. It begins at the city of Dordrecht where the Beneden Merwede river splits into the Noord ...

Beneden Merwede The Beneden Merwede () is a stretch of river in the Netherlands, mainly fed by the river Rhine. It starts as the continuation of the Boven Merwede after the branching-off of the Nieuwe Merwede ship canal. It flows from Hardinxveld-Giessendam to Do ...

Nieuwe Merwede The Nieuwe Merwede (; "New Merwede") is a Dutch canal, mainly fed by the river Rhine, that was constructed in 1870 to form a branch in the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, Rhine–Meuse delta. It was dug along the general trajectory, trajectories o ...

Hollands Diep Hollands Diep ( pre-1947 spelling: Hollandsch Diep) is a wide river in the Netherlands and an estuary of the Rhine and Meuse rivers. Through the Scheldt-Rhine Canal it connects to the Scheldt river and Antwerp. The Bergse Maas river and the N ...

, and

Dordtsche Kil The Dordtse Kil ( pre-1947 spelling: Dordtsche Kil) is a short river in South Holland in the Netherlands. The river is tidal and forms the connection between the Oude Maas river and the Hollands Diep. The river is for most part artificial in origi ...

. Located about 17 km south east of Rotterdam, Dordrecht is the largest and most important city in the

Drechtsteden The Drechtsteden (; Dutch for "Drecht cities") are a number of towns and cities bordering each other in the delta area of the rivers Oude Maas, Noord, and Beneden-Merwede in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. These cooperate in the ''Geme ...

and is also part of the

Randstad The Randstad (; "Rim" or "Edge" City) is a roughly crescent-shaped conurbation in the central-western Netherlands, consisting primarily of the four largest Dutch cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht); their suburbs, and many tow ...

, the main

conurbation A conurbation is a region comprising a number of metropolises, cities, large towns, and other urban areas which through population growth and physical expansion, have merged to form one continuous urban or industrially developed area. In most ca ...

in the Netherlands. Dordrecht is the oldest city in

Holland Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former province on the western coast of the Netherlands. From the 10th to the 16th c ...

and has a rich history and culture.

Etymology

The name Dordrecht comes from ''Thuredriht'' (circa 1120), ''Thuredrecht'' (circa 1200). The name seems to mean 'thoroughfare'; a ship-canal or -river through which ships were pulled by rope from one river to another, as here from the Dubbel to the Merwede, or vice versa. Earlier etymologists had assumed that the 'drecht' suffix came from Latin 'trajectum', a ford, but this was rejected in 1996. The Drecht is now supposed to have been derived from '', which means to pull, tow or drag. Inhabitants of Dordrecht are ''Dordtenaren'' (singular: ''Dordtenaar''). Dordrecht is informally called ''Dordt'' by its inhabitants. In earlier centuries, Dordrecht was a major trading port and was called Dort in English.

History

Early history

The city was formed along the

Thure river Thure may refer to: *Thure (river), a tributary of the Sambre in Belgium *Thuré Thuré () is a commune in the Vienne department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in western France. Demographics See also *Communes of the Vienne department T ...

, in the midst of peat marshes. This river was a branch of the river Dubbel, which is part of the massive Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta complex, near the current Bagijnhof. Around 1120 reference to Dordrecht was made by a remark that count

Dirk IV of Holland Dirk IV (ca. 1020/1030 – 13 January 1049) was Count of Holland from 1039 to 1049 (which was called Frisia at that time). Dirk's date of birth is unknown but it was probably ca. 1030 or shortly before, he was described as "adolescent" at the ti ...

was murdered in 1049 near "''Thuredrech''". View of Dordrecht, by Aelbert Cuyp

Dordrecht was granted

city rights Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...

William I, Count of Holland William I (c. 1167 – 4 February 1222) was count of Holland from 1203 to 1222. He was the younger son of Floris III and Ada of Huntingdon. Early life William was born in The Hague, but raised in Scotland. He participated in the Third Crusa ...

, in 1220, making it the oldest city in the present province of

. In fact,

Geertruidenberg Geertruidenberg () is a city and municipality in the province North Brabant in the south of the Netherlands. The city, named after Saint Gertrude of Nivelles, received city rights in 1213 from the count of Holland. The fortified city prospered un ...

was the first city in the historical county of

to receive city rights, but this municipality currently is part of the province of

North Brabant North Brabant ( nl, Noord-Brabant ; Brabantian: ; ), also unofficially called Brabant, is a province in the south of the Netherlands. It borders the provinces of South Holland and Gelderland to the north, Limburg to the east, Zeeland to the we ...

. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Dordrecht developed into an important market city because of its strategic location. It traded primarily in

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...

and

cereals A cereal is any grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran. Cereal grain crops are grown in greater quantities and provide more food en ...

. Dordrecht was made even more important when it was given

staple right The staple right, also translated stacking right or storage right, both from the Dutch ''stapelrecht'', was a medieval right accorded to certain ports, the staple ports. It required merchant barges or ships to unload their goods at the port and to ...

in 1299. In 1253 a

Latin school The Latin school was the grammar school of 14th- to 19th-century Europe, though the latter term was much more common in England. Emphasis was placed, as the name indicates, on learning to use Latin. The education given at Latin schools gave gre ...

was founded in Dordrecht. It still exists today as the and is the oldest gymnasium in the Netherlands. From 1600 to 1615

Gerhard Johann Vossius Gerrit Janszoon Vos (March or April 1577, Heidelberg – 19 March 1649, Amsterdam), often known by his Latin name Gerardus Vossius, was a Dutch classical scholar and theologian. Life He was the son of Johannes (Jan) Vos, a Protestant from the Ne ...

was

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

at this school. On 18–19 November 1421, the Saint Elisabeth's flood flooded large parts of southern Holland, causing Dordrecht to become an island. It was commonly said that over 10,000 people died in the flood, but recent research indicates that it was probably less than 200 people. On 29 June 1457, the city was devastated by a fire which started in Kleine Spuistraat, destroying many buildings, including the Grote Kerk.

Union of Dordrecht

In 1572, four years into the

Dutch Revolt The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) (Historiography of the Eighty Years' War#Name and periodisation, c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and t ...

, representatives of all the cities of Holland, with the exception of

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

, as well as the

Watergeuzen Geuzen (; ; french: Les Gueux) was a name assumed by the confederacy of Calvinist Dutch nobles, who from 1566 opposed Spanish rule in the Netherlands. The most successful group of them operated at sea, and so were called Watergeuzen (; ; frenc ...

, represented by

William II de la Marck William II de la Marck (Lummen, 1542 – Bishopric of Liège, 1 May 1578) (Dutch: ''Willem II van der Marck'') was the Dutch Lord of Lumey and initially admiral of the Watergeuzen, the so-called 'sea beggars' who fought in the Eighty Years' W ...

, gathered in Dordrecht to hold the ''Eerste Vrije Statenvergadering'' ("First Assembly of the Free States"), also known as the ''Unie van Dordrecht'' ("Union of Dordrecht"). This secret meeting, called by the city of Dordrecht, was a rebellious act since only King Philip II or his

stadtholder In the Low Countries, ''stadtholder'' ( nl, stadhouder ) was an office of steward, designated a medieval official and then a national leader. The ''stadtholder'' was the replacement of the duke or count of a province during the Burgundian and H ...

, at that time the

Duke of Alva Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranke ...

, were allowed to call a meeting of the

States of Holland The States of Holland and West Frisia ( nl, Staten van Holland en West-Friesland) were the representation of the two Estates (''standen'') to the court of the Count of Holland. After the United Provinces were formed — and there no longer was a c ...

. During the meeting, the organization and financing of the rebellion against the Spanish occupation was discussed, Phillip II was unanimously denounced, and William of Orange was chosen as the rightful

and recognized as the official leader of the revolt. Orange, represented at the meeting by his assistant

Philips of Marnix Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), commonly shortened to Philips, is a Dutch multinational conglomerate corporation that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, it has been mostly headquartered in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarters i ...

, was promised financial support of his struggle against the Spanish and at his own request,

freedom of religion Freedom of religion or religious liberty is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance. It also includes the freedom ...

was declared in all of Holland. The gathering is regarded as the first important step towards the free and independent

Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...

. Other important gatherings such as the

Union of Brussels There were two Unions of Brussels, both formed in the end of the 1570s, in the opening stages of the Eighty Years' War, the war of secession from Spanish control, which lasted from 1568 to 1648. Brussels was at that time the capital of the Spani ...

(1577) and the

Union of Utrecht The Union of Utrecht ( nl, Unie van Utrecht) was a treaty signed on 23 January 1579 in Utrecht, Netherlands, unifying the northern provinces of the Netherlands, until then under the control of Habsburg Spain. History The Union of Utrecht is r ...

(1579) paved the way for official independence of the

, declared in the

Act of Abjuration The Act of Abjuration ( nl, Plakkaat van Verlatinghe; es, Acta de Abjuración, lit=placard of abjuration) is the declaration of independence by many of the provinces of the Netherlands from the allegiance to Philip II of Spain, during the Dut ...

in 1581. The Union of Dordrecht was held in an Augustinian monastery, nowadays simply called ''het Hof'' ("the Court"). The room in which the meeting was held is called ''de Statenzaal'' ("The Hall of States") and features a

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

window in which the coats of arms of the twelve cities that were present at the meeting can be seen.

Synod of Dordrecht

From 13 November 1618 to 9 May 1619, an important

Dutch Reformed Church The Dutch Reformed Church (, abbreviated NHK) was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the original denomination of the Dutch Royal Family and ...

assembly took place in Dordrecht, referred to as the

Synod of Dordrecht The Synod of Dort (also known as the Synod of Dordt or the Synod of Dordrecht) was an international Synod held in Dordrecht in 1618–1619, by the Dutch Reformed Church, to settle a divisive controversy caused by the rise of Arminianism. The firs ...

. The synod attempted, and succeeded, to settle the theological differences of opinion between the central tenets of

Calvinism Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Cal ...

, and a new school of thought within the

known as

Arminianism Arminianism is a branch of Protestantism based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius (1560–1609) and his historic supporters known as Remonstrants. Dutch Arminianism was originally articulated in the ''Re ...

, named for its spiritual leader

Jacobus Arminius Jacobus Arminius (10 October 1560 – 19 October 1609), the Latinized name of Jakob Hermanszoon, was a Dutch theologian during the Protestant Reformation period whose views became the basis of Arminianism and the Dutch Remonstrant movement. He ...

. Arminius' followers were also commonly known as

Remonstrants The Remonstrants (or the Remonstrant Brotherhood) is a Protestant movement that had split from the Dutch Reformed Church in the early 17th century. The early Remonstrants supported Jacobus Arminius, and after his death, continued to maintain his ...

, after the 1610

Five Articles of Remonstrance The ''Five Articles of Remonstrance'' or the ''Remonstrance'' were theological propositions advanced in 1610 by followers of Jacobus Arminius who had died in 1609, in disagreement with interpretations of the teaching of John Calvin then current in t ...

which outlined their points of dissent from the church's official doctrine. They were opposed by the Contra-Remonstrants, or the Gomarists, who were led by Dutch theologian

Franciscus Gomarus Franciscus Gomarus (François Gomaer; 30 January 1563 – 11 January 1641) was a Dutch theologian, a strict Calvinist and an opponent of the teaching of Jacobus Arminius (and his followers), whose theological disputes were addressed at the Synod ...

. During the

Twelve Years' Truce The Twelve Years' Truce was a ceasefire during the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic, agreed in Antwerp on 9 April 1609 and ended on 9 April 1621. While European powers like France began treating the Republic as a sovereign n ...

, this in essence purely theological conflict between different factions of the church had in practice spilled over into politics, dividing society along ideological lines, and threatening the existence of the young republic by repeatedly bringing it to the brink of civil war. The synod was attended by Gomarist Dutch delegates and also by delegates from Reformed churches in Germany, Switzerland, and England. Though it was originally intended that the synod would bring agreement on the doctrine of predestination among all the Reformed churches, in practice this Dutch synod was mainly concerned with problems facing the

. The opening sessions dealt with a new Dutch translation of the Bible, a catechism, and the censorship of books. The synod then called upon representatives of the Remonstrants to express their beliefs. The Remonstrants refused to accept the rules established by the synod and eventually were expelled from the church. The synod then studied the theology of the Remonstrants and declared that it was contrary to Scripture. The

Canons of Dort The Canons of Dort, or Canons of Dordrecht, formally titled The Decision of the Synod of Dort on the Five Main Points of Christian doctrine, Doctrine in Dispute in the Netherlands, is the judgment of the National Synod held in the Netherlands, Dut ...

were produced; they discussed in detail in five sections the errors of the Remonstrants that were rejected as well as the doctrines that were affirmed. The doctrines affirmed were that predestination is not conditional on belief; that Christ did not die for all; the total depravity of man; the irresistible grace of God; and the impossibility of falling from grace. These canons of Dort, along with the Belgic Confession and the Heidelberg Catechism, remain the theological basis of the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands. Following the synod, two hundred Remonstrant ministers were deposed from their office, of which eighty were banished. The political leaders of the Remonstrant movement were arrested and one of them beheaded on May 14, 1619. It was only after the death of Prince Maurice in 1625 that the persecution of the Remonstrants ceased.

The Patriots movement

From 1780 to 1787, Dordrecht was home to the Patriots faction which intended to remove the hereditary

Stadtholder In the Low Countries, ''stadtholder'' ( nl, stadhouder ) was an office of steward, designated a medieval official and then a national leader. The ''stadtholder'' was the replacement of the duke or count of a province during the Burgundian and H ...

position held by the

House of Orange-Nassau The House of Orange-Nassau (Dutch: ''Huis van Oranje-Nassau'', ) is the current reigning house of the Netherlands. A branch of the European House of Nassau, the house has played a central role in the politics and government of the Netherlands ...

. The Netherlands was after all a republic ''

de jure In law and government, ''de jure'' ( ; , "by law") describes practices that are legally recognized, regardless of whether the practice exists in reality. In contrast, ("in fact") describes situations that exist in reality, even if not legally ...

''. Soon after, more cities followed and

William V William V may refer to: *William V, Duke of Aquitaine (969–1030) *William V of Montpellier (1075–1121) *William V, Marquess of Montferrat (1191) *William V, Count of Nevers (before 11751181) *William V, Duke of Jülich (1299–1361) *William V, ...

fled from Holland. But his brother-in-law, King

Frederick William II of Prussia Frederick William II (german: Friedrich Wilhelm II.; 25 September 1744 – 16 November 1797) was King of Prussia from 1786 until his death in 1797. He was in personal union the Prince-elector of Brandenburg and (via the Orange-Nassau inherita ...

, came to the aid of William V and on 18 September 1787, Dordrecht capitulated to Prussian troops. The Patriots were defeated and Willem V was restored in his position as Stadtholder.

Modern history

In the 18th century, the importance of Dordrecht began to wane, and

became the main city in the region. Yet throughout the centuries, Dordrecht held a key position in the defense of Holland. It hosted an army division well into the 20th century. During the

mobilization Mobilization is the act of assembling and readying military troops and supplies for war. The word ''mobilization'' was first used in a military context in the 1850s to describe the preparation of the Prussian Army. Mobilization theories and ...

of August 1939, infantry and artillery were sent to Dordrecht to defend the island. When the Germans invaded the Netherlands on 10 May 1940, German paratroopers landed in Dordrecht. After fierce fighting they overtook the bridges Dordrecht-Moerdijk and Dordrecht-Zwijndrecht. Many buildings in Dordrecht were destroyed. At the end of the

Second World War 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 ...

, during the winter of 1944–45, Dordrecht and its surroundings were in the middle between the opposing armies. The border between occupied and liberated regions ran along the

. Dordrecht was finally liberated by the Canadian Army. In 1970, the municipality

Dubbeldam Dubbeldam is a former village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It was located to the east of the city of Dordrecht Dordrecht (), historically known in English as Dordt (still colloquially used in Dutch, ) or Dort, is a city and munici ...

(then ca. 10,000 inhabitants) and the southern part of the municipality of

Sliedrecht Sliedrecht () is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of of which is covered by water. Sliedrecht is known for the many large dredging companies (including Boskal ...

were incorporated into Dordrecht, making Dordrecht Island one municipality.

Districts

Dordrecht is divided into 27 districts, neighbourhoods and

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

Demography

In 2021, around 19,35% of the population of Dordrecht was of non-Western origin. Between 2005 and 2008, this number has not changed. The allochthonous population consists for a large part of young people while the indigenous population has started to age very quickly. Over six thousand

Turks Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic o ...

live in Dordrecht, many of whom are originally from Kayapınar. According to the Social Geographical Office of Dordrecht, the population consisted of the following ethnic groups in 2005 and 2008:

Culture

Dordrecht, by Edmond de Schampheleer, 1873

Due to its long and important role in Dutch history, Dordrecht has a rich culture. The medieval city centre is home to over 950 monuments. The city also houses 7 historic churches and 6 museums in a relatively small area and hosts many

festivals A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival co ...

and events every year.

Places of interest

*The Onze-Lieve-Vrouwe-Kerk ('Our Dear Lady Church') or simply the Grote Kerk ('Big Church') was built between 1285 and 1470. The 65-meter tower contains a carillon with 67 bells including one weighing 9830

kilos Kilo is a decimal unit prefix in the metric system denoting multiplication by one thousand (103). It is used in the International System of Units, where it has the symbol k, in lowercase. The prefix ''kilo'' is derived from the Greek word () ...

, making it the heaviest bell in the Netherlands. *The Augustijnenkerk ('Church of the Augustins') was built around 1293 and is currently owned by the

. The church includes the

Augustinian Augustinian may refer to: *Augustinians, members of religious orders following the Rule of St Augustine *Augustinianism, the teachings of Augustine of Hippo and his intellectual heirs *Someone who follows Augustine of Hippo * Canons Regular of Sain ...

Monastery ''het Hof'' ('the Court') which was built in 1275 and was the location of the First Assembly of the Free States. *The Nieuwkerk ('New Church') or St Nicolaas Kerk was built in 1175 and is, ironically considering its name, the oldest building in Dordrecht. *The Munt van Holland ('Mint of Holland'),

mint MiNT is Now TOS (MiNT) is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST system and its successors. It is a multi-tasking alternative to TOS and MagiC. Together with the free system components fVDI device drivers, XaAES g ...

built in 1366. The majority of the coins used in the region of

in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

were struck here. Nowadays, the building houses a

music school A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger ins ...

. *Kyck over den Dyck ('View over the Dike'), the last

windmill A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy using vanes called windmill sail, sails or blades, specifically to mill (grinding), mill grain (gristmills), but the term is also extended to windpumps, wind turbines, and ...

in Dordrecht. It was built in 1612 and used to produce

malt Malt is germinated cereal grain that has been dried in a process known as " malting". The grain is made to germinate by soaking in water and is then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air. Malted grain is used to make beer, wh ...

that was used by Dordts beer brewers. *The

Groothoofdspoort The Groothoofdspoort is a former city gate in Dordrecht that is located at the point where three rivers meet; the Merwede, the Oude Maas, and the Noord. History The building was designed in the 14th century and was originally built with gothic ...

('Big Head's Gate') is the original

city gate A city gate is a gate which is, or was, set within a city wall. It is a type of fortified gateway. Uses City gates were traditionally built to provide a point of controlled access to and departure from a walled city for people, vehicles, goods ...

of Dordrecht, built in the 14th and 15th centuries. It is situated at the point where the rivers the

Meuse The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...

, the

Merwede The Merwede () etymology uncertain, possibly derived from the ancient Dutch language, Dutch ''Merwe'' or ''Merowe'', a word meaning "wide water") is the name of several connected stretches of river in the Netherlands, between the cities of Woudrich ...

, and the

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

meet. *Arend Maartenshof (Arend Maarten's Court), built in 1625. * Stadhuis city hall, built in 1383. *Statue of

Ary Scheffer Ary Scheffer (10 February 179515 June 1858) was a Dutch-French Romantic painter. He was known mostly for his works based on literature, with paintings based on the works of Dante, Goethe, and Lord Byron, as well as religious subjects. He was als ...

(1861), by Joseph Mezzara. *Statue of

Johan Johan * Johan (given name) * Johan (film), ''Johan'' (film), a 1921 Swedish film directed by Mauritz Stiller * Johan (band), a Dutch pop-group ** Johan (album), ''Johan'' (album), a 1996 album by the group * Johan Peninsula, Ellesmere Island, Nunav ...

and

Cornelis de Witt Cornelis de Witt (; 15 June 1623 – 20 August 1672) was a Dutch politician and naval commendant of the Golden Age. During the First Stadtholderless Period De Witt was an influential member of the Dutch States Party, and was in opposition to th ...

(1918), by Toon Depuis. *River quais. *Harbours. *

Merchant A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as indust ...

houses.

Museums

The following museums are located in Dordrecht: *

Binnenvaartmuseum Binnenvaartmuseum ('Inland Shipping Museum') is a floating museum in Dordrecht, South Holland, Netherlands, on the waterway near the former shipyard De Biesbosch. Description The museum is run by Vereniging De Binnenvaart (established 1990), wh ...

, dedicated to the history of inland navigation. *

Dordrechts Museum Dordrechts Museum is an art museum in Dordrecht, Netherlands. The museum was founded in 1842 and has a collection of artists of the last 400 years. Paintings The museum has works of the following artists: Gallery File:Portrait of Cornelis van ...

, informally called ''Schilderijenmuseum'' (the paintings museum). Every summer, its garden, known as ''de Museumtuin'' (the Museum garden), hosts the showing of several

art house An art film (or arthouse film) is typically an independent film, aimed at a niche market rather than a mass market audience. It is "intended to be a serious, artistic work, often experimental and not designed for mass appeal", "made primarily f ...

films that gained significant attention in the previous year. Re-opened in late 2010 after an extensive renovation. *Simon van Gijn museum, named after honorary citizen Simon van Gijn and winner of the museum prize 2004–2005, awarded by the

Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds The Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds was founded by Prince Bernhard of The Netherlands in London in 1940 during World War II in order to buy war material for the British and Dutch Governments. It continued after the war as Stichting Prins Bernhard Cultu ...

. *Nationaal Landschapskundig Museum, (National Museum of

Landscaping Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including the following: # Living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly called gardening, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal o ...

) *Museum 1940–1945, also known as ''het Verzetsmuseum'' (the Resistance museum). *Het Hof, about the Dutch history *Onderwijsmuseum, dedicated to the Dutch history of education and schools.

Events and festivals

Dordrecht hosts around 20

cultural Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human Society, societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, and habits of the ...

and

historical History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

events and festivals each year. The city won the title of "Best events city of the year" in 2003 and was nominated for the same title in 2004 and 2005. ''Dordt in Stoom'' (literally: Dordt in steam) is the biggest steam event in Europe during which historical steam trains, steam boats etc. can be seen in action. It is organized every other year and attracts a quarter of a million visitors. Attention is also paid to Dordrecht's

art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

and

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

during ''Kunstrondje Dordt'' (literally: Little art circle Dordt) and ''Dordt Monumenteel'' (Dordt Monumental), which attracts around 100.000 visitors every year. Dordrecht hosts the second largest book market and the largest

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...

market in the Netherlands. ''Wantijfestival'' is an out-doors music festival that has been held annually in the second week of June since 1995. It takes place in the Wantij park and attracts around 35.000 people each year. Wantij park also hosts the ''Wantijconcerten'' (Wantij concerts) that are held every Monday night in July and August. Other popular music festivals held in Dordrecht are the ''World Jazz dagen'' (World Jazz days) held annually in August or September, the ''Dancetour'' or ''Boulevard of Dance'', which takes place on Kingsday, ''Big Rivers Festival'', a film, music, poetry and theatre festival held in June, and the Cello festival, held every four years in the weekend of the Ascension.
Rond Uit Dordrecht
Since 2013 they do organise a four-day bicycle festival early June. A website with a list of the festivals in the city Dordrecht
Dordrecht Festivals

Folklore

During

Carnaval Carnival is a Catholic Christian festive season that occurs before the liturgical season of Lent. The main events typically occur during February or early March, during the period historically known as Shrovetide (or Pre-Lent). Carnival typi ...

, Dordrecht is called ''Ooi- en Ramsgat'' (Ewe's and Ram's hole), and its inhabitants are ''Schapenkoppen'' (Sheepheads). This name originates from an old folk story. Import of meat or cattle was taxed in the 17th century. To avoid having to pay, two men dressed up a sheep they had bought outside the city walls, attempting to disguise it as a man. The sheep was discovered because it bleated as the three men (two men and one sheep) passed through the city wall gate. There is a special monument of a man and his son trying to hold a sheep disguised as a man between them, that refers to this legend. The logo of Dordrecht's professional football club

FC Dordrecht Football Club Dordrecht, or simply FC Dordrecht () is a professional Dutch association football club based in Dordrecht, a city in the Western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. They currently compete in the Eerste Divisie, ...

includes the head of a ram and its supporters are known to sing ''Wij zijn de Dordtse schapenkoppen'' (we are the Dordtse sheep heads) during matches. There is also a cookie called ''Schapenkop'' (sheep head) which is a speciality of Dordrecht. There are many more legends about Dordrecht. One of them is about Saint Sura, a young woman who planned on building an entire church with only three coins in her purse. She was murdered because of her supposed wealth. Another legend is about the house called ''de Onbeschaamde'' (the Unembarrassed). It is about the three brothers Van Beveren who each wanted to build a house and decided to make a bet on who would dare to place the most risqué statue on their façade. One of the brothers, Abraham van Beveren, placed a naked little boy on his façade. However, the house that supposedly won has an empty façade today because, according to the story, the statue was so risqué that it was removed. A well known saying about Dordrecht is ''Hoe dichter bij Dordt, hoe rotter het wordt'' (the closer to Dordrecht, the more rotten it gets). The previous mayor Noorland added to that; ''maar ben je er eenmaal in, dan heb je het prima naar je zin'' (but once you're in it, you're perfectly content). The saying can probably be explained as follows; traffic used to go by water and whoever came close to Dordrecht was obliged, according to

, to display their merchandise for a couple of days before being allowed to sail on. This caused loss of time and caused products to become rotten. Another explanation is derived from '' Bommel is rommel, bij

Tiel Tiel () is a municipality and a town in the middle of the Netherlands. The town is enclosed by the Waal river and the Linge river to the South and the North, and the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal to the East. Tiel comprises the population centres Kapel- ...

is niet viel en hoe dichter bij Dordt hoe rotter het wordt'' which is supposed to be said by farmers describing the bad quality of the land close to the rivers Maas and

Waal WAAL (99.1 FM "The Whale") is a commercial radio station licensed to Binghamton, New York. It airs a classic rock radio format and is owned by Townsquare Media. WAAL is the oldest FM radio station in the Binghamton metropolitan area. It is an ...

, only suitable for harvesting

reed Reed or Reeds may refer to: Science, technology, biology, and medicine * Reed bird (disambiguation) * Reed pen, writing implement in use since ancient times * Reed (plant), one of several tall, grass-like wetland plants of the order Poales * Re ...

Nature

Postcard - 1901 - Merwepark, Dordrecht, Netherlands

The Sliedrechtse Biesbosch, east of Dordrecht, and the Dordtse Biesbosch, south of Dordrecht, together form the Hollandse Biesbosch which is a part of the national park the

Biesbosch De Biesbosch National Park is one of the largest national parks of the Netherlands and one of the last extensive areas of freshwater tidal wetlands in Northwestern Europe. The Biesbosch ('forest of sedges' or 'rushwoods') consists of a large n ...

, one of the largest national parks in the Netherlands and one of the last freshwater tide areas in Europe. The Dordtse Biesbosch has several recreational areas that are used for

walking Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults o ...

rowing Rowing is the act of propelling a human-powered watercraft using the sweeping motions of oars to displace water and generate reactional propulsion. Rowing is functionally similar to paddling, but rowing requires oars to be mechanically atta ...

and

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

. There are also several parks near the city, such as Merwepark and Wantijpark.

Sports

The

Riwal Hoogwerkers Stadion The Stadion Krommedijk (known as the Matchoholic Stadion for sponsorship reasons) is a multi-purpose all-seater stadium in Dordrecht, South Holland, Netherlands. It is currently mostly used for football matches and is the home stadium of FC Dordre ...

is a football stadium and home ground of the local team

playing in the second national league.

Dordts

Dordts is a dialect of

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

traditionally spoken by the working class of Dordrecht. It is categorized under the

Hollandic Hollandic or Hollandish ( ) is the most widely spoken dialect of the Dutch language. Hollandic is among the Central Dutch dialects. Other important language varieties of spoken Low Franconian languages are Brabantian, Flemish (East Flemish, West ...

accents but also has characteristics of

Zeelandic Zeelandic ( zea, Zeêuws; nl, Zeeuws; vls, Zêeuws) is a group of Friso-Franconian language varieties spoken in the southwestern parts of the Netherlands. It is currently considered a Low Franconian dialect of Dutch, but there have been move ...

and

Brabantian Brabantian or Brabantish, also Brabantic or Brabantine ( nl, Brabants, Standard Dutch pronunciation: , ), is a dialect group of the Dutch language. It is named after the historical Duchy of Brabant, which corresponded mainly to the Dutch provi ...

. Typical features of Dordts are: *Using the

diminutive A diminutive is a root word that has been modified to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment. A (abbreviated ) is a word-formati ...

suffix In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns, adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs. Suffixes can carry ...

''-ie'' or ''-tie'' in cases where standard Dutch uses ''-je''. (e.g. Standard Dutch: (“little apple”) Dordts: ) *Words borrowed from Brabantian such as ''akkerdere'' (“lit. to knock or to fit, fig. “to get along”) *The Dutch

diphthongs A diphthong ( ; , ), also known as a gliding vowel, is a combination of two adjacent vowel sounds within the same syllable. Technically, a diphthong is a vowel with two different targets: that is, the tongue (and/or other parts of the speech o ...

''ei'' and ''ui'' tend to be pronounced more like ''èè'' and ''öö''. Recently, the ''ei''-sound has started to be pronounced more like ''ai''. In the 20th century, Dordts has slowly started to disappear as more and more people have started speaking

standard Dutch Dutch ( ) is a West Germanic language spoken by about 25 million people as a first language and 5 million as a second language. It is the third most widely spoken Germanic language, after its close relatives German and English. ''Afrikaans'' i ...

. The strongest Dordts dialect is nowadays found in the working-class neighborhoods bordering the city centre.

Other

On 14 November 1992 and again on 12 November 2011, the official arrival of the popular legendary figure

Sinterklaas Sinterklaas () or Sint-Nicolaas () is a legendary figure based on Saint Nicholas, patron saint of children. Other Dutch names for the figure include ''De Sint'' ("The Saint"), ''De Goede Sint'' ("The Good Saint") and ''De Goedheiligman'' ("The ...

was held in Dordrecht and broadcast on national television.

Economy

The current economy of Dordrecht is based on ship building, wood industry, and steel industry. The city has the sixth largest sea port in the Netherlands. One of the largest employers on Dordrecht Island is DuPont de Nemours (Nederland) B.V. It has 9 factories here with a workforce of 900 people. In development are the "Learning" and "Health" Business Parks. The Learning Park is intended to have of space for educational institutions. In the Health Park, a wide range of health services will be located, with the Dordwijk Campus of the Albert Schweitzer Hospital as focal point. Other services include a blood bank, pharmacy, and mental health clinic. Near the Health Park a new Sport Park will be built. A new large sport centre, the equivalent size of 3 soccer fields, is planned complete with gyms, skating rink, and a pool. Next to this Sport Park, a huge outdoor event terrain will be established.

Shopping

Shopping in the centre of Dordrecht is centred around the Voorstraat, the Sarisgang and the Statenplein (Staten square). The Voorstraat is long, making it the longest shopping street in the Netherlands. Markets are held every Friday and Saturday on the Statenplein and in the Sarisgang and on Tuesday in Dubbeldam.

Government and politics

College van B&W

In February 2020 the

College van Burgemeester en Wethouders In the Netherlands, the municipal executive (, ) is the executive board of a municipality. It plays a central role in municipal politics in the Netherlands, similar to the communal college in Belgium. It consists of the mayor and the members of t ...

('Board of

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

and

Aldermen An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members them ...

') in Dordrecht consisted of the following: *Wouter Kolff, Mayor (VVD) *Piet Sleeking, alderman (Beter voor Dordt) *Peter Heijkoop, alderman (CDA) *Marco Stam, alderman (Beter voor Dordt) *Rik van der Linden, alderman (CU/SGP) *Maarten Burggraaf, alderman (VVD)

Local election

The results of the 2018 municipal election in Dordrecht were as follows.

Partner cities

Partner cities of Dordrecht are:

Public transport

Dordrecht is well connected to the Dutch railroad system, and has several international connections. There are three railway stations;

Dordrecht railway station Dordrecht is a railway station in Dordrecht, Netherlands located on the Breda–Rotterdam railway and the Elst–Dordrecht railway. The station was opened on 1 January 1872, when the railway line between Rotterdam and Antwerp was opened. On 16 J ...

, Zuid railway station and Stadspolders railway station. The train system hosts: Four trainlines *South-West direction

Roosendaal Roosendaal () is both a city and a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southern Netherlands, in the province of North Brabant. Towns/villages of the municipality * Roosendaal (population: 66,760) * Wouw (4,920) * Heerle (1, ...

-and further (including international to Belgium) *South-East direction

Breda Breda () is a city and municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Brabant. The name derived from ''brede Aa'' ('wide Aa' or 'broad Aa') and refers to the confluence of the rivers Mark and Aa. Breda has ...

Eindhoven Eindhoven () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022,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 ...

*East direction

Gorinchem Gorinchem ( or ), also spelled Gorkum, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland South Holland ( nl, Zuid-Holland ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.7 million as of Oc ...

Geldermalsen Geldermalsen () is a town and former municipality in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. Town of Geldermalsen The town centre of Geldermalsen contains a two-aisled Gothic church dating from the 15th century, with a Romanesque tower ...

The four operating trainlines serve three railway stations within the city boundaries (Dordrecht, Dordrecht Zuid, Dordrecht Stadspolders) Main connections *Frequent services within the Netherlands: **Intercity line to

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol Amsterdam Airport Schiphol , known informally as Schiphol Airport ( nl, Luchthaven Schiphol, ), is the main international airport of the Netherlands. It is located southwest of Amsterdam, in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer in the province ...

and

(north-west) **Intercity line to

and on to

Vlissingen Vlissingen (; zea, label=Zeelandic, Vlissienge), historically known in English as Flushing, is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the former island of Walcheren. With its strategic l ...

(south west) **Intercity line to

Tilburg Tilburg () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, in the southern province of North Brabant. With a population of 222,601 (1 July 2021), it is the second-largest city or municipality in North Brabant after Eindhoven and the seventh-larg ...

Eindhoven Eindhoven () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022,Helmond Helmond (; called ''Héllemond'' in the local dialect) is a city and municipality in the Metropoolregio Eindhoven of the province of North Brabant in the Southern Netherlands. Helmond is home to several textile and metal companies. The Vlisco fa ...

and

Venlo Venlo () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southeastern Netherlands, close to the border with Germany. It is situated in the province of Limburg (Netherland ...

(south east) **Several semi-fast services and local trains originate or call at Dordrecht. *Detailed information available from the site of the

Nederlandse Spoorwegen Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS; ; en, "Dutch Railways") is the principal passenger railway operator in the Netherlands. It is a Dutch state-owned company founded in 1938. The Dutch rail network is one of the busiest in the European Union, and the ...

(Dutch Railways

*

Qbuzz Qbuzz is a public transport company in the Netherlands that operates services in South Holland, Utrecht, Drenthe and Groningen. Founded in 2008, it was a 100% subsidiary of Nederlandse Spoorwegen (the Dutch National Railway Operator) between 2 ...

, the city bus company of Dordrecht, also serving

Alblasserwaard The Alblasserwaard () is a polder in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is mainly known for the windmills of Kinderdijk, located near the village of Kinderdijk in the polder's northwestern part. History The first human inhabitan ...

and

Vijfheerenlanden Vijfheerenlanden (), literally "lands of five Lords", is a municipality in the province of Utrecht in the Netherlands. The municipality was created on 1 January 2019 through the merger of the former municipalities of Vianen (Utrecht), Leerdam and ...

, and also operating the train to

and

. and

Arriva Arriva plc is a British multinational public transport company headquartered in Sunderland, England.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 ...

Erasmusbrug –

Krimpen aan den IJssel Krimpen aan den IJssel () is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of in , and covers an area of of which is water. History Krimpen is first mentioned in a docum ...

Stormpolder –

Ridderkerk Ridderkerk () is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of in and covers an area of of which is covered by water. The municipality of Ridderkerk also includes th ...

De Schans –

Alblasserdam Alblasserdam () is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It covers an area of , of which is water, and has a population of as of . Alblasserdam is officially a part of the Drechtsteden region. A po ...

Kade –

Hendrik Ido Ambacht Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht () is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands. It is located on the island of IJsselmonde, and borders with Zwijndrecht, Ridderkerk, and the Noord River (with Alblasserdam and Papendrecht on the other side). The ...

Noordeinde -

Papendrecht Papendrecht () is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland, at the crossing of the River Beneden Merwede and the Noord River. The municipality had a population of in and covers an area of of which is ...

Westeind - Dordrecht Merwekade **line 21: Dordrecht Hooikade – Zwijndrecht Veerplein **line 22: Dordrecht Merwekade –

Veerdam **line 23: Dordrecht Merwekade – Papendrecht Oosteind – Hollandse

–

Middeldiep **line 24: Dordrecht Merwekade – Zwijndrecht Veerplein

Famous people from Dordrecht

:''See also

People from Dordrecht A person ( : people) is a being that has certain capacities or attributes such as reason, morality, consciousness or self-consciousness, and being a part of a culturally established form of social relations such as kinship, ownership of property, ...

Jacob Cats by Michiel Jansz van Mierevelt

Onze Musici (1911) - Cornélie van Zanten

The arts

* Hendrik Speuy (1575–1625) a Dutch organist and composer *

Jacob Cats Jacob Cats (10 November 1577 – 12 September 1660) was a Dutch poet, humorist, jurist and politician. He is most famous for his emblem books. Early years Jacob Cats was born on 10 November 1577 in Brouwershaven as son of Adriaen Cornelis ...

(1577–1660) a Dutch poet, humorist, jurist and Grand Pensionary of Holland *

Jeremias de Dekker Jeremias de Dekker or ''Decker'' (1610 – November 1666) was a Dutch poet. Biography Dekker was born in Dordrecht. His father was a native of Antwerp, who, having embraced the reformed religion, had been compelled to take refuge in the Netherla ...

(1610–1666) a Dutch poet *

Mathias Balen Mathias or Matthijs Jansz. Balen (born 1 October 1611 in Dordrecht; died 1691) was a Dutch historian. Biography He first distinguished himself as a poet, but afterwards applied himself to historical researches, and in 1677 published a description ...

(1611–1691) a Dutch historian, wrote ''Beschryving der Stad Dordrecht'' ("Description of City of Dordrecht") *

Aelbert Cuyp Aelbert Jacobszoon Cuyp () (20 October 1620 – 15 November 1691) was one of the leading Dutch Golden Age painters, producing mainly landscapes. The most famous of a family of painters, the pupil of his father Jacob Gerritszoon Cuyp (1594–1651 ...

(1620–1691) a

Dutch Golden Age The Dutch Golden Age ( nl, Gouden Eeuw ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands, roughly spanning the era from 1588 (the birth of the Dutch Republic) to 1672 (the Rampjaar, "Disaster Year"), in which Dutch trade, science, and Dutch art, ...

painter of landscapes *

Margaretha van Godewijk Margaretha van Godewijk (30 August 1627, Dordrecht – 2 November 1677, Dordrecht), was a Dutch Golden Age poet and painter. Biography According to Houbraken her father was a teacher at the Latin school in Dordrecht who taught her Greek, Latin, ...

(1627–1677) a

poet and painter *

Samuel Dirksz van Hoogstraten Samuel Dirksz van Hoogstraten (2 August 1627, in Dordrecht – 19 October 1678, in Dordrecht) was a Dutch painter of the Golden Age, who was also a poet and author on art theory. Biography Samuel Dirksz van Hoogstraten trained first with his fat ...

(1627–1678) a

painter, also a poet and author on art theory *

Nicolaes Maes Nicolaes Maes (January 1634December 1693 (buried 24 December 1693)) was a Dutch painter known for his genre scenes, portraits, religious compositions and the occasional still life. A pupil of Rembrandt in Amsterdam, he returned to work in his n ...

(1634–1693) a Dutch painter of genre scenes and portraits *

Godfried Schalcken Godfried Schalcken (1643 – 16 November 1706) was a Dutch genre and portrait painter. He was noted for his mastery in reproducing the effect of candlelight, and painted in the exquisite and highly polished manner of the Leiden fijnschilders. L ...

(1643–1706) a Dutch genre and portrait painter *

Arnold Houbraken Arnold Houbraken (28 March 1660 – 14 October 1719) was a Dutch painter and writer from Dordrecht, now remembered mainly as a biographer of Dutch Golden Age painters. Life Houbraken was sent first to learn ''threadtwisting'' (Twyndraat) fr ...

(1660–1719) a

painter and writer *

François Valentijn François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis. People with the given name * Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of Letters" * Francis II of France, King ...

(1666–1727) a Dutch minister, naturalist and author; wrote ''Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën'' about the

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( nl, Verenigde Oostindische Compagnie, the VOC) was a chartered company established on the 20th March 1602 by the States General of the Netherlands amalgamating existing companies into the first joint-stock ...

Jacobus Houbraken Jacobus Houbraken (25 December 1698 – 14 November 1780) was a Dutch engraver and the son of the artist and biographer Arnold Houbraken (1660–1719), whom he assisted in producing a published record of the lives of artists from the Dutch Go ...

(1698–1780) a Dutch engraver *

Aart Schouman Aert Schouman or Aart Schouman (4 March 1710 – 5 July 1792) was an 18th-century painter, now better known as a glass engraver, from the Dutch Republic. Schouman was born in Dordrecht. When 15 years old he served as apprentice to the Dordrec ...

(1710–1792) Dutch painter and engraver * (1776–1841) a Dutch writer and poet *

(1795–1858) a Dutch-French Romantic painter * Cornélie van Zanten (1855–1946) a Dutch opera singer, author and teacher *

Augusta Peaux Augusta Guerdina Peaux (2 November 1859 – 23 February 1944) was a Dutch poet. She began her publishing career as a writer of prose fiction, in literary magazines and in one collection, and in the early 1900s started publishing poetry, in magazin ...

(1859–1944) a Dutch poet who loved

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

Jan Veth Jan Pieter Veth (18 May 1864, Dordrecht – 1 July 1925, Amsterdam) was a Dutch painter, poet, art critic and university lecturer. He is especially noted as a portrait painter. Amongst his sitters were Max Liebermann, Lambertus Zijl, Frank van ...

(1864–1925) a Dutch painter, poet, art critic and university lecturer *

Top Naeff Top Naeff (1878-1953) was a Dutch writer. Life Top Naeff, the only child of strict parents, did not excel at secondary school. She married a family doctor, but later fell passionately in love with the director and actor Willem Royaards. Royaards, ...

(1878–1953) a Dutch writer *

Allard de Ridder Allard de Ridder (3 May 1887 – 13 May 1966) was a Dutch–Canadian conductor, violist, and composer. He was notably the first conductor of both the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the Ottawa Symphony Orchestra, the latter of which he found ...

(1887–1966) a Dutch–Canadian conductor, violist and composer *

Peter Hurkos Pieter van der Hurk (21 May 1911 – 1 June 1988) known as Peter Hurkos, was a Dutchman who allegedly manifested extrasensory perception (ESP) after recovering from a head injury and coma caused by a fall from a ladder when aged 30. He came to t ...

(1911–1988) Dutch entertainer, performed psychic feats *

Kees Buddingh' Cornelis "Kees" Buddingh' (7 August 1918 – 24 November 1985) was a Dutch poet, TV-presenter, translator. Amongst others he translated ''A Clockwork Orange'' and the complete works of William Shakespeare into Dutch. His son Wiebe Buddingh‘ l ...

(1918–1985) a Dutch poet, TV-presenter and translator * (1926–2008) a Dutch journalist and writer *

Henk Bouman Hendrik "Henk" Bouman (born 29 September 1951, in Dordrecht)David Cummings, International Who's Who In Music And Musicians' Directory 1994/5, page 92 is a Dutch harpsichordist, fortepianist, conductor and composer of music written in the baroqu ...

(born 1951) a Dutch harpsichordist, fortepianist, conductor and composer *

Edo Brunner Edo Brunner (born 11 October 1970, Dubbeldam, Netherlands) is a Dutch actor and presenter. Filmography * ''De Baby en de bakfiets'' (1997) - Willem Slootkant * ''Benidorm'' ( 1999) - Sammy * ''Enigma'' ( 1999) * ''De Zwarte Meteoor'' (2000) * '' ...

(born 1970) a Dutch actor and presenter *

Celinde Schoenmaker Celinde Schoenmaker (born 15 January 1989) is a Dutch actress and singer. She is known for appearing as Renate Blauel in ''Rocketman'', Fantine in the West End production of the musical ''Les Misérables'', and Christine Daae in the West End ...

(born 1989) a Dutch theatre actress and singer *

O'G3NE OG3NE ( ) is a Dutch three-piece music group. The group is made up of sisters Lisa, Amy, and Shelley Vol, the latter two of the three being fraternal twins. In 2007, they represented the Netherlands in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2007 with ...

(formed 2007) a Dutch girl group and ''

The Voice of Holland ''The Voice of Holland'', also known as ''TVOH'', is a Dutch reality TV singing competition, that became a near global TV format franchise, created by media tycoon John de Mol and musician Roel van Velzen, in the Netherlands airing on RTL 4. ...

'' winners in 2014

Public thinking & public service

Standbeeld Gebroeders de Wit - Dordrecht

Beatrix de Rijke Beatrix de Rijke (1421 – 1468), was a Dutch foundling in Dordrecht in 1421. Biography According to Mathias Balen in his 1677 ''Description of the city of Dordrecht'', she was a survivor of the St. Elizabeth's flood (1421). Her wicker cradle ...

(1421–1468) a Dutch foundling from

St. Elizabeth's flood (1421) The St. Elizabeth's flood of 1421 was a flooding of the Grote Hollandse Waard, an area in what is now the Netherlands. It takes its name from the feast day of Saint Elisabeth of Hungary which was formerly 19 November. It ranks 20th on the list o ...

(1577–1649) a Dutch classical scholar and theologian *

Simon de Danser Siemen Danziger ( – c. 1615), better known by his anglicized names Zymen Danseker and Simon de Danser, was a 17th-century Dutch people, Dutch privateer and Privateer, corsair. His name is also written ''Danziker'', ''Dansker'', or ''Danser''. ...

(ca.1579–ca.1615) a Dutch privateer and pirate *

Jacob de Witt Jacob de Witt, '' heer van Manezee, Melissant and Comstryen''http://www.herenvanholland.nl/eigenaar.cfm?eigenaarnummer=1701 www.herenvanholland.nl (7 February 1589 – 10 January 1674) was a burgomaster of Dordrecht and the son of a timber merch ...

(1589–1674) a

burgomaster Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, literally "master of the town, master of the borough, master of the fortress, master of the citizens") is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief m ...

of Dordrecht and the son of a timber merchant *

Jacques Specx Jacques Specx (; 1585 – 22 July 1652) was a Dutch merchant, who founded the trade on Japan and Korea in 1609. Jacques Specx received the support of William Adams to obtain extensive trading rights from Tokugawa Ieyasu, the ''shōgun'' emeritu ...

(1588–1652) Governor General Dutch East Indies (VOC) *brothers

(1623–1672) &

Johan de Witt Johan de Witt (; 24 September 1625 – 20 August 1672), ''lord of Zuid- en Noord-Linschoten, Snelrewaard, Hekendorp en IJsselvere'', was a Dutch statesman and a major political figure in the Dutch Republic in the mid-17th century, the Fi ...

(1625–1672) lynched politicians *

Laurens de Graaf Laurens Cornelis Boudewijn de Graaf (c. 1653 – 24 May 1704) was a Dutch pirate, mercenary, and naval officer in the service of the French colony of Saint-Domingue during the late 17th and early 18th century. De Graaf was also known as Laurencil ...

(ca. 1653–1704) a Dutch pirate, mercenary and naval officer *

Conrad Theodor van Deventer Conrad Theodor "Coen" van Deventer (29 September 1857, in Dordrecht – 27 September 1915, in The Hague) was a Dutch lawyer, an author about the Dutch East Indies and a member of parliament of the Netherlands. He became known as the spokesman o ...

(1857–1915) a lawyer and author about the

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...

Henriette Willemina Crommelin Henriette Willemina Crommelin (7 December 1870 – 19 August 1957) was a Dutch labor leader and temperance reformer. She was also a suffragist and a member of a suffrage society. Biography Henriette Willemina Crommelin born in Dordrecht, on 7 De ...

(1870-1957), a labor leader and temperance reformer *

Pieter Geyl Pieter Catharinus Arie Geyl (15 December 1887, Dordrecht – 31 December 1966, Utrecht) was a Dutch historian, well known for his studies in early modern Dutch history and in historiography. Background Geyl was born in Dordrecht and graduated ...

(1887–1966) an historian, studied early modern Dutch history and

historiography Historiography is the study of the methods of historians in developing history as an academic discipline, and by extension is any body of historical work on a particular subject. The historiography of a specific topic covers how historians ha ...

Cornelis Eliza Bertus Bremekamp Cornelis Eliza Bertus Bremekamp (7 February 1888, in Dordrecht – 21 December 1984) was a Dutch botanist. He received his education at the University of Utrecht, and performed as a botanical researcher in Indonesia and South Africa. In South Af ...

(1888–1984) a botanist, worked in Indonesia and South Africa * Marinus Vertregt (1897–1973) a Dutch astronomer *

Jaap Burger Jacobus Albertus Wilhelmus "Jaap" Burger (20 August 1904 – 19 August 1986) was a Dutch politician of the Social Democratic Workers' Party (Netherlands), Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP) and later co-founder of the Labour Party (Netherla ...

(1904–1986) a Dutch politician and jurist; lawyer in Dordrecht 1929 to 1942 *

Henk Korthals Hendrik Albertus "Henk" Korthals (3 July 1911 – 3 November 1976) was a Dutch politician of the defunct Liberal State Party (LSP) later the Freedom Party (Netherlands), Freedom Party (PvdV) and later co-founder of the People's Party for Freedom ...

(1911–1976) a Dutch politician and journalist *

Theo Bot Theodorus Hendrikus "Theo" Bot (20 July 1911 – 24 September 1984) was a Dutch politician and diplomat of the defunct Catholic People's Party (KVP) now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and jurist. Bot attended a Gymnasiu ...

(1911–1984) a Dutch politician, diplomat and jurist *

Aart Alblas Aart Hendrik Alblas, aka Klaas de Waard (20 September 1918, in Middelharnis – 7 September 1944, in Mauthausen concentration camp), was a Dutch navy officer, resistance member and Engelandvaarder. He participated in several resistance operations ...

(1918–1944) a Dutch navy officer, Dutch resistance member and

Engelandvaarder ''Engelandvaarder'', (literally translated as "England sailer") was the term given during the Second World War to men and women who attempted to escape from the Netherlands across over 100 miles of the North Sea to reach England and freedom. O ...

Nicolaas Bloembergen Nicolaas Bloembergen (March 11, 1920 – September 5, 2017) was a Dutch-American physicist and Nobel laureate, recognized for his work in developing driving principles behind nonlinear optics for laser spectroscopy. During his career, he was a p ...

(1920–2017) a Dutch-American physicist and winner of the 1981

Nobel Prize in Physics ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then " ...

for his work on

nonlinear optics Nonlinear optics (NLO) is the branch of optics that describes the behaviour of light in ''nonlinear media'', that is, media in which the polarization density P responds non-linearly to the electric field E of the light. The non-linearity is typica ...

for

laser spectroscopy Spectroscopy is the field of study that measures and interprets the electromagnetic spectra that result from the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and matter as a function of the wavelength or frequency of the radiation. Matter wa ...

Jan Pouwer Jan Pouwer (21 September 1924, Dordrecht – 21 April 2010, Zwolle) was a Dutch anthropologist with a thorough grounding in his profession in terms of fieldwork and theory. He studied Indology and Ethnology at Leiden University (MA 1950, PhD 1955 ...

(1924–2010) a Dutch anthropologist and academic *

Philip Scheltens Philip Scheltens (born 1957) is a Dutch professor of neurology and founder of the Alzheimer Centre, VU University Medical Center Amsterdam. Early life, education and career Philip Scheltens was born in Dordrecht, Netherlands, where he grew up ...

(born 1957) a professor of neurology and expert on

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...

* Eline Slagboom (born 1960) a biologist specializing in human familial longevity and ageing

Sport

Dirk Boest Gips Dirk Boest Gips (30 July 1864 – 11 November 1920) was a Dutch sport shooter who competed in the early 20th century in pistol shooting. He participated in Shooting at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris and won a bronze medal with the Dutc ...

(1864–1920) a Dutch sports shooter, team bronze medallist at the

1900 Summer Olympics The 1900 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1900, link=no), today officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad () and also known as Paris 1900, were an international multi-sport event that took place in Paris, France, from 1 ...

Hendrik de Iongh Hendrik de Iongh (4 August 1877 – 9 August 1962) was a Dutch fencer. He won a bronze medal in the team sabre event at the 1912 Summer Olympics The 1912 Summer Olympics ( sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1912), officially known as the Games o ...

(1877–1962) a fencer, team bronze medallist at the

1912 Summer Olympics The 1912 Summer Olympics ( sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1912), officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad ( sv, Den V olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Stockholm 1912, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, be ...

*brothers

Geert Lotsij Gerhard Oswald "Geert" Lotsij (13 January 1878 in Dordrecht – 29 June 1959 in Hilversum) was a Dutch rower Rowing, sometimes called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports ...

(1878–1959) & Paul Lotsij (1880–1910) rowers, team silver medallists at the

Piet Bouman Pieter "Piet" Bouman (October 14, 1892 in Dordrecht – July 20, 1980 in Tietjerksteradeel) was a Dutch amateur football player who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics. Club career Bouman played for hometown side DFC, as well as for Haarlem, ...

(1892–1980) a Dutch amateur footballer, team bronze medallist at the

* (1893–1959), sport leader, Dutch Olympic Head of Mission 1936/1952 *

Simon Wulfse Simon Wulfse (born January 12, 1952 in Dordrecht) is a strongman from the Netherlands. He finished third at the World's Strongest Man games in 1983. Wulfse won the Europe's Strongest Man title in 1983, his career best finish. He finished first in ...

(born 1952), a strongman and drug smuggler *

Peter Smit '' Peter "The Hurricane" Smit (December 24, 1961 – August 15, 2005) was a Dutch martial artist, Retrieved 2013-06-03 who mastered such different fight disciplines as kyokushin karate, kickboxing and Muay Thai., Retrieved 2013-06-04. Peter Sm ...

(1961–2005), a Dutch martial artist *

Juul Ellerman Juul Ellerman (born 7 October 1965) is a Dutch former footballer, who played as a winger or as a central forward. Club career Ellerman started his professional career at Sparta and moved to PSV in 1988. He scored twice in a famous 1989 5-1 ...

(born 1965), a Dutch former footballer with 389 club caps *

Marco Boogers Marco Boogers (born 12 January 1967) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a forward. Boogers spent almost all of his career in the Netherlands, apart from an ill-fated spell at English club West Ham United. He later worked a ...

(born 1967), a Dutch former professional footballer with 399 club caps *

Reinier Robbemond Reinier Robbemond (born 31 January 1972) is a Dutch professional football manager and former player who played as a midfielder. He is the manager of Eerste Divisie club Willem II. A midfielder, Robbemond's professional playing career spanned 19 ...

(born 1972), a Dutch football manager and former player with 412 club caps * Danny Makkelie (born 1983), is a Dutch

FIFA FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...

football referee *

Mareno Michels Mareno Michels (born 23 October 1984) is a Dutch darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events. Career BDO Michels made three quarter final appearances in the BDO Open events in 2005, doing so in the Welsh Open, Eng ...

(born 1984), a Dutch darts player *

Lucinda Brand Lucinda Brand (born 2 July 1989) is a Dutch racing cyclist, who rides for UCI Women's WorldTeam in road racing, and UCI Cyclo-cross Pro Team in cyclo-cross. After four years with , in August 2016 announced that Brand had signed a two-year dea ...

(born 1989), cyclist * Björn Vlasbom (born 1990), former professional footballer *

Maria Verschoor Maria Verschoor (born 22 April 1994) is a Dutch field hockey player. She began playing for HC Hoekschewaard before joining HC Rotterdam. She moved up from junior to senior teams and in 2012 she moved to the Amsterdam Hockey & Bandy Club. Verschoo ...

(born 1994), a Dutch field hockey player, team silver medallist at the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...

Jarno Opmeer Jarno Opmeer (born 11 April 2000) is a Dutch esports driver and former racing driver and is the 2020 and 2021 Formula One Esports Champion. He also competes in the Formula E: Accelerate Series with Mercedes-EQ. Career Formula 4 Opmeer gradua ...

(born 2000), a Dutch racing driver and Esports competitor

Image gallery

File:hofstraat.jpg, Hofstraat File:Dordrecht_Grote_Kerk_toren.jpg, Grote Kerk File:Dordrecht Groothoofdspoort2.jpg, Groothoofdspoort File:Building-hof10.jpg, Het Hof (The Court) File:Cityhalldordrecht.jpg, City Hall File:Pottenkade.jpg, Pottenkade next to the Grote Kerk File:Cyckoverdendyck.jpg,

Windmill A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy using vanes called windmill sail, sails or blades, specifically to mill (grinding), mill grain (gristmills), but the term is also extended to windpumps, wind turbines, and ...

'Kyck over den Dyck' File:Dordrecht - Dordrechts Museum.jpg,

File:Dordrecht, haven foto2 2010-06-13 12.46.JPG, port File:Dordrecht, monumentaal straatzicht4 foto2 2010-06-27 18.03.JPG, View to monumental buildings File:Dordrecht, Schettersplein foto1 2010-06-27 18.09.JPG, square: Scheffersplein File:Schapen in de Hoefijzerstraat in Dordrecht.jpg, Sheep in the Hoefijzerstraat File:Dordrecht, zicht op de Wijnhaven vanaf de Nieuwbrug RM14043 met links de toren van de Bonifatiuskerk RM13998 IMG 0140 2018-02-25 10.41.jpg, View to the Wijnhaven File:Dordrecht, recreatievaartuig de Friedrich Voss vanaf de Schuttevaerkade IMG 0192 2018-02-25 12.37.jpg, Boat: the Friedrich Voss

References

Citations

Sources

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External links

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Official website
{{Authority control Cities in the Netherlands Municipalities of South Holland Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta Drechtsteden Islands of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta Islands of South Holland