Uithoorn () is a municipality and a town in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

, in the province of

North Holland North Holland ( nl, Noord-Holland, ) is a province of the Netherlands in the northwestern part of the country. It is located on the North Sea, north of South Holland and Utrecht, and west of Friesland and Flevoland. In November 2019, it had a ...

Population centres

The municipality of Uithoorn consists of the following cities, towns, villages and/or districts:

De Kwakel The Kwakel is a village in the municipality of Uithoorn, North Holland, the Netherlands, near the border with South Holland. Having 3880 inhabitants in 2006, it's close to Kudelstaart and Aalsmeer Aalsmeer () is a municipality and a town in ...

and Uithoorn. Gem-Uithoorn-OpenTopo

''Dutch topographic map of the municipality of Uithoorn, June 2015''

History

The name ''De Uithoorn'' (or also ''De Uythoorn'') was used at the end of the Middle Ages for the location of the lower courts of the deanery of Saint John. The village formed around its courthouse. People depended on agriculture and animal husbandry. Agriculture became increasingly more difficult due to the steady soil

subsidence Subsidence is a general term for downward vertical movement of the Earth's surface, which can be caused by both natural processes and human activities. Subsidence involves little or no horizontal movement, which distinguishes it from slope move ...

. From c. 1600 on,

peat Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficien ...

extraction became important and resulted in the formation of large ponds, which in turn would be made into polders later on. During the

Franco-Dutch War The Franco-Dutch War, also known as the Dutch War (french: Guerre de Hollande; nl, Hollandse Oorlog), was fought between France and the Dutch Republic, supported by its allies the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Brandenburg-Prussia and Denmark-Nor ...

in the "disaster year" of 1672, Uithoorn was on the front lines and fortifications were built. During the

Batavian Republic The Batavian Republic ( nl, Bataafse Republiek; french: République Batave) was the successor state to the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on 19 January 1795 and ended on 5 June 1806, with the accession of Louis Bona ...

period, the neighbouring village of Thamen was merged with Uithoorn. Its economy was limited but improved in the middle of the 19th century when some industries (including chemical) were established in the area. The reclamation of a few large ponds provided extra agricultural land at the end of the same century. A sulphuric acid plant was established on the banks of the

Amstel The Amstel () is a river in the province of North Holland in the Netherlands. It flows from the Aarkanaal and Drecht in Nieuwveen northwards, passing Uithoorn, Amstelveen, and Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, to the IJ in Amsterdam. Annually, the riv ...

in 1863, it closed in the early 1900s; the site was subsequently (1922) used for a

coal tar Coal tar is a thick dark liquid which is a by-product of the production of coke and coal gas from coal. It is a type of creosote. It has both medical and industrial uses. Medicinally it is a topical medication applied to skin to treat psoriasi ...

processor, '' Teerbedrijf Uithoorn'', later known as

Cindu Chemicals Cindu may refer to: * Chemische Industrie Uithoorn, (CINDU), Dutch chemical company *One of the divisions of Tamil music dealt with in the Pancha Marapu {{Disambig ...

. A subsidiary company

Nevcin Polymers Chemische Industrie Uithoorn (Cindu, later ''Cindu Chemicals'') was a chemical company in Uithoorn, Netherlands specialising in processing from coal tar. The company was founded in 1922 as ''Teerbedrijf Uithoorn'' (''TEBU''), and operated under a ...

also operated on the site: both companies were major employers in the town, and also polluters of the air and water bodies. In 1992 a reactor at the Nevcin site exploded, causing three deaths and several injuries. As of 2012 both plants remain in operation. Circa 1885, several fortifications were built around Uithoorn as part of the

Stelling van Amsterdam The UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Defence Line of Amsterdam (in Dutch named ''Stelling van Amsterdam'', ) is a ring of fortifications around Amsterdam. It has 42 forts that are from the centre and lowlands, which can easily be floode ...

. In 1915 the railway was built through town. After World War II, Uithoorn developed quickly: in 1948 the Thamerdal neighbourhood was built, followed by Zijdelwaard in 1960, Legmeer in 1972, Meerwijk-West and Meerwijk-Oost from 1985 on. In 1991 a new shopping centre was built in the town centre, at the expense of many original buildings.

Local government

The municipal council of Uithoorn consists of 23 seats, which are divided as follows:

Notable people

Johannes Voorhout Johannes Voorhout (11 November 1647 – 25 August 1717) was a Dutch painter of history paintings, portraits and genre scenes.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 *

Piet Steenkamp Petrus Antonius Josephus Maria "Piet" Steenkamp (8 March 1925 – 8 January 2016) was a Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party. From 1949 to 1954, Steenkamp was a business economics employee in his father's factory, the ...

(1925–2016) a Dutch politician *

Hans Koeleman Johannes Cornelis Maria "Hans" Koeleman (born 5 October 1957) is a retired Dutch middle- and long-distance runner. He competed in the steeplechase at the 1984 and 1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the G ...

(born 1957) a retired Dutch middle- and long-distance runner, competed in the steeplechase at the

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...

and

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

Ruud Koopmans Ruud Koopmans (born 2 February 1961, in Uithoorn) is a Dutch people, Dutch sociologist and professor at the Humboldt University of Berlin. His research focuses on Human migration, migration, social integration and transnationalization. Biography ...

(born 1961) is a Dutch sociologist and academic * Angela Schijf (born 1979) a Dutch actress IMDb Database
retrieved 26 January 2020 * Lars Veldwijk (born 1991) a Dutch-born South African professional footballer with over 200 club caps

Gallery

File:Uithoorn town hall.jpg, Uithoorn town hall File:Station Uithoorn - panoramio - Rokus C.jpg, Station Uithoorn - panoramio File:Uithoorn kunstwerk onbekend2 amstelplein.jpg, Uithoorn kunstwerk onbekend2 amstelplein File:Fort aan de Drecht - panoramio (3).jpg, Fort aan de Drecht - panoramio

References

External links

*
Official website
{{Authority control Municipalities of North Holland Populated places in North Holland