Vlaardingen () is a city in

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 ...

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 ...

. It is located on the north bank of the

Nieuwe Maas The Nieuwe Maas (; "New Meuse") is a distributary of the Rhine River, and a former distributary of the Maas River, in the Dutch province of South Holland. It runs from the confluence of the rivers Noord and Lek, and flows west through Rotterdam. ...

river at the confluence with the

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 Noo ...

. The municipality administers an area of , of which is land, with residents in .

Geography

The city is divided into a northern part (locally known as the "Holy") and a southern part by the A20 motorway. On the east the city is separated from

Schiedam Schiedam () is a city and municipality in the west of the Netherlands. It is located in the Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan area, west of Rotterdam, east of Vlaardingen, and south of Delft. In the south the city is connected with the village ...

by the A4 motorway. Other places nearby are

Maassluis Maassluis () is a city in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of in and covered of which was water. It received City rights in the Netherlands, city rights in 1811. History Maasslui ...

to the west,

Schipluiden Schipluiden is a village in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It is the seat of the council of the municipality of Midden-Delfland. The village was founded relatively late in the 15th century and evolved around the Kee ...

and

Delft Delft () is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam, to the southeast, and The Hague, to the northwest. Together with them, it is part of both the Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan ...

to the north,

and

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 ...

to the east and Spijkenisse in the south-west, on the other side of the

. The A20 connects

Hook of Holland Hook of Holland ( nl, Hoek van Holland, ) is a town in the southwestern corner of Holland, hence the name; ''hoek'' means "corner" and was the word in use before the word ''kaap'' – "cape", from Portuguese ''cabo'' – became Dutch. The English t ...

. The Beneluxtunnel (the tunnel that runs under the Nieuwe Waterweg) connects the A20 to the A15. The centre of the town is on the west side of the old harbour, which is originally a stream ('De Vlaarding') from the peat lands north and east of the town, running to the Meuse estuary.

History

The area around Vlaardingen was already settled by about 2900 to 2600 BC. In 1990, a skeleton dated at about 1300 BC was dug up in the periphery of Vlaardingen; some human nuclear DNA was identified, the oldest found anywhere in the Netherlands. Although in the Roman Age a stronghold or maybe even a

vicus In Ancient Rome, the Latin term (plural ) designated a village within a rural area () or the neighbourhood of a larger settlement. During the Republican era, the four of the city of Rome were subdivided into . In the 1st century BC, Augustus ...

''Flenio'' must have been found in nowadays Vlaardingen, between roughly 250 CE and 700 CE the region seems to have been uninhabited, like much of the west of the Netherlands. In 726 or 727 the area is again mentioned as ''In Pagio Marsum'', where a little church was established, around which Vlaardingen formed. The church is mentioned on a list of churches

Willibrord Willibrord (; 658 – 7 November AD 739) was an Anglo-Saxon missionary and saint, known as the "Apostle to the Frisians" in the modern Netherlands. He became the first bishop of Utrecht and died at Echternach, Luxembourg. Early life His fath ...

, the ''Apostle to the Frisians'', inhered to the

Abbey of Echternach The Abbey of Echternach is a Benedictine monastery in the town of Echternach, in eastern Luxembourg. The Abbey was founded in the 7th century by St Willibrord, the patron saint of Luxembourg. For three hundred years, it benefited from the pat ...

. In 1018 Vlaardingen was a stronghold of Dirk III, who levied an illegal toll on ships on the Meuse river. An army sent by German Emperor Henry II in order to stop this practice was defeated by Dirk III in the (First) Battle of Vlaardingen. In 1047, his successor Dirk IV repelled another such attack (Second Battle of Vlaardingen). The first of these battles was commemorated in 2018 by a

historical reenactment Historical reenactment (or re-enactment) is an educational entertainment, educational or entertainment activity in which mainly amateur hobbyists and history enthusiasts dress in historic uniforms or costumes and follow a plan to recreate aspect ...

The flood disaster of December 21, 1163 (Saint Thomas Flood), ended the growth of Vlaardingen. The

Counts of Holland The counts of Holland ruled over the County of Holland in the Low Countries between the 10th and the 16th century. House of Holland The first count of Holland, Dirk I, was the son or foster-son of Gerolf, Count in Frisia (Dijkstra suggests ...

moved away and its development stagnated. It is known that in 1273 Vlaardingen was granted city rights by

Floris V, Count of Holland Floris V (24 June 1254 – 27 June 1296) reigned as Count of Holland and Zeeland from 1256 until 1296. His life was documented in detail in the Rijmkroniek by Melis Stoke, his chronicler. He is credited with a mostly peaceful reign, modern ...

. Older city rights are possible, but not provable. In 1574, during 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 Re ...

of Dutch independence, a group of Watergeuzen burnt down Vlaardingen as commanded by William of Orange to prevent the Spanish from capturing the town. Vlaardingen later became a shipbuilding area and a significant harbour for the

herring Herring are forage fish, mostly belonging to the family of Clupeidae. Herring often move in large schools around fishing banks and near the coast, found particularly in shallow, temperate waters of the North Pacific and North Atlantic Ocea ...

fishing industry. The fishing boats (originally "haringbuizen", later also "sloepen" and "loggers") ceased to use Vlaardingen in the years after

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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. In 1855 the former municipality of

Zouteveen Zouteveen is a neighbourhood in the municipality Midden-Delfland in the province South Holland in the Netherlands. It is located between Vlaardingen and Delft, about 3 km south of the town of Schipluiden. There are two hamlets in this area: ...

was merged into the municipality Vlaardingerambacht which in turn was merged with Vlaardingen during the occupation of the Netherlands in the Second World War by the Germans in 1941. Because of the industrialization in and close to Vlaardingen, the city suffered from heavy air pollution and, sometimes, pathogenic smog during the 1970s. One day, a high school had to be closed because of the smog. Many environmental groups arose in and around Vlaardingen as it was seen as one of the most polluted cities of the country. Vlaardingen consists of eight districts/neighbourhoods: #Vlaardingen Centrum #Westwijk #Vettenoordse polder (includes industry) #Vlaardingen Oost #Ambacht/Babberspolder #Holy Zuid #Holy Noord #Broekpolder

Politics

Mayor: Bert Wijbenga (VVD). Seats in the city council after the municipal elections in 2010: * Labour Party ( PvdA), 6 seats * Vlaardingen Ahead 2000/Livable Vlaardingen (VV2000/LV), 6 seats * Groenlinks ( GL), 4 seats * People's Party for Freedom and Democracy ( VVD), 4 seats * Christian Democratic Appeal ( CDA), 3 seats * Socialist Party ( SP), 3 seats * Democrats 66 ( D66), 2 seats * Christian Union/Political Reformed Party ( CU/ SGP), 2 seats * City Interests Vlaardingen (SBV), 2 seats * Proud of the Netherlands ( TON), 2 seats * General Elderly Alliance ( AOV), 1 seat

Economy

Unilever Unilever plc is a British multinational consumer goods company with headquarters in London, England. Unilever products include food, condiments, bottled water, baby food, soft drink, ice cream, instant coffee, cleaning agents, energy ...

research centre is located in Vlaardingen (located next to the former Sunlight factory, later called Lever Faberge Sourcing Unit Vlaardingen). There are still some ship repair business(es) in Eastern Vlaardingen beside the

River. The was for many years the largest privately owned artificial harbour in the world. The last major herring factory, Warmelo & Van Der Drift, left Vlaardingen in the middle of 2012 to relocate to Katwijk aan Zee. There are still some ferry terminals ( DFDS Seaways, sailing to

Felixstowe Felixstowe ( ) is a port town in Suffolk, England. The estimated population in 2017 was 24,521. The Port of Felixstowe is the largest container port in the United Kingdom. Felixstowe is approximately 116km (72 miles) northeast of London. H ...

and

Immingham Immingham is a town, civil parish and ward in the North East Lincolnshire unitary authority of England. It is situated on the south-west bank of the Humber Estuary, and is north-west from Grimsby. The region was relatively unpopulated and und ...

and

P&O Ferries P&O Ferries is a British shipping company that operates ferries from United Kingdom to Ireland, and to Continental Europe (France, Belgium and the Netherlands). The company was created in 2002 through mergers and acquisitions within P&O. It ...

sailing to

Hull Hull may refer to: Structures * Chassis, of an armored fighting vehicle * Fuselage, of an aircraft * Hull (botany), the outer covering of seeds * Hull (watercraft), the body or frame of a ship * Submarine hull Mathematics * Affine hull, in affi ...

Attractions

Monuments

Historical buildings in the town include the ''Grote Kerk'' (Big Church), the '' Waag'' (Weighing Bridge) next to the church and the old town hall (used for weddings), all on the ''Markt'', the former marketplace, the ''Visbank'' (Fish Auction) at the harbour and the ''Oude Lijnbaan'' (Old Ropewalk, where ropes were made). The ''Grote Kerk'' was probably established between 1156 and 1164 and has been expanded, damaged and rebuilt. To the north of the old harbour is the old

Aeolus In Greek mythology, Aeolus or Aiolos (; grc, Αἴολος , ) is a name shared by three mythical characters. These three personages are often difficult to tell apart, and even the ancient mythographers appear to have been perplexed about which A ...

windmill, which operates and sells ground cereals. The harbour is a

marina A marina (from Spanish language, Spanish , Portuguese language, Portuguese and Italian language, Italian : ''marina'', "coast" or "shore") is a Dock (maritime), dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina dif ...

and

open-air museum An open-air museum (or open air museum) is a museum that exhibits collections of buildings and artifacts out-of-doors. It is also frequently known as a museum of buildings or a folk museum. Definition Open air is “the unconfined atmosphere� ...

with old ships. At the harbour is the ' (before: '' Visserijmuseum'' and the ''Visserij en Vlaardings Museum''), a museum dedicated to commercial sea fishing and lore. A war memorial to the crew of a

Wellington bomber The Vickers Wellington was a British twin-engined, long-range medium bomber. It was designed during the mid-1930s at Brooklands in Weybridge, Surrey. Led by Vickers-Armstrongs' chief designer Rex Pierson; a key feature of the aircraft is its g ...

from

No. 142 Squadron RAF No. 142 Squadron was a flying squadron of the Royal Air Force (RAF). History No. 142 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) was formed at RFC Ismailia, Egypt in 1918, flying a mixed bag of reconnaissance and bomber aircraft. On the formatio ...

killed when it was shot down over Vlaardingen in March 1942 has been erected in ''Wijkpark Holy-Noord'' in June 2012. On ''Emaus Cemetery'' in

Vlaardinger Ambacht Vlaardinger-Ambacht in 1866 Vlaardinger-Ambacht is a former municipality in the Dutch province of South Holland. It covered the countryside around the city of Vlaardingen. The municipality existed between 1817 and 1941, when it became part of Vl ...

six members of the resistance group "

Geuzen 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 ...

" are buried. They were executed in March 1941. Nine adjacent headstones are symbolic for nine other members of the "Geuzen" who were also executed and buried elsewhere.

Events

The "Vlaardings Loggerfestival" (''Logger'' is a traditional ship used for

fishery, the customary English name is ''

lugger A lugger is a sailing vessel defined by its rig, using the lug sail on all of its one or several masts. They were widely used as working craft, particularly off the coasts of France, England, Ireland and Scotland. Luggers varied extensively ...

'') is held on the first Saturday of June. The festival used to be called "Haring en Bierfeest" (translation:

and

beer Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cer ...

festival), but in 2003 the mayor decided to rename it. In 2015, the name "Haring en Bierfeest" reappeared again. Since 1987, the '' Geuzenpenning'' is an award that is yearly bestowed by a local foundation in cooperation with the town's municipality to human rights activists from all over the world.

Notable residents

People who are born in or (have) lived in Vlaardingen:

Counts of Holland

* Floris I, Count of Holland (ca.1017-1061)

Count of Holland The counts of Holland ruled over the County of Holland in the Low Countries between the 10th and the 16th century. House of Holland The first count of Holland, Dirk I, was the son or foster-son of Gerolf, Count in Frisia (Dijkstra suggests ...

then called Frisia, 1049-1061 * Dirk IV, Count of Holland (ca.1025–1049) was

1039–1049, then called Frisia * Dirk V, Count of Holland (1052–1091) was

10611091, then called Frisia *

Floris II, Count of Holland Floris II, called Floris the Fat ( – 2 March 1121) was the first from the native dynasty of Holland to be called Count of Holland, reigning from 1091 until his death. Life Floris was the son of his predecessor Dirk V and his wife Othilde. F ...

(ca.1085-1121)

1091-1121

Bos Dutch politician kabinet Balkenende IV

Public thinking & Public Service

* Gerard Callenburgh (1642–1722) was a Dutch admiral and town councillor and

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 ...

* Koos Vorrink (1891–1955) a Dutch politician * Cornelis Moerman (1893-1988) a general practitioner and keen

pigeon fancier Pigeon keeping or pigeon fancying is the art and science of breeding domestic pigeons. People have practiced pigeon keeping for at least 5,000 years and in almost every part of the world. In that time, humans have substantially altered the morph ...

* Catharina Halkes (1920-2011) a Dutch theologian and feminist *

Dirk Hoogendam Dirk Hoogendam, a.k.a. Dieter Hohendamm, alias ''The Boxer'' (18 May 1922, Vlaardingen - 8 August 2003 in Ringgau, Germany), was a Dutch war criminal. Hoogendam was sentenced to death after World War II because of his service in a foreign army ...

(1922-2003) a Dutch war criminal *

Geert Mak Geert Ludzer Mak (born 4 December 1946 in Vlaardingen) is a Dutch journalist and non-fiction writer. Honors For his book ''In Europe: Travels through the Twentieth Century'' he received the Leipziger Buchpreis zur Europäische Verständigung (20 ...

(born 1946) a Dutch journalist and a non-fiction writer about history * Agnes van Ardenne (born 1950) a retired Dutch politician and diplomat *

Wouter Bos Wouter Jacob Bos (; (born 14 July 1963) is a retired Dutch politician of the Labour Party (PvdA) and businessman. Bos attended the Christian Gymnasium in Zeist from June 1975 until July 1980 and applied at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam i ...

(born 1963) a retired Dutch politician, former

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...

2007-2010 * Kees van der Staaij (born 1968) a Dutch politician *

Arjan El Fassed Arjan El Fassed (born 5 August 1973) is a former Dutch politician and human rights activist as well as development aid worker. As a member of GreenLeft (GroenLinks) he was an MP from 17 June 2010 to 19 September 2012. He focused on matters o ...

(born 1973) a former Dutch politician, human rights activist, a development aid worker and director of Open State Foundation

The Arts

Dolf van der Linden David Gijsbert van der Linden (22 June 1915 – 30 January 1999), known as Dolf van der Linden, was a Dutch conductor of popular music with a reputation which extended beyond the borders of the Netherlands. Biography David Gijsbert van der Linde ...

(1915–1999) a Dutch conductor of popular music *

Bassie en Adriaan Bassie & Adriaan was a television programme series focusing on the adventures and lives of a circus duo consisting of clown Bassie and acrobat Adriaan, played by real-life circus duo Bas and Aad van Toor. Written by Aad van Toor and originally p ...

, (brothers, born 1935 & 1942) actors in a children's TV show *

Gerrit Berveling Gerrit Berveling (born 1 April 1944, Vlaardingen) is a Dutch Esperanto author. Biography He studied Classical Languages (Latin and Greek) at Leiden University, and Theology at Utrecht and Leiden Universities. After 14 years of teaching general ...

(born 1944) a Dutch Esperanto author * Threes Anna (born 1959) a novelist, theatre and film maker * Hans Neleman (born 1960) an international photographer and film director from

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

* Martyn LeNoble (born 1969) a Dutch bassist and a founding member of the alternative rock band

Porno for Pyros Porno for Pyros is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1992, following the break-up of Jane's Addiction. The band currently consists of former Jane's Addiction members Perry Farrell (vocals) a ...

* Karen Mulder (born 1970) a Dutch model, singer and former

supermodel A supermodel, also spelled super-model or super model, is a highly paid fashion model who usually has a worldwide reputation and often a background in '' haute couture'' and commercial modeling. The term ''supermodel'' became prominent in the ...

* Rik van de Westelaken (born 1971) a Dutch TV presenter IMDb Database
retrieved 08 January 2020 * Rajacenna van Dam (born 1994) a Dutch hyper realistic pencil drawing artist Aad van der vaart

Science & Business

Ericus Verkade Ericus Gerhardus Verkade (20 November 1835 – 8 February 1907) was a Dutch businessman and the founder of the Verkade manufacturing company in 1886. Biography Ericus Gerhardus Verkade was born on 20 November 1835 in Vlaardingen in the Nethe ...

(1835–1907) a Dutch businessman, founded Verkade manufacturing company * Hans Bos (born 1950) a Dutch biochemist, cancer researcher and academic *

Roel Pieper Roland "Roel" Pieper (born 1956, Vlaardingen, Netherlands) is a Dutch IT-entrepreneur. Early life and education Pieper was born (April 13, 1956) in Vlaardingen, son of an engineer at a car manufacturer. His father died when Pieper was 20, and on ...

(born 1956) a Dutch IT-entrepreneur *

Aad van der Vaart Adrianus Willem "Aad" van der Vaart (born 12 July 1959) is a Dutch professor of Stochastics at the Delft Institute of Applied Mathematics at Delft University of Technology. Education and career Van der Vaart was born in Vlaardingen. He earned his ...

(born 1959) a Dutch professor of

stochastics Stochastic (, ) refers to the property of being well described by a random probability distribution. Although stochasticity and randomness are distinct in that the former refers to a modeling approach and the latter refers to phenomena themselve ...

at Leiden University *

Martinus van der Knaap Martinus may refer to: * Martin (magister militum per Armeniam), 6th-century Byzantine/East Roman general * Martinus (son of Heraclius), 7th-century Byzantine/East Roman co-emperor * Martinus of Arles, doctor of theology, priest, and author on demo ...

(born 1959) a Dutch marine biologist and sustainable development officer at FAO of The UN *

Menno Schilthuizen Menno Schilthuizen (born 1965, Vlaardingen) is a Dutch evolutionary biologist, ecologist, and permanent research scientist at Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden and a professor of evolution and biodiversity at Leiden University. He ha ...

(born 1965) a Dutch evolutionary biologist, ecologist and academic researcher * Jim Stolze (born 1973) a tech-entrepreneur at

Amsterdam Science Park __NOTOC__ Amsterdam Science Park is a science park in the Oost city district of Amsterdam, Netherlands with foci on physics, mathematics, information technology and the life sciences. The 70 hectare (175 acre) park provides accommodations for sc ...

and with

TEDx TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Sau ...

Sport

* Andries Hoogerwerf (1906–1977) a middle-distance runner in the

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad ( nl, Spelen van de IXe Olympiade) and commonly known as Amsterdam 1928, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from ...

, later a scientist and conservationist in the Dutch East Indies *

Rudie Liebrechts Rutgerus (Rudie) Liebrechts (born 6 September 1941) is a former Dutch speed skater and racing cyclist. Liebrechts was born in Vlaardingen and was among the best Dutch speed skaters from 1961 to 1967. He twice became Dutch Allround champion, in 1 ...

(born 1941) a Dutch former speed skater and racing cyclist *

Paul-Jan Bakker Paul-Jan Bakker (born 19 August 1957) is a Dutch former international cricketer, who also played domestic cricket at first-class and List A level in England for Hampshire from 1986 to 1992, taking 269 wickets across both formats. He later play ...

(born 1957) a former Dutch cricketer * Juliette Bergmann (born 1958) a Dutch female bodybuilding former champion *

Wim Koevermans Wilhelmus ("Wim") Jacobus Koevermans (born 28 June 1960 in Vlaardingen, South Holland), a former football central defender from The Netherlands, who earned one cap for the Netherlands national football team. He was a member of the Dutch team t ...

(born 1960) a former football central defender with 340 club caps * Harald Wapenaar (born 1970) a Dutch former football goalkeeper with 341 club caps * Caroline Vis (born 1970) a retired professional tennis player *

Frank Kooiman Frank Kooiman (born 13 January 1970) is a Dutch former football goalkeeper. He made his debut in Dutch professional football on 25 September 1994 for Sparta Rotterdam, replacing Edward Metgod Edward Metgod (born 19 December 1959 in Amsterdam, ...

(born 1970) a retired Dutch football goalkeeper with about 310 club caps * Wilma van Hofwegen (born 1971) a former freestyle swimmer, team silver medallist at the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...

Serge Zwikker Serge Zwikker (born April 28, 1973) is a Dutch former basketball player. High School career Zwikker, the son of a police officer and a mother who worked in the flower business, first came to the United States in 1988, playing for Don Kent at Mo ...

(born 1973) a Dutch-American former basketball player. *

Mark Huizinga Mark Huizinga (born 10 September 1973) is a Dutch judoka and Olympic champion. Huizinga was born in Vlaardingen, South Holland in Netherlands in 1973. He won the gold medal in the men's under 90 kg class at the 2000 Summer Olympics by ...

(born 1973) a Dutch judoka champion and gold medallist at the

and bronze medallist at the

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 800, causing the plane to crash and killing everyone on b ...

and 2004 Summer Olympics * Daniëlle de Bruijn (born 1978) a water polo player, team gold medallist at the 2008 Summer Olympics *

Edith Bosch Edith Bosch (born 31 May 1980) is a Dutch judoka. Her Olympic debut was at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney where she finished seventh. She won the silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in the middleweight division. She was also European champio ...

(born 1980) a Dutch judoka, silver medallist at the 2004 Summer Olympics and bronze medallist at the

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing ...

and 2012 Summer Olympics * Chantal Achterberg (born 1985) a Dutch rower, team bronze medallist at the 2012 Summer Olympics and team silver medalist at the 2016 Summer Olympics * Carlo van Dam (born 1986) a Dutch racing driver *

Kevin de Koning Kevin () is the anglicized form of the Irish masculine given name (; mga, Caoimhghín ; sga, Cóemgein ; Latinized as ). It is composed of "dear; noble"; Old Irish and ("birth"; Old Irish ). The variant ''Kevan'' is anglicized from , an ...

(born 1994) a Dutch professional ''

Starcraft II ''StarCraft II'' is a military science fiction video game created by Blizzard Entertainment as a sequel to the successful ''StarCraft'' video game released in 1998. Set in a fictional future, the game centers on a galactic struggle for dominance a ...

'' player

Twin city

Gallery

File:Vlaardingen oude stadshuis 2006-04-02 14.59.JPG, File:Vlaardingen Visbank 2006-04-02 15.07.JPG, File:Vlaardingen brug achter de Visbank 2006-04-02 15.24.JPG, File:Vlaardingen windmill.jpg, File:Villa IJzermans PICT3951.jpg, File:Vlaardingen 5-5-2005 8-46-42.jpg, File:Raadhuis Vlaardingerambacht in 1978.jpg, File:Vlaardingen_plezierjachten_in_haven_2006-04-02_15.32.JPG, File:Vlaardingen, bedrijfspand H van Toorn bij de Grote Kerk foto3 2011-06-26 10.34.JPG,

References

External links

*
English version
*
The history of Vlaardingen website
{{Authority control Cities in the Netherlands Municipalities of South Holland Populated places in South Holland