Vlaardingen () is a city in South Holland 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 Rotterd ...

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 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 1811. History Maassluis was founded circa 1340 as a ...

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 Keen ...

and Delft to the north, Schiedam 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 ''"Ne ...

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 In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 B ...

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 pa ...

. 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 The (First) Battle of Vlaardingen was fought on 29 July 1018 between troops of the Holy Roman Empire and West Frisia (which would later become known as the County of Holland). As a result of a trade dispute, Emperor Henry II sent an army towar ...

. 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 or entertainment activity in which mainly amateur hobbyists and history enthusiasts dress in historic uniforms or costumes and follow a plan to recreate aspects of a historical event or ...

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 th ...

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, moderni ...

. 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 Ref ...

of Dutch independence, a group of

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 ...

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 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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. In 1855 the former municipality of Zouteveen 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 The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy ( nl, Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie ; VVD) is a Conservative liberalism, conservative-liberalRudy Andeweg, Andeweg, R. and G. Irwin ''Politics and Governance in the Netherlands'', Basingsto ...

), 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 Ton is the name of any one of several units of measure. It has a long history and has acquired several meanings and uses. Mainly it describes units of weight. Confusion can arise because ''ton'' can mean * the long ton, which is 2,240 pounds ...

), 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 dri ...

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 Katwijk aan Zee (literally, ''Katwijk-upon-Sea'') is a seaside resort located on the North Sea at the mouth of the Oude Rijn. It is situated in the municipality of Katwijk and the province of South Holland. History The Origin till the Gol ...

. There are still some ferry terminals (

DFDS Seaways DFDS Seaways is a Danish shipping company that operates passenger and freight services across northern Europe. Following the acquisition of Norfolkline in 2010, DFDS restructured its other shipping divisions ( DFDS Tor Line and DFDS Lisco) ...

, 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 Containerization, container port in the United Kingdom. Felixstowe is approximately 116km (72 miles) northea ...

and Immingham and P&O Ferries sailing to Hull).

Attractions

Monuments

Historical buildings in the town include the ''Grote Kerk'' (Big Church), the ''

Waag A weighhouse or weighing house is a public building at or within which goods are weighed. Most of these buildings were built before 1800, prior to the establishment of international standards for weights, and were often a large and representative ...

'' (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 A ropewalk is a long straight narrow lane, or a covered pathway, where long strands of material are laid before being twisted into rope. Due to the length of some ropewalks, workers may use bicycles to get from one end to the other. Many rope ...

, 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 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 Lore may refer to: * Folklore, acquired knowledge or traditional beliefs * Oral lore or oral tradition, orally conveyed cultural knowledge and traditions Places * Loré, former French commune * Loré (East Timor), a city and subdistrict in La ...

. 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 ...

from No. 142 Squadron RAF 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 six members of the resistance group " Geuzen" 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 herring 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: herring 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 ce ...

festival), but in 2003 the mayor decided to rename it. In 2015, the name "Haring en Bierfeest" reappeared again. Since 1987, the ''

Geuzenpenning The Geuzenpenning ('Beggar Medal') is a Dutch award given to persons or organizations who have fought for democracy and against dictatorship, racism and discrimination. It has been awarded annually since 1987 in the city of Vlaardingen. The Geuzen ...

'' 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 Floris I (born c. 1017 in Vlaardingen – 28 June 1061) was count of Holland, then called Frisia west of the Vlie, from 1049 to 1061. Floris was born in Vlaardingen. He was a son of Dirk III and Othelindis of Nordmark. Floris succeeded his brot ...

(ca.1017-1061) Count of Holland then called Frisia, 1049-1061 *

Dirk IV, Count 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 ...

(ca.1025–1049) was Count of Holland 1039–1049, then called Frisia * Dirk V, Count of Holland (1052–1091) was Count of Holland 10611091, then called Frisia * Floris II, Count of Holland (ca.1085-1121) Count of Holland 1091-1121 Bos Dutch politician kabinet Balkenende IV

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 chie ...

Koos Vorrink Jacobus Jan Vorrink, better known as Koos Vorrink (7 June 1891 – 19 July 1955), was a socialist leader in the Netherlands. Early life Koos Vorrink was born on 7 June 1891 in Vlaardingen, in the Dutch province of South Holland. He started ...

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

Catharina Halkes Catharina Joanna Maria Halkes (Vlaardingen, 2 July 1920 - Nijmegen, 21 April 2011) was a Dutch theologian and feminist, notable for having been the first Dutch professor of feminism and Christianity, at the Radboud University Nijmegen from 1983 to ...

(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 (born 1946) a Dutch journalist and a non-fiction writer about history *

Agnes van Ardenne Anna Maria Agnes "Agnes" van Ardenne-Van der Hoeven (born 21 January 1950) is a retired Dutch politician and diplomat of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA). Career Agnes van Ardenne was born in Maasland in 1950. Before taking office as a me ...

(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 ...

(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 Cornelis Gerrit "Kees" van der Staaij (; born 12 September 1968) is a Dutch politician serving as a member of the House of Representatives (Netherlands), House of Representatives since 1998 and Leader of the Reformed Political Party (''Staatkundi ...

(born 1968) a Dutch politician * Arjan El Fassed (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 Lind ...

(1915–1999) a Dutch conductor of popular music * Bassie en Adriaan, (brothers, born 1935 & 1942) actors in a children's TV show * Gerrit Berveling (born 1944) a Dutch Esperanto author *

Threes Anna Threes Anna (pseudonym of Threes Schreurs, born in Vlaardingen, The Netherlands, 1959) is a novelist, theatre and film maker. Biography Threes Anna is trained as a visual artist. In 1985, Anna was engaged in theatre company Dogtroep, specialize ...

(born 1959) a novelist, theatre and film maker *

Hans Neleman Hans Neleman (born 30 May 1960, Vlaardingen) is a Dutch-born international photographer and film director who lives in Connecticut and working in New York City. He is also the founder of boutique stock photography agency Win-initiative and its pro ...

(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 capita ...

* 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) and ...

Karen Mulder Karen Mulder (born 1 June 1970) is a Dutch model and singer. She is well known for her work with Versace, Dior, and Chanel as a supermodel during the 1990s. Mulder repeatedly was featured on the cover of ''Vogue'' and was also a Victoria's Secr ...

(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 po ...

Rik van de Westelaken Rik van de Westelaken (born 22 April 1971) is a Dutch television presenter. He is known for presenting television programs which include the ''NOS Journaal'', ''Peking Express'' and ''Wie is de Mol?''. Other programs include ''Rik over de Grens'' ...

(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 Netherl ...

(1835–1907) a Dutch businessman, founded

Verkade Royal Verkade (Dutch: Koninklijke Verkade) is a Dutch manufacturing company, owned by a Turkish conglomerate. The company is headquartered in Zaandam and was one of the oldest existing family companies in the Netherlands. In November 2014 the comp ...

manufacturing company *

Hans Bos Johannes Lukas "Hans" Bos (born 16 June 1950) is a Dutch biochemist and cancer researcher. He has been a professor of physiological chemistry at Utrecht University since 1991. He is also employed by the University Medical Center Utrecht. Career B ...

(born 1950) a Dutch biochemist, cancer researcher and academic * Roel Pieper (born 1956) a Dutch IT-entrepreneur * Aad van der Vaart (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 (born 1959) a Dutch marine biologist and sustainable development officer at

FAO of The UN The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...

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 has publ ...

(born 1965) a Dutch evolutionary biologist, ecologist and academic researcher *

Jim Stolze Jim Stolze (born November 30, 1973) is a tech-entrepreneur located at Amsterdam Science Park, mostly known for his work in the world wide TEDx Community and the European Startup scene. Author A graduate of Vrije Universiteit, VU University Amste ...

(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 sci ...

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 Andries Hoogerwerf (29 August 1906 – 5 February 1977) was a Dutch track and field athlete, naturalist, ornithologist and conservationist, who spent much of his working life in the Dutch East Indies and Dutch New Guinea. Hoogerwerf's athletic ...

(1906–1977) a middle-distance runner in the 1928 Summer Olympics, later a scientist and conservationist in the Dutch East Indies * Rudie Liebrechts (born 1941) a Dutch former speed skater and racing cyclist * Paul-Jan Bakker (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 that ...

(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 Caroline Vis (born 4 March 1970 in Vlaardingen) is a retired professional tennis player from the Netherlands. Vis turned pro in 1989. A doubles specialist, Vis won nine titles during her career on the WTA Tour. She reached the mixed doubles f ...

(born 1970) a retired professional tennis player * Frank Kooiman (born 1970) a retired Dutch football goalkeeper with about 310 club caps *

Wilma van Hofwegen Willemina ("Wilma") Cornelia Adriana van Rijn-van Hofwegen (born 17 July 1971) is a former freestyle swimmer from the Netherlands, who was a member of the Dutch Women's 4×100 m freestyle relay Team that won the silver medal a ...

(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 d ...

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

and bronze medallist at the 1996 and 2004 Summer Olympics *

Daniëlle de Bruijn Daniëlle de Bruijn (born 13 February 1978 in Vlaardingen) is a water polo player of the Netherlands who represents the Dutch national team in international competitions. De Bruijn was part of the team that won the bronze medal at th ...

(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 champi ...

(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 Chantal Achterberg (born 16 April 1985) is a Dutch rower, who is a multiple time world champion and winner of Olympic silver and bronze medals.{{{cite Sports-Reference She is a native of Vlaardingen, South Holland South Holland ...

(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 (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 ...

'' 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