Bussum () is a commuter town and former municipality in the Gooi region in the south east of 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 ...

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 ...

near

Hilversum Hilversum () is a city and municipality in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. Located in the heart of the Gooi, it is the largest urban centre in that area. It is surrounded by heathland, woods, meadows, lakes, and smaller towns. Hilver ...

. Since 2016, Bussum has been part of the new municipality of Gooise Meren. Bussum had a population of 33,595 in 2019 and covered an area of .

History

For a long time Bussum was not more than a hamlet situated amongst the heathlands of the Gooi and was first mentioned in 1306. In this time, Bussum was a large heathland with many small farms, sheep pens and forests as is shown on old maps. Since Bussum is situated near the fortified town

Naarden Naarden () is a city and former municipality in the Gooi region in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. It has been part of the new municipality of Gooise Meren since 2016. History Naarden was granted its city rights in 1300 (the only to ...

it was governed by Naarden from 1369 onward. In 1470 Bussum was inhabited by about 250 people, which made it the smallest village in the Gooi. Bussum became independent from Naarden in 1817, yet it was not until the arrival of a railway line in 1874 that Bussum began to flourish. Two train stations were built in the town, that still exist today: Naarden-Bussum and Bussum Zuid ( Dutch for Bussum South), both on the connection between Amsterdam and Hilversum. The stations and the road network fostered the town's status as a satellite town of Amsterdam, allowing for reverse commute also to

. From 1898 until 1907, Bussum housed the first Dutch socialist colony after the example of Thoreau's

Walden ''Walden'' (; first published in 1854 as ''Walden; or, Life in the Woods'') is a book by American transcendentalist writer Henry David Thoreau. The text is a reflection upon the author's simple living in natural surroundings. The work is part ...

, set up by the writer and psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden. In 1951, Bussum hosted the first Dutch national TV broadcast and the national TV studios were located there until 1964. Bussum was set to merge with the local municipalities of

Muiden Muiden () is a city and former municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It lies at the mouth of the Vecht and is in an area called the Vechtstreek. Since 2016, Muiden has been part of the new municipality of Gooise Mere ...

and Muiderberg on 1 January 2016. In October 2014, the combined town councils chose the name Gooise Meren for the new municipality, the other options being Naarden-Bussum and Naardingerland.

Local government

The last municipal council of Bussum consisted of 23 seats, which were divided as follows (2015): * VVD - 5 seats * Hart voor Bussum - 4 seats * PvdA - 3 seats * CDA - 2 seats * GroenLinks - 2 seats * D66 - 2 seats * Gooise Ouderen Partij - 2 seats * Partij voor Bussum (PVB) - 1 seat * Fractie Krabbendam - 1 seat * GooiDuursaam - 1 seat

Notable residents

* Freddy Wittop (1911–2001) international costume designer * Karel Thole (1914–2000), painter and illustrator *

Paul Biegel Paulus Johannes "Paul" Biegel (; 25 March 1925 – 21 October 2006) was a successful and prolific Dutch writer of children's literature. Biography Paul Biegel was born in Bussum in 1925. His father, Hermann Biegel, was of German descent, and ow ...

(1925–2006), author * Willem Duys (1928–2011), radio and television presenter and record producer * Thierry Veltman (born 1939), artist * Tineke Lagerberg (born 1941), swimmer *

Ronnie Tober Ronald Edwin Tober (born 21 April 1945) is a Dutch singer, known for representing the Netherlands in the Eurovision Song Contest 1968 with the song " Morgen". Early life Tober was born in Bussum, Netherlands, but moved to the United Stat ...

(born 1945), singer and entertainer * Charles de Lint (born 1951), Canadian author and musician * Huub Rothengatter (born 1954), racing driver * Raoul Heertje (born 1963), comedian * Anneloes Nieuwenhuizen (born 1963), field hockey defender *

Ruud Hesp Rudolfus 'Ruud' Hubertus Hesp (born 31 October 1965) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. Club career Born in Bussum, North Holland, Hesp started his career in the 1985–86 season at HFC Haarlem. He was recomme ...

(born 1965), football goalkeeper *

Ellen Elzerman Ellen Louise Elzerman (born 22 January 1971 in Bussum, North Holland) is a former backstroke and freestyle swimmer from the Netherlands, who competed for her native country at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. There she was eliminat ...

(born 1971), swimmer *

Thekla Reuten Thekla Simona Gelsomina Reuten (born 16 September 1975) is a Dutch actress. Life and career Reuten was born in Bussum, Netherlands, the daughter of a Dutch father, Joost Reuten, and an Italian mother, who was born in Benabbio near Bagni di Lucc ...

(born 1975), actress * Wopke Hoekstra (born 1975), Dutch politician * Joël Drommel (born 1996), football goalkeeper

Transport

The town of Bussum has two railway stations: Naarden-Bussum and Bussum Zuid.

References

External links

* *
A view on the old town of Bussum
{{Authority control Geography of Gooise Meren Former municipalities of North Holland Populated places in North Holland Municipalities of the Netherlands disestablished in 2016