Zwolle () 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 Northeastern

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 the capital of the

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

of Overijssel and the province's second-largest municipality after Enschede with a population of 130,592 as of 1 December 2021. Zwolle is on the border with

Gelderland Gelderland (), also known as Guelders () in English, is a province of the Netherlands, occupying the centre-east of the country. With a total area of of which is water, it is the largest province of the Netherlands by land area, and second by ...

, which follows the river

IJssel The IJssel (; nds-nl, Iessel(t) ) is a Dutch distributary of the river Rhine that flows northward and ultimately discharges into the IJsselmeer (before the 1932 completion of the Afsluitdijk known as the Zuiderzee), a North Sea natural harbour. ...

, and is located about 50 km north east of

Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the fourth-largest city and a municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, in the very centre of mainland Net ...

and 85 km south west of Groningen. The current Mayor of Zwolle is Lorenzo Brands.

History

Archaeological findings indicate that the area surrounding Zwolle has been inhabited for a long time. A

woodhenge Woodhenge is a Neolithic Class II henge and timber circle monument within the Stonehenge World Heritage Site in Wiltshire, England. It is north-east of Stonehenge, in Durrington parish, just north of the town of Amesbury. Discovery Woodhe ...

that was found in the Zwolle-Zuid suburb in 1993 was dated to the

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second prin ...

period. During the Roman era, the area was inhabited by

Salian Franks The Salian Franks, also called the Salians (Latin: ''Salii''; Greek: Σάλιοι, ''Salioi''), were a northwestern subgroup of the early Franks who appear in the historical record in the fourth and fifth centuries. They lived west of the Low ...

. The modern city was founded around 800 CE by Frisian merchants and troops of

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first ...

. Previous spellings of its name include the identically pronounced ''Suolle'', which means "hill" (cf. the English cognate

verb A verb () is a word ( part of speech) that in syntax generally conveys an action (''bring'', ''read'', ''walk'', ''run'', ''learn''), an occurrence (''happen'', ''become''), or a state of being (''be'', ''exist'', ''stand''). In the usual descr ...

"to swell"). This refers to an incline in the landscape between the four rivers surrounding the city,

, Vecht, Aa and

Zwarte Water {{Infobox river , name = Zwarte Water , image = Hasselt.jpg , image_size = , image_caption = Zwarte Water through Hasselt , source1_location = Zwolle , mouth_location = IJsselmeer , mo ...

. The hill was the only piece of land that would remain dry during the frequent floodings of the rivers. Zwolle was established on that incline. A document mentions the existence of a parish church dedicated to

St Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...

. That church, the Grote of Sint Michaëlskerk (St. Michael's church), was renovated in the first half of the 15th century and exists to this day. The church contains a richly carved pulpit, the work of Adam Straes van Weilborch (about 1620), some good carving and an exquisite organ (1721). On 31 August 1230, the bishop of

granted Zwolle city rights. Zwolle became a member of the Hanseatic league in 1294, and in 1361 joined the war between the Hanseatic League and

Valdemar IV of Denmark Valdemar IV Atterdag (the epithet meaning "Return of the Day"), or Waldemar (132024 October 1375) was King of Denmark from 1340 to 1375. He is mostly known for his reunion of Denmark after the bankruptcy and mortgaging of the country to finance ...

. In the 1370 Treaty of Stralsund that ended the war, Zwolle was awarded a ''vitte'', a trade colony, in

Scania Scania, also known by its native name of Skåne (, ), is the southernmost of the historical provinces (''landskap'') of Sweden. Located in the south tip of the geographical region of Götaland, the province is roughly conterminous with Skåne ...

, then part of

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

. Zwolle's golden age came in the 15th century. Between 1402 and 1450, the city's

Gross Regional Product Gross regional product (GRP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all final goods and services produced in a region or subdivision of a country in a period (quarterly or yearly) of time. A metropolitan area's GRP (gross metropolitan prod ...

multiplied by about six. In July 1324 and October 1361, regional

noblemen Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characterist ...

set fire to Zwolle. In the 1324 fire, only nine buildings escaped the flames. Blaeu 1652 - Zwolle

Zwolle was also, with Deventer, one of the centers of the

Brethren of the Common Life The Brethren of the Common Life (Latin: Fratres Vitae Communis, FVC) was a Roman Catholic pietist religious community founded in the Netherlands in the 14th century by Gerard Groote, formerly a successful and worldly educator who had had a religio ...

, a

monastic Monasticism (from Ancient Greek , , from , , 'alone'), also referred to as monachism, or monkhood, is a religion, religious way of life in which one renounces world (theology), worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic ...

movement. from Zwolle, on a slight eminence called the Agnietenberg, (hill of St Agnes), once stood the Augustinian convent in which

Thomas à Kempis Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380 – 25 July 1471; german: Thomas von Kempen; nl, Thomas van Kempen) was a German-Dutch canon regular of the late medieval period and the author of '' The Imitation of Christ'', published anonymously in Latin in the ...

spent the greatest part of his life and died (in 1471). At least as early as 1911, Zwolle had a considerable trade by river, a large fish market, and the most important cattle market in the Netherlands 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 ''"Ne ...

. The more important industries comprised cotton manufactures, iron works, boat-building, dyeing and bleaching, tanning, rope-making, and salt-making. In

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 ...

, Zwolle was single-handedly liberated from the Germans by French-Canadian soldier Léo Major. He was made an honorary citizen of Zwolle in 2005 and a street is named after him, Leo Majorlaan. In 2004, Zwolle's

De Librije De Librije () is a restaurant in Zwolle, Netherlands. It is a fine dining restaurant that has been awarded one or more Michelin stars since 1993. It carried one star in the period 1993–1998, two stars in the period 1999-2003 and three stars sin ...

restaurant was honored with 3 stars by

Michelin Guide The Michelin Guides ( ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The Guide awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few establishments. The acquisition or loss of ...

; as of 2018, it is one of only three restaurants so honored in the entire country.

Blauwvingers

Citizens of Zwolle are colloquially known as ''Blauwvingers'' (Bluefingers). This dates back to 1682, when the St Michael's church tower collapsed. The authorities were strapped for cash and saw no option but to sell the

church bell A church bell in Christian architecture is a bell which is rung in a church for a variety of religious purposes, and can be heard outside the building. Traditionally they are used to call worshippers to the church for a communal service, and to ...

s to neighbouring city Kampen. To make sure that Kampen would not make too much profit from the deal, the local authorities asked a high price for the church bells. Kampen accepted, yet after the arrival of the bells it became clear, they were too damaged to be played. In revenge, Kampen paid in copper coins of four ''duiten'' (the equivalent of two-and-a-half cents). Zwolle distrusted Kampen and wanted to be sure they truly paid the entire price. After the rigorous counting of this vast amount of money, their fingers had turned blue from the counting of money.

Geography

Besides the Grote of Sint Michaëlskerk (St. Michael's church), the latter which houses a majestic Baroque organ built by

Arp Schnitger Arp Schnitger (2 July 164828 July 1719 (buried)) was an influential Northern German organ builder. Considered the most paramount manufacturer of his time, Schnitger built or rebuilt over 150 organs. He was primarily active in Northern Europe, esp ...

, there are several other historic monuments in Zwolle. The Roman Catholic ''Onze Lieve Vrouwe ten Hemelopneming''-

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's Forum (Roman), forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building ...

(Our Lady of the Assumption) dates back to 1399. The church tower, called '' Peperbus'' (pepperpot), is one of the tallest and most famous church towers in the Netherlands. The modernized town hall was originally built in 1448. Mention should also be made of the ''Sassenpoort'' (one of the old city gates), the city walls, the ''Mosterdmakerstoren'' (''mustard makers' tower'')(the complex where local mustard used to be made), a guild-house (1571), the former provincial government offices, a Dominican monastery, and on the Melkmarkt, two museums; the of antiquities and natural history, and the Vrouwenhuis.

Museum de Fundatie Museum de Fundatie () is a museum for the visual arts in Zwolle, Netherlands. Museum de Fundatie forms part of the Hannema-de Stuers Foundation, to which Kasteel het Nijenhuis in Heino also belongs. Museum de Fundatie possesses a collection of vis ...

, the fine art museum of the province of Overijssel, is hosted in the former Justice Hall on Blijmarkt Square. In the western part of the city, west of the railway station, there is a quarter of Art Nouveau buildings, concentrated mostly on Koningin Wilhelminastraat, Prinses Julianastraat, and Prins Hendrikstraat. These three-store living houses were built in 1900s by various Dutch architects. Eleven of the buildings are protected by the Dutch government ( rijksmonumenten). The ''Broerenkerk'' church was part of the Dominican monastery founded in 1465. The monastery was closed in 1580 and the monks were expelled. From 1640 until 1982 the church was used for Protestant services. After a restoration in 1983–1988 it has been used for cultural events and it is now a bookstore.

Image gallery

File:Thorbeckegracht en Wijndragerstoren Zwolle Overijssel.jpg, Thorbeckegracht and Wijndragerstoren File:Peperbus, Eekwal.jpg, Peperbus from the Eekwal. The house in front really ''is'' that crooked. File:Zwolle, Praubstraat.jpg, Praubstraat, inner city File:Zwolle Sassenpoort.jpg, Sassenpoort File:Thorbeckewal en Thorbeckegracht Zwolle Overijssel.jpg, Thorbeckewal and Vispoortbridge File:Zwolle, Rijke Fratershuis.jpg, The ''Rich Friar House'' a center of the ''

Devotio Moderna Devotio Moderna (Latin; lit., Modern Devotion) was a movement for religious reform, calling for apostolic renewal through the rediscovery of genuine pious practices such as humility, obedience, and simplicity of life. It began in the late 14th-cen ...

'' and later the home of Willem Bartjens File:Zicht op Zwolle Centrum.jpg, View of Zwolle city centre File:Organ in Broerenkerk, Zwolle, 2013.jpg, The organ in Broerenkerk File:Herman Brood Museum & Experience Zwolle Overijssel.jpg,

Herman Brood Hermanus "Herman" Brood (; 5 November 1946 – 11 July 2001) was a Dutch musician, painter, actor and poet. As a musician he achieved artistic and commercial success in the 1970s and 1980s, and was called "the greatest and only Dutch rock 'n' ...

Museum & Experience File:Zwolle Prins Hendrikstraat Gate.jpg, The Art Nouveau gate at Prins Hendrikstraat 1-3-5. 1902, architect Geurt Gijsbertus Post File:Zwolle, fontein in Stadsgracht bij Museum de Fundatie foto4 2016-06-05 10.03.jpg, Fountain near Museum de Fundatie

Notable residents

:''See also

People from Zwolle 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 ...

'' ;Arts, culture, entertainment and the media * Willem Victor Bartholomeus (1825–1892), organist and conductor *

Hein Boele Hendrik Evert "Hein" Wigand Boele (born 24 November 1939 in Zwolle, Overijssel) is a Dutch voice actor. Boele provides the voice of Elmo on '' Sesamstraat'', the Dutch co-production of ''Sesame Street''. Boele also dubbed Gobo Fraggle's voice f ...

(born 1939), actor, Dutch voice of

Elmo Elmo is a red Muppet monster character on the long-running PBS/ HBO children's television show ''Sesame Street''. A furry red monster who has a falsetto voice and illeism, he hosts the last full five-minute segment (fifteen minutes prio ...

Jonnie Boer Jonnie Boer (born January 9, 1965 in Giethoorn) is a Dutch Michelin star winning head chef and co-owner of the restaurant De Librije in Zwolle, Netherlands. Together with his wife and business partner Thérèse Boer he runs the 3-starred ''De L ...

(born 1965), chef with three Michelin stars *

Gerard ter Borch Gerard ter Borch (; December 1617 – 8 December 1681), also known as Gerard Terburg (), was a Dutch genre painter who lived in the Dutch Golden Age. He influenced fellow Dutch painters Gabriel Metsu, Gerrit Dou, Eglon van der Neer and Johann ...

(1617–1681), painter *

Gerard ter Borch the Elder Gerard ter Borch (1583 in Zwolle – 1662 in Zwolle), was a Dutch Golden Age painter. According to Arnold Houbraken, who referred to him as Gerard Terburg's father, he was a good painter who had spent many years in Rome and who was the first ...

(1583–1662), painter * Moses ter Borch (1645–1667), painter *

Tooske Breugem Antonia Grietje "Tooske" Ragas-Breugem (; born 3 June 1974), is a Dutch actress and television host. She played a stewardess in '' 06/05'', a movie by Theo van Gogh about the murder of Pim Fortuyn. She was video jockey (VJ) at TMF Netherlands ...

(born 1974), television host actress *

(1946–2001), painter/rock star *

Funda Eryiğit Funda Eryiğit (born 6 November 1984) is a Turkish actress. Early life She is of Turkish, Circassian, and Georgian descents. After graduating from Kadir Has Anatolian High School, she graduated from Istanbul University State Conservatory Theat ...

(born 1984), Turkish actress * Willem Grasdorp (1678–1723), painter * Aleida Greve (1670–1742), painter * Anna Cornelia Holt (1671–1692), painter * Sophia Holt (1658–1734), painter *

Antonina Houbraken Antonina Houbraken (30 May 1686 – December 1736) was an 18th-century Dutch draughtswoman who is known for her many topographical drawings of Dutch sites. She also drew landscapes. She is recorded as a skilled portraitist. Life Antonina ...

(1686–1736), draughtswoman * Marnix Kappers (1943–2016), actor *

(c. 1380–1471), canon and mystic *

Master I. A. M. of Zwolle Master I. A. M. of Zwolle (known works 1470–1490, lifetime estimated as ca. 1440–1504

(c. 1440–1490), engraver *

Ton Koopman Antonius Gerhardus Michael Koopman (; born 2 October 1944), known professionally as Ton Koopman, is a Dutch conductor, organist, harpsichordist, and musicologist, primarily known for being the founder and director of the Amsterdam Baroque Orches ...

(born 1944), a conductor, organist, and harpsichordist *

Yuri Landman Yuri Landman (born 1 February 1973) is a Dutch inventor of musical instruments and musician who has made several experimental electric string instruments for a number of artists including Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth, Liars, Jad Fair of Half Japan ...

(born 1973), experimental musical instrument builder, comic book artist * Cornelia van Marle (1661–1698), painter *

Michael Minsky Michael (Gregory) Minsky, (Михаил (Григорий) Минский) born Michael Spirin (Spiridonov), also known as Mino Minzer and between Ukrainians as Myhailo Minsky (12 August 1918, Bagaevo, Tatarstan – 9 October 1988, Zwolle, Netherla ...

(1918–1988), singer and conductor *

Leonard van Munster Leonard van Munster (born February 1972, Zwolle) is a Dutch contemporary artist making Site-specific and Subject-specific work. He studied from 1992 to 1996 at the Gerrit Rietveld Academy in Amsterdam. This included an exchange programme to Parsons ...

(born 1972), artist * Opgezwolle (since 2001), rap crew *

Jan Vayne Jan Vayne (pseudonym of Jan Veenje) (June 9, 1966 in Zuidwolde, Drenthe) is a Dutch pianist. He began piano lessons at the age of 4 years and by the time he was 10, he had won his first prize. In 1984 Vayne began his study at the conservatorium i ...

(Jan Veenje) (born 1966), pianist *

Charlotte Wessels Johanna Charlotte Wessels (born 13 May 1987) is a Dutch singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. She is best known as the former lead vocalist for the Dutch symphonic metal band Delain. Background Wessels has been trained in both jazz singi ...

(born 1987), former singer for

Delain Delain is a Dutch symphonic metal band formed in 2002 by former Within Temptation keyboardist Martijn Westerholt, intending for the band to be solely a project. Singer Charlotte Wessels was invited to join in 2005. The name of the band comes fr ...

Aleijda Wolfsen Aleijda Wolfsen (22 October 1648 – 25 August 1692), was a Dutch Golden Age painter. Biography She was born in Zwolle as the daughter of the wealthy mayor Hendrik Wolfsen (1615-1684), and Aleijda Verwers (1626-1665) in the house on the ''Grote A ...

(1648–1692), painter ;Authors *

Eef Brouwers Evert (Eef) Brouwers (9 March 1939 – 6 October 2018) was a Dutch journalist A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to t ...

(born 1939), journalist and former head of the

Netherlands Government Information Service The Netherlands Government Information Service (''Dutch:'' Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst, abbrev.: RVD) is a Dutch government agency. The RVD is the official information service of the Dutch government and is the spokesbody for the prime minister, the ...

* A. den Doolaard (1901–1994), author *

Rhijnvis Feith Jonkheer, Jhr. Rhijnvis Feith (christened 9 February 1753 in Zwolle – 8 February 1824 in Zwolle) was a Dutch poet. Biography Feith was born of into an Aristocracy (class), aristocratic family in Zwolle, the capital of the province Overijssel ...

(1753–1824), author *

Everhardus Johannes Potgieter Everhardus Johannes Potgieter (June 27, 1808February 3, 1875) was a Dutch prose writer and poet, who was born at Zwolle in Overijssel. Biography He started life in a merchant's office at Antwerp. In 1831 he made a journey to Sweden, described ...

(1808–1875), author ;Business *

Willem Jan van Dedem Willem Jan, Baron van Dedem tot de Rollecate (18 March 1776 – 21 November 1851) was a Dutch lawyer, landowner and taxation officer who was responsible for the peat excavation in south-east Drenthe and north-east Overijssel. The and town of Ded ...

(1776–1851), landowner and founder of the canal and town of Dedemsvaart ;Religion * Johannes Busch (1399–c. 1480), church reformer and provost of the Augustinian monastic order *

Andreas Ignatius Schaepman Mgr. Andreas Ignatius Schaepman (4 September 1815, Zwolle19 September 1882, Utrecht) was Archbishop of Utrecht from 1868 to 1882 and President of the Great Seminary of Rijsenburg. He did his primary studies at the gymnasium in Oldenzaal, complete ...

(1815–1882),

Archbishop of Utrecht List of bishops and archbishops of the diocese and archdioceses of Utrecht. Medieval diocese from 695 to 1580 Founders of the Utrecht diocese * * * * * Bishops * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ...

Alanus de Rupe Alanus de Rupe (also Alan, Alain de la Roche, or Blessed Alain de la Roche); (c. 1428 – 8 September 1475) was a Roman Catholic theologian noted for his views on prayer. Some writers claim him as a native of Germany, others of Belgium; but his ...

(1428–1475), Roman Catholic theologian and Dominican promotor of the rosary ;Politics *

Laurens Jan Brinkhorst Laurens Jan Brinkhorst (born 18 March 1937) is a retired Dutch politician and diplomat of the Democrats 66 (D66) party and jurist. Early life and education Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst was born in the city of Zwolle. His parents were Marius Jacobus ...

(born 1937), former Minister of Economic Affairs *

Joan van der Capellen tot den Pol Joan Derk, Baron van der Capellen tot den Pol (; 2 November 1741, Tiel – 6 June 1784, Zwolle) was a Dutch nobleman who played a prominent role in the revolutionary events that preceded the formation of the Batavian Republic. As a member of the ...

(1741–1784), role in the Batavian Republic *

Wybo Fijnje Wybo Fijnje (24 January 1750 in Zwolle – 2 October 1809 in Amsterdam) was a Dutch Mennonite minister, publisher in Delft, Patriot, exile, coup perpetrator, politician and - during the Batavian Republic and Kingdom of Holland - manager of the p ...

(1750–1809), Mennonite minister, publisher, exile, coup perpetrator, politician * Willem Johan Lucas Grobbée (1822–1907),

Minister of Finance A finance minister is an executive or cabinet position in charge of one or more of government finances, economic policy and financial regulation. A finance minister's portfolio has a large variety of names around the world, such as "treasury", " ...

from 1883 to 1885 *

Johannes van Heerdt tot Eversberg Johannes Herbert August Willem, Baron van Heerdt tot Eversberg (22 February 1829 – 10 January 1893) was a Dutch naval officer, civil servant, and colonial administrator. He served as Governor of Curaçao and Dependencies from 1 October 1880 unti ...

(1829–1893), former governor of Suriname and Curaçao * Piet Kasteel (1901–2003), ambassador and former governor of Curaçao *

Johan Rudolf Thorbecke Johan Rudolph Thorbecke (14 January 1798 – 4 June 1872) was a Dutch liberal statesman, one of the most important Dutch politicians of the 19th century. Thorbecke is best known for heading the commission that drafted the revision of the Const ...

(1798–1872),

Prime Minister of the Netherlands The prime minister of the Netherlands ( nl, Minister-president van Nederland) is the head of the executive branch of the Government of the Netherlands. Although the monarch is the ''de jure'' head of government, the prime minister ''de facto'' ...

(1849/1853, 1862/1866, 1871/1872) ;Sports *

Jeroen Dubbeldam Jeroen Dubbeldam (15 April 1973 in Zwolle) is a Dutch show jumping champion. Dubbeldam competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics held in Sydney, where he won a gold medal in Individual Jumping on the horse De Sjiem.

(born 1973), 2000 Olympic Equestrian champion *

Marten Eikelboom Marten Eikelboom (born 12 October 1973 in Zwolle) is a field hockey striker from the Netherlands, who was a member of the Dutch team that won the gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. After the World Hockey Cup in Kuala Lumpur (2002) ...

(born 1973),

hockey Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...

player * Maarten Grobbe (1901–1961), football player *

Martin Haar Martin Haar (born 2 May 1952) is a Dutch former football defender, who is the current serving as assistant coach at AZ Alkmaar. Haar was born in Zwolle, Overijssel. He played for Go Ahead Eagles (1971–1977), HFC Haarlem (1977–1983), A ...

(born 1952), former football defender and current trainer *

Rinus Israël Marinus "Rinus" David Israël (born 19 March 1942) is a Dutch former professional football player and manager who is currently a scout. Nicknamed "Iron Rinus", he formed a solid defence line at Feyenoord with Theo Laseroms. Club career Duri ...

(born 1942), former football player and current scout * Ron Jans (born 1958), former football player and current

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

Bert Konterman Bert Konterman (, born 14 January 1971) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a defender. Playing career Born in Rouveen, Konterman's career began with the local amateur club ''SC Rouveen'', then went on to play for clubs in ...

(1971), football player *

Hennie van Nee Hendrik van Nee (13 August 1939 — 25 January 1996) was a Dutch footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward from 1957 to 1971. Born in Zwolle, he played for PEC Zwolle, Zwolsche Boys, Heracles Almelo (two spells), PEC Zwo ...

(1939–1996), football player * Eric Pierik (born 1959),

field hockey Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ...

player *

Johnny Rep John Nicholaas Rep (born 25 November 1951) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a right winger. He holds the all-time record for FIFA World Cup goals for the Netherlands with 7. Playing career Rep played as a right-footed ...

(born 1951), football player *

Piet Schrijvers Piet Schrijvers (15 December 1946 – 7 September 2022)https://www.telegraaf.nl/sport/1875093014/voormalig-oranje-doelman-piet-schrijvers-75-overleden was a Dutch professional football manager and player who played as a goalkeeper. At interna ...

(1946–2022), football player * Johannes Smeekens (born 1987), Olympic speedskater * Jaap Stam (born 1972), former football player and current coach * Gerrit Voges (1932–2007), football player *

Peter Wessels Peter Wessels (born 7 May 1978) is a presently inactive tour professional male tennis player from the Netherlands. He achieved his career-high singles ranking of world No. 72 in February 2005. Biography Wessels had an excellent junior career, ...

(born 1978),

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

player ;Science * Christianus Carolus Henricus van der Aa (1718–1793), Secretary of the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities *

Thomas Joannes Stieltjes Thomas Joannes Stieltjes (, 29 December 1856 – 31 December 1894) was a Dutch mathematician. He was a pioneer in the field of moment problems and contributed to the study of continued fractions. The Thomas Stieltjes Institute for Mathematics at ...

(1856–1894), mathematician, civil engineer and politician * Derk-Jan Dijk (Born 1958), Researcher of sleep and circadian rhythms

Educational institutions

Zwolle is home to several universities and colleges: *

Artez ArtEZ University of Arts ( nl, ArtEZ hogeschool voor de kunsten) is an art academy in Netherlands. ArtEZ combines several art institutes and art disciplines with branches in Arnhem, Enschede, and Zwolle. In its name the A stands for Arnhem, the ...

* Christelijke Hogeschool Windesheim * * *

Landstede Zwolle Landstede Hammers is a Dutch basketball club based in Zwolle. The club plays in the BNXT League, the Dutch top tier division. The club was founded as Cees Lubbers The Hammers in 1995. In 1999, the club’s name was changed into Landstede Hammers. ...

* * * * *

Windesheim Honours College Windesheim Honours College (Zwolle, Netherlands) is an initiative of Windesheim University of Applied Sciences and VU University Amsterdam. The college offers an international and English-language Bachelor's degree programme, for students who aspi ...

Transport

Road transport

Zwolle is a hub in the national highway network, and gateway to northern Netherlands. This is reflected in the high traffic volumes in and around the city. The A28 serves Zwolle with 4 exits, and runs from

to Groningen. It is being widened to 8 lanes across the

IJssel River The IJssel (; nds-nl, Iessel(t) ) is a Dutch distributary of the river Rhine that flows northward and ultimately discharges into the IJsselmeer (before the 1932 completion of the Afsluitdijk known as the Zuiderzee), a North Sea natural harbour ...

and 6 lanes from Zwolle to Meppel in 2010 and 2011. The motorway initially opened between 1964 and 1970. Another motorway, the A50, interchanges with A28 just west of the city, offering a route for southbound traffic to

Apeldoorn Apeldoorn (; Dutch Low Saxon: ) is a municipality and city in the province of Gelderland in the centre of the Netherlands. It is located about 60 km east of Utrecht, 60 km west of Enschede, 25 km north of Arnhem and 35 km south of Zwolle. Th ...

and Eindhoven. The N35 highway starts in Zwolle, where it forms the eastern section of the ring road of Zwolle, it runs as a non-motorway to

Almelo Almelo () is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands. The main population centres in the town are Aadorp, Almelo, Mariaparochie, and Bornerbroek. Almelo has about 72,000 inhabitants in the middle of the rolling countryside of Twente, ...

and continues to Enschede as A35 motorway. The ringroad is mainly a 4-lane road, with numerous traffic lights. It forms a full ring, and also exists out of the N337 highway that runs to Deventer. Other sections of the ring road are not numbered. Parts of the ring road were widened to six lanes in 2010. Other numbered highways running from Zwolle are N331 to Hasselt, N758 to

Nieuwleusen Nieuwleusen (Low Saxon: ''Ni'jlusen'') is a town in the Dutch province of Overijssel with 9300 inhabitants as of 2021. In the 2001 municipal reform, most of the former municipality of Nieuwleusen was incorporated into the municipality of Dalfsen. ...

, N340 to

Ommen Ommen () is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a Hanseatic League, Hanseatic city in the eastern Netherlands. It is located in the Vechte, Vecht valley of the Salland region in Overijssel. Historical records first name Ommen in ...

and N764 to Kampen.

Bridges

Due to nearby rivers, there are several major bridges in and around Zwolle. The most important bridge is the IJssel Bridge where the A28 motorway runs across. It was completed in 1970 and carries over 125.000 vehicles per day. Adjacent to this bridge is the older IJssel Bridge, which opened in 1930 and was destroyed twice during

. A third IJssel Bridge is the railway bridge (called Hanze boog) which carries the railway line from Zwolle to

Amersfoort Amersfoort () is a city and municipality in the province of Utrecht, Netherlands, about 20 km from the city of Utrecht and 40 km south east of Amsterdam. As of 1 December 2021, the municipality had a population of 158,531, making it the second- ...

, and from 2012, to Lelystad. There are several bridges across the

River, including two 4-lane bridges, a 2-lane bridge, and a bus/bicycle bridge. There is also a bridge across the Vecht, which carries A28 motorway. Another local bridge is adjacent to this bridge. A third bridge carries rail traffic to

Leeuwarden Leeuwarden (; fy, Ljouwert, longname=yes /; Stadsfries dialects, Town Frisian: ''Liwwadden''; Leeuwarder dialect: ''Leewarden'') is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in Fri ...

and Groningen. Numerous local bridges exist around the historic city center.

Rail transport

Zwolle railway station Zwolle is the main railway station of Zwolle in Overijssel, Netherlands. The station opened on 6 June 1864 and is on the Utrecht–Kampen railway, also known as the ''Centraalspoorweg'', the Zwolle–Almelo railway, the Arnhem–Leeuwarden railway ...

The first train in Zwolle arrived on 6 June 1864. Today the city has rail connections in eight directions (viz. Kampen,

, Groningen, Emmen, Enschede,

Arnhem Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a city and municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland, located on both ban ...

/ Nijmegen, Lelystad/

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

, and

). The rail connection with

via Lelystad – the Hanzelijn – is operational since December 2012. The second station, Zwolle Stadshagen, was opened on 15 December 2019.

Water transport

Zwolle is located on or near three rivers (

, Vecht, and

), several

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...

s (the now disused Willemsvaart, Nieuwe Vecht and Overijssels Kanaal and the modern Zwolle-IJssel Kanaal). There are some water-related industries in Zwolle, mainly in the Voorst industrial area.

International relations

Twin towns—sister cities

Zwolle is currently twinned with: *

Lünen Lünen is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located north of Dortmund, on both banks of the River Lippe. It is the largest town of the Unna district and part of the Ruhr Area. In 2009 a biogas plant was built to provide elect ...

, Germany In the past, Zwolle had partnerships with: *

Érsekhalma Érsekhalma (Croatian: ''Loma'') is a village in Bács-Kiskun county, in the Southern Great Plain region of Hungary. Geography It covers an area of and has a population of 702 people (2005). Partnership * Gheorghieni, Romania * Šuplja ...

, Hungary *

Rutobwe Rutobwe was a commune located in Gitarama, Rwanda Rwanda (; rw, u Rwanda ), officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of Central Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa ...

, Rwanda *

Vologda Vologda ( rus, Вологда, p=ˈvoləɡdə) is a city and the administrative center of Vologda Oblast, Russia, located on the river Vologda within the watershed of the Northern Dvina. Population: The city serves as a major transport hu ...

, Russia *

Kaliningrad Kaliningrad ( ; rus, Калининград, p=kəlʲɪnʲɪnˈɡrat, links=y), until 1946 known as Königsberg (; rus, Кёнигсберг, Kyonigsberg, ˈkʲɵnʲɪɡzbɛrk; rus, Короле́вец, Korolevets), is the largest city and ...

, Russia

References

Literature

External links

* *
Official website
{{Authority control Cities in the Netherlands Members of the Hanseatic League Municipalities of Overijssel Populated places in Overijssel Provincial capitals of the Netherlands Salland