Rozenburg is an island in the western

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

, in the province of South Holland. Rozenburg Island was formed centuries ago from several sand bars in the

Meuse The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...

estuary An estuary is a partially enclosed coastal body of brackish water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea. Estuaries form a transition zone between river environments and maritime environm ...

. In 1568, construction started on the first set of

dikes Dyke (UK) or dike (US) may refer to: General uses * Dyke (slang), a slang word meaning "lesbian" * Dike (geology), a subvertical sheet-like intrusion of magma or sediment * Dike (mythology), ''Dikē'', the Greek goddess of moral justice * Dikes ...

and in 1586 the land known as ''Roosenburgh'' was leased to Dirk Ariensz. Bisdommer and Son, the first permanent inhabitant of Rozenburg. In 1950, the stretch 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 south of Rozenburg (also locally called Brielse Maas) was dammed off at both ends of Rozenburg Island, thereby forming

Brielse Meer The Brielse Meer ("Lake Den Briel") is a long, narrow lake between the Dutch estuary islands of Voorne and Rozenburg in the province of South Holland. The lake takes its name from Den Briel, a town on its shore. It was formerly a branch of the ...

and connecting it to

Voorne-Putten Voorne-Putten is an island between the North Sea, the Brielse Meer and the rivers Oude Maas, Spui and Haringvliet in the province of South Holland. Voorne-Putten consists of the two former islands Voorne (the larger, western part) and Put ...

Island. Beginning in the same period, most of the island was given over to industrial

enterprise Enterprise (or the archaic spelling Enterprize) may refer to: Business and economics Brands and enterprises * Enterprise GP Holdings, an energy holding company * Enterprise plc, a UK civil engineering and maintenance company * Enterpris ...

, part of the

Port of Rotterdam The Port of Rotterdam is the largest seaport in Europe, and the world's largest seaport outside of East Asia, located in and near the city of Rotterdam, in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. From 1962 until 2004, it was the worl ...

(

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and

Europoort Europoort (, en, Eurogate, also "Europort") is an area of the Port of Rotterdam and the adjoining industrial area in the Netherlands. Being situated at Southside of the mouth of the rivers Rhine and Meuse with the hinterland consisting of the ...

). When these sea ports were being planned in the 1950s, the councils of

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 ...

and Rozenburg made the arrangement that Rotterdam would lead the development of the ports and industry, while Rozenburg would look after the housing of the expected population increase. The village of Blankenburg on the island had to be completely removed to make way for new canals and industry. The new housing developments were concentrated around the old village centre of Rozenburg on the

Scheur Het Scheur (; Dutch for "The Rip") is a branch of the Rhine-Meuse delta in South Holland, Netherlands, that flows west from the confluence of the Oude Maas and Nieuwe Maas branches past the towns of Rozenburg and Maassluis. It continues as the ...

branch. In a short period its population rose from 3,500 to over 14,000. Image:Rozenburg 1867.png, Rozenburg Island in 1867, just before the construction of the Nieuwe Waterweg, its planned route visible in the top left corner. Image:Rozenburg, molen 2009-08-23 14.10.JPG, Windmill, molen de Hoop

See also