Harderwijk

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Harderwijk
Harderwiek  (Veluws)
Harbour of Harderwijk seen from windmill De Hoop
Harbour of Harderwijk seen from windmill De Hoop
Flag of Harderwijk
Coat of arms of Harderwijk
Highlighted position of Harderwijk in a municipal map of Gelderland
Location in Gelderland
Harderwijk is located in Netherlands
Harderwijk
Harderwijk
Location within the Netherlands
Harderwijk is located in Europe
Harderwijk
Harderwijk
Location within Europe
Coordinates: 52°21′N 5°37′E / 52.350°N 5.617°E / 52.350; 5.617Coordinates: 52°21′N 5°37′E / 52.350°N 5.617°E / 52.350; 5.617
CountryNetherlands
ProvinceGelderland
Government
 • BodyMunicipal council
 • MayorHarm-Jan van Schaik (CDA)
Area
 • Total48.27 km2 (18.64 sq mi)
 • Land38.89 km2 (15.02 sq mi)
 • Water9.38 km2 (3.62 sq mi)
Elevation3 m (10 ft)
Population
 (January 2019)[4]
 • Total47,581
 • Density1,223/km2 (3,170/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Harderwijker
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode
3840–3849
Area code0341
Websitewww.harderwijk.nl
Dutch Topographic map of Harderwijk (town), March 2014

Harderwijk (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌɦɑrdərˈʋɛik] (audio speaker iconlisten); Dutch Low Saxon: Harderwiek) is a municipality and city almost at the exact geographical centre of the Netherlands.

It is served by the Harderwijk railway station.

Its population centres are Harderwijk and Hierden.

Harderwijk is on the western boundary of the Veluwe. The southeastern half of the municipality is largely forests.

History[edit]

Harderwijk received city rights from Count Otto II of Guelders in 1231.[5] A defensive wall surrounding the city was completed by the end of that century. The oldest part of the city is near where the streets Hoogstraat and Grote Poortstraat now are. Around 1315 the city was expanded southwards, which included the construction of what is now called the Grote Kerk (Great Church). A second, northward expansion took place around 1425.

Particularly along the west side of town, much of the wall still exists but often not in entirely original form. That also goes for the only remaining city gate, the Vischpoort (Fish Gate).

Between 1648 and 1811, the University of Harderwijk operated in the city. The Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist, Carl Linnaeus graduated at this university. The university, together with the universities of Zutphen and Franeker, was abolished by Napoleon.

Harderwijk was a member of the Hanseatic League. It lies on what used to be the Zuiderzee shore (Southern Sea, now the IJsselmeer) and consequently its economy was strongly based on fishing and seafaring in general. That dramatically changed after 1932, when the Zuiderzee was cut off from the North Sea for safety reasons. Few fishing boats thus now remain in the Harbour, which now is home mainly to yachts. An annual event illustrating the former importance of the fishing industry to Harderwijk is Aaltjesdag, which translates to Eel day. Fish can still be bought at stands and restaurants on the boulevard throughout the year except for the winter months. Tourists are common customers, but local people no longer make their living from the fisheries.

Today, Harderwijk is probably known best for the Dolfinarium Harderwijk, a marine mammal park where dolphin shows are held and various other marine mammals and fish are kept.

Notable residents[edit]

Theo de Meester

Sport[edit]

Gallery[edit]

References[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^ "Samenstelling" [Members] (in Dutch). Gemeente Harderwijk. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  2. ^ "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2020" [Key figures for neighbourhoods 2020]. StatLine (in Dutch). CBS. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Postcodetool for 3841AA". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  4. ^ "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 1 January 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  5. ^ Stenvert, R. et al. (2000). Monumenten in Nederland: Gelderland, p. 50 and 183–188. Zwolle: Waanders Uitgevers. ISBN 90-400-9406-3
  6. ^ IMDb Database retrieved 10 March 2020

Bibliography[edit]

External links[edit]