Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht

Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht (Dutch: [ˈɦɛndrɪk ˈidoː ˈʔɑmbɑxt] ⓘ) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands. It is located on the island of IJsselmonde, and borders with Zwijndrecht, Ridderkerk, and the Noord River (with Alblasserdam and Papendrecht on the other side).

Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht
Municipality
Typical house in the town.
Typical house in the town.
Flag of Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht
Flag
Coat of arms of Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht
Coat of arms
Highlighted position of Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht in a municipal map of South Holland
Location in South Holland
Coordinates: 51°51′N 4°38′E
CountryNetherlands
ProvinceSouth Holland
Government
[1]
 • BodyMunicipal council
 • MayorJan Heijkoop (CDA)
Area
[2]
 • Total11.90 km2 (4.59 sq mi)
 • Land10.61 km2 (4.10 sq mi)
 • Water1.29 km2 (0.50 sq mi)
Elevation
[3]
−1 m (−3 ft)
Population
 (January 2021)[4]
 • Total31,258
 • Density2,946/km2 (7,630/sq mi)
DemonymAmbachter
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode
3340–3344
Area code078
Websitewww.h-i-ambacht.nl

The jurisdiction of the municipality covers an area of 11.90 km2 (4.59 sq mi) of which 1.29 km2 (0.50 sq mi) is water. The municipality comprises no other population centres.

Name

Until 1855, the town was known as Hendrik-Ido-Schildmanskinderen-Ambacht en de Oostendam. Then it merged with Sandelingen-Ambacht and its full name for a period of time was said to be Hendrik-Ido-Oostendam-Schildmanskinderen-Groot-en-Klein-Sandelingen-Ambacht. This used to be the longest name of any town on the mainland of Europe.

Topography

Dutch topographic map of the municipality of Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, June 2015

History
Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht in 1866

The area has been populated from circa the year 1000 CE. Agriculture and animal husbandry were the only means of existence for many centuries. During these days, the land would often get flooded. Most of the land belonged to the Bishop of Utrecht during this period, except Heyenland (later known as Heerjansdam), which belong to Lord Hendrick I van Brederode (1305-1345). In 1323 the abbey sold its land to William III of Holland.

To combat the floods and utilize the lands more productively, William III and Hendrick van Brederode built up a dike around the land and had it dredged in 1332. To fund this endeavor, they sold parts of the lands to wealthy families (who held high public ranks within other cities) offering lordshiptitles and land ownership in return (as dictated by Zeelandic Laws concerning land ownership). Among these men were Hendrik Ido Wittens and his brother Schiltman Wittens, sons of the municipal executive of Gorinchem, Hendrik Yens Wittens. They received lordship of small pieces of land around the dead arm of the river Wale. The town Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht was made of a fusion of these two lordships. Over the years it expended by annexation and fusion with other lands of different lords.

Not until the Eighty Years' War some industrial activities began to appear along the river dikes, like stonebakery and shipbuilding. Horticulture and flax growing also developed within the polders.

Because of the rapid industrial growth in iron foundries and shipyards in nearby villages (which produced lots of scrap waste), several families opened up ship breaking yards which grew into an industry resulting in the town becoming worldwide known as the "ship breaking village".

The establishment of industries in the region changed the centuries-old seasonal labour to permanent work opportunities with higher wages. These industries were lost in later times when they moved abroad to lower wage countries. Nowadays the village functions as a commuter town, since its citizens mainly work elsewhere.

Several monumental farms and buildings, including the 14th century Reformed Church, remain as a reminder of its historic past.[5]

Notable people
Waaltje

References
  1. "college: samenstelling, taken en functies" [Board: Members, tasks and functions] (in Dutch). Gemeente Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht. Archived from the original on 2014-07-28. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  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 3342XA". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  4. "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  5. Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht Official Website
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