Spijkenisse
City
City centre of Spijkenisse
City centre of Spijkenisse
Flag of Spijkenisse
Flag
Coat of arms of Spijkenisse
Coat of arms
Highlighted position of Spijkenisse in a municipal map of South Holland
Location in South Holland
Coordinates: 51°51′N 4°20′E / 51.850°N 4.333°E / 51.850; 4.333
CountryNetherlands
ProvinceSouth Holland
MunicipalityNissewaard
Area
[1]
 • Total30.27 km2 (11.69 sq mi)
 • Land26.12 km2 (10.08 sq mi)
 • Water4.15 km2 (1.60 sq mi)
Elevation
[2]
−1 m (−3 ft)
Population
 • Total72,500
DemonymSpijkenissenaar
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode
3200–3209
Area code0181
Websitewww.nissewaard.nl

Spijkenisse (Dutch pronunciation: [spɛikəˈnɪsə] ⓘ) is a city in the province of South Holland, Netherlands. Following an administrative reform in 2015, it is part of the municipality of Nissewaard, and has a population of 72,500. It covers an area of 30.27 km2 (11.69 sq mi) of which 4.15 km2 (1.60 sq mi) is water. It is part of the Greater Rotterdam area.

History

Topographic map of Spijkenisse, as 2014

Archaeological evidence suggests that the area around Spijkenisse has been inhabited for several thousand years. The area's prehistoric inhabitants depended on fishing in the Maas and hunting in the surrounding swamps for sustenance.

The oldest known reference to the name Spickenisse is in a source from 1231. Spijkenisse is a portmanteau of the words spieke (spit) and nesse (nose) meaning "pointy nose." The name is a reference to the settlement's location on a spit of land protruding into the river.[3]

Spijkenisse formed as a farming and fishing village on a creek along the Oude Maas. It originally belonged to the Lord of Putten (whose coat of arms is now used by the city) but in 1459 the fiefdom of Putten, including Spijkenisse, was transferred to Philip III, Duke of Burgundy. In 1581, after the Dutch declaration of independence, the area came under the control of the States of Holland and West Friesland.[4]

In the 16th,vcentury the village suffered several floods. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it endured destructive fires which hampered its economic growth. In the 20th century Spijkenisse heavily urbanised as part of the Greater Rotterdam area. Contemporary Spijkenisse includes the communities of Hekelingen, Den Hoek, and Beerenplaat.

Transport

Spijkenisse has a connection to the city of Rotterdam by Rotterdam Metro lines C and D, through Spijkenisse Centrum, Heemraadlaan and De Akkers stations. The metro is operated by RET.

On 2 November 2020, at about 00:30, a train ran through buffers at the end of the line and was saved from plunging 10 metres by the "Whale tails" sculpture.

There are also several bus services operated by EBS and 1 line of Connexxion to Ouddorp.

In 2011, the town built seven bridges designed by Robin Stam, replicating Robert Kalina's fictional designs on the euro banknotes.[5][6][7][8]

Districts

Health

Schools

Primary schools

Roman Catholic Protestant Public Calvinist
De Akkers Het Anker Annie MG Schmidt De Morgenster
De Klinker Het Baken De Vuurvogel
De Maasoever De Bron
Monseigneur Bekkersschool De Duif De Vogelenzang
De Wegwijzer De Hoeksteen De Krullevaar
Paus Johannes De Marimba De Meander(tot 2012)
De Rank De Montessori
De Schakel Jan Campert
De Piramide
De Toermalijn
De Veenvlinder

Secondary school

Roman Catholic Christian Public
MAVO Charles de Foucauld PENTA college CSG Scala Molenwatering OSG My College
PENTA College CSG Scala Rietvelden OSG De Ring van Putten
PENTA college CSG De Oude Maas

Notable residents

Emiel Mellaard, 1987
Sport

International relations

Spijkenisse is twinned with the following cities:

Gallery

References

  1. ^ "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2020" [Key figures for neighbourhoods 2020]. StatLine (in Dutch). CBS. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  2. ^ "Postcodetool for 3201EL". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  3. ^ "Gemeente Spijkenisse". Spijkenisse.nl. Retrieved 2014-02-10.
  4. ^ Spijkenisse Online - geschiedenis Archived June 7, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ Kristen Allen, "Euro Bridges: An Uncommon Monument to the Common Currency", Spiegel Online, 4 November 2011. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  6. ^ Benjamin Starr, "Bridges on Euro Banknotes Were Fictional, But This Dutch Designer Built Them Anyway", Visual News, 17 December 2014. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  7. ^ Those fantasy bridges on euro notes? They're real, now, and all in one place Coin World (www.coinworld.com). July 24, 2017. Retrieved on 2017-07-25.
  8. ^ Euro Banknote Bridges Atlas Obscura (www.atlasobscura.com). Retrieved on 2018-06-25.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Spijkenisse.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Spijkenisse.
Places adjacent to Spijkenisse
Authority control databases
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