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Katwijk aan Zee | |
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Town | |
 Aerial view | |
  Katwijk aan Zee Location in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands Show map of South Holland Katwijk aan Zee Location in the Netherlands Show map of Netherlands | |
| Coordinates:52°12′11″N4°23′43″E / 52.20306°N 4.39528°E /52.20306; 4.39528 | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Province | South Holland |
| Municipality | Katwijk |
| Area | |
• Total | 2.60 km2 (1.00 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 11.3 m (37 ft) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
• Total | 17,755 |
| • Density | 6,830/km2 (17,700/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 2224 & 2225[1] |
| Dialing code | 071 |
Katwijk aan Zee (literally,Katwijk-on-Sea) is aseaside resort located on the North Sea at the mouth of theOude Rijn. It is situated in the municipality ofKatwijk and the province ofSouth Holland.
The name "Katwijk" probably has its origins in the name of a Germanic tribe called theChatten (Chatti). The Dutch word "wijk" means "area", so the name probably meant something like "the Chatti area".
In Roman times, Katwijk was a place of strategic importance. It was located at theRoman Empire's northern border, at the mouth of the Rhine river, which in Roman times was larger in this area than it is today. There was a good deal of traffic along the Rhine. Katwijk was also a jumping-off point for the voyage to Britain. Built during the reign ofEmperor Claudius (41–54), the town's name wasLugudunum. The town's name was later associated with the name of the city of Leiden, but this is now thought to be incorrect.
After the Romans left the settlement was abandoned and the area largely depopulated, except for small, isolated groups of Frisians ekeing out a living along the changing coast. The area was Christianised by British and Irish missionaries around the 9th century.
Starting around the 12th century the population began to grow. In 1231, the first reference toCatwijck appeared in the records. At this time Katwijk aan Zee was little more than a few wooden houses.
A reference to a fish market on the beach appeared in the records around 150 years later. In 1388, the fish market was moved fromKatwijk aan den Rijn to Katwijk aan Zee. Katwijk aan Zee and Katwijk aan den Rijn were part of the sameheerlijkheid called "Beide de Katwijken en 't Zand" (or something similar). They have been administratively joined for centuries.
In 1520 a Roman ruin known asBrittenburg emerged from the shifting sands on the beach just south of the mouth of the Oude Rijn, much to everyone's astonishment. It became the subject of a number of prints and paintings. It was square in shape, each side measuring 75 m, and the ruins stood about 3 m high. Eventually it disappeared back under the shifting sands. Attempts have been made to find it again, but to no avail.
The differences with neighbouring communities and the non-migratory nature of members of the old Katwijk families, Katwijk aan Zee continued its existence as a quiet, close-knit North Sea fishing village from the 16th century.
Although fishing is not a major activity in the village today and many of the inhabitants are nowadays secular, the old traditions still survive in many ways. Most of the inhabitants are still very traditional, whether they are member of a Calvinist church or not.
Katwijk aan Zee had its own unique dialect, called 'Katwijks' or 'Strand-Hollands' ('Kattuks' in dialect). This dialect is still spoken by a considerable number of people, therefore being one of the few active dialects ofHollandic still in active use. Yet, fewer youngsters learn to speak the dialect actively.
Over the course of time the mouth of the Oude Rijn silted up. However, alocks was constructed at the mouth of the river in 1807 by engineer F. W. Conrad (d. 1808). After this theOld Rhine (here called theUitwateringskanaal) did not flow naturally into the sea, but was held back by a lock. When necessary, the lock can be opened to allow the river to flow out to sea. The shore and the entrance to the canal were also strengthened bydikes
During World War II, most of the buildings of Katwijk aan Zee were demolished by the Germans to make way for theAtlantic Wall. In the dunes south of Katwijk, many bunkers fromWorld War II can still be found.
Since the 20th century, Katwijk aan Zee is a popular seaside resorts and the village grew explosively. In 1980–1990, Katwijk aan den Rijn and Hoornes-Rijnsoever became incorporated. Recently, in 2006, the neighbouring communities Valkenburg and Rijnsburg were added, which made a larger municipality called 'Katwijk'.
The first known picture was from the famous Haalem painter Jacob van Ruisdael,[3] its title isThe view of the tower of Katwijk.[4] This proves, since the time of theDutch Golden Age was Katwijk subject of landscape painting.
In the period from 1870 to 1914 existed at Katwijk an artist's colony — the Katwijk School. It is part of the international movement of theimpressionism and belongs to theHague School.
Thereform theKatwijks Museum has arisen. It has a permanent exhibition of the former life of Katwijk aan Zee and annually changing art exhibitions - the themes are the time of the impressionism and the artists who had worked at Katwijk aan Zee. There are such famous artists likeDavid Adolphe Constant Artz,[5]Bernard Blommers,[6]Eugéne Dücker,[7]Thomas Bush Hardy,[8]Jozef Israëls,[9]Johannes Hermanus Koekkoek,[10]Max Liebermann,Jan Toorop[11] andJan Hillebrand Wijsmuller.[12]
Katwijk aan Zee is the landing place for a large number of international and intercontinentalTransatlantic telephone cables such as theTAT-14.
Katwijk aan Zee is the home town of Netherlands forwardDirk Kuyt, a retired professional football player who has played forFC Utrecht,Feyenoord,Liverpool F.C. andFenerbahçe S.K. and theNetherlands national football team. He started and ended his senior career with local teamQuick Boys, playing for them in 1998 and 2018.
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