Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht | |
|---|---|
 Typical house in the town. | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
.svg) Location in South Holland | |
| Coordinates:51°51′N4°38′E / 51.850°N 4.633°E /51.850; 4.633 | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Province | South Holland |
| Government | |
| • Body | Municipal council |
| • Mayor | Jan Heijkoop (CDA) |
| Area | |
• Total | 11.90 km2 (4.59 sq mi) |
| • Land | 10.61 km2 (4.10 sq mi) |
| • Water | 1.29 km2 (0.50 sq mi) |
| Elevation | −1 m (−3.3 ft) |
| Population (January 2021)[4] | |
• Total | 31,258 |
| • Density | 2,946/km2 (7,630/sq mi) |
| Demonym | Ambachter |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postcode | 3340–3344 |
| Area code | 078 |
| Website | www |
Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht (Dutch:[ˈɦɛndrɪkˈidoːˈɑmbɑxt]ⓘ) is a town and municipality in the westernNetherlands. It is located on the island ofIJsselmonde, and borders withZwijndrecht,Ridderkerk, and theNoord River (withAlblasserdam andPapendrecht on the other side).
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.
Until 1855, the town was known asHendrik-Ido-Schildmanskinderen-Ambacht en de Oostendam. Then it merged withSandelingen-Ambacht and its full name for a period of time was said to beHendrik-Ido-Oostendam-Schildmanskinderen-Groot-en-Klein-Sandelingen-Ambacht. This used to be the longest name of any town on the mainland of Europe.
The area has been populated from circa the year 1000 CE. Agriculture andanimal 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 asHeerjansdam), which belong to Lord Hendrick I van Brederode (1305-1345). In 1323 the abbey sold its land toWilliam 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 lordship titles and land ownership in return (as dictated byZeelandic Laws concerning land ownership). Among these men were Hendrik Ido Wittens and his brother Schiltman Wittens, sons of the municipal executive ofGorinchem, 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 theEighty Years' War some industrial activities began to appear along the river dikes, likestonebakery andshipbuilding.Horticulture andflax growing also developed within the polders.
Because of the rapid industrial growth in iron foundries andshipyards in nearby villages (which produced lots of scrap waste), several families opened upship 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]
The municipal council of Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht has 23 seats. The Christian parties are strong in Ambacht.
| Political party | 1994 | 1998 | 2002 | 2006 | 2010 | 2014 | 2018 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SGP-ChristenUnie | 4* | 4* | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 |
| Gemeente Belangen | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 |
| VVD | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| CDA | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| D66 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Labour | 2** | 3** | 3 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Realistisch Ambacht | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 |
| Echt Voor Ambacht | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 |
| A.U.B. | – | – | – | – | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Totals | 17 | 19 | 19 | 19 | 21 | 21 | 23 | 23 |
A segment ofA16 motorway lies within the municipality, and exit 23 is called Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht. A small bit ofA15 motorway is within the municipality as well.
The vorders of the municipality partially coincide with theNoord River, which is navigable. The waterbus stop Noordeinde provides passenger connections toRotterdam andDordrecht.[6]
The closest railway stations are inZwijndrecht andDordrecht; both have bus connections with Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht.[6]
Places adjacent to Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht | |
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| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
