| Oude Rijn Old Rhine | |
|---|---|
 The Oude Rijn in Leiden | |
 Location of Oude Rijn in dark blue. | |
| Location | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Region | Utrecht,South Holland |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Leidse Rijn |
| • location | Harmelen,Utrecht |
| • coordinates | 52°05′31.5″N4°57′48.5″E / 52.092083°N 4.963472°E /52.092083; 4.963472 |
| Mouth | North Sea |
• location | Katwijk,South Holland |
• coordinates | 52°12′43″N4°23′54″E / 52.21194°N 4.39833°E /52.21194; 4.39833 |
| Length | 52 km (32 mi) |
TheOude Rijn ("Old Rhine") is a branch of theRhinedelta in theDutchprovinces ofUtrecht andSouth Holland, starting west ofUtrecht, atHarmelen, and running by a mechanical pumping station into theNorth Sea atKatwijk. Its present-day length is 52 kilometres.
In ancient times, it was the lower part of the main River Rhine, which forked at theBetuwe into a northern branch, the Rhine, and a southern branch, theWaal. The Oude Rijn was then much wider than it is now, and tidal. During theRoman occupation, the river formed part of the northern border of theEmpire. In medieval times, theRiver Lek became the main outlet for the Rhine, and the Oude Rijn silted up. The river was still important as a drain for the surrounding lowlands, for the clay industry, and as a transport and trade route. Ships were towed by horse and human power, using atowpath along large sections of the river, many parts of which have since been upgraded to roads or cycle paths.
The city ofUtrecht was founded at aford near the fork of theKromme Rijn into theVecht to the north and the Oude Rijn to the west. Of the original fork, little remains today, and both Vecht and Rijn start from the citymoat. For the first few kilometres of its course, the river ischannelised and known as theLeidse Rijn (Leiden Rhine). It becomes the Oude Rijn after the railway bridge nearHarmelen (municipalityWoerden). Then it flows westward through Woerden where first theLange Linschoten branches off to the south and then the Oude Rijn forms part of the citymoats.
After Woerden, the River Grecht branches off to the north and the Oude Rijn continues through the towns ofNieuwerbrug,Bodegraven, andZwammerdam. Here theMeije [nl] stream empties into the Oude Rijn. InAlphen aan den Rijn, theAar Canal joins the river and theGouwe branches off to the south. It then flows throughKoudekerk aan den Rijn andHazerswoude-Rijndijk.
AfterZoeterwoude-Rijndijk andLeiderdorp, where the short River Does ends, the Oude Rijn flows throughLeiden. TheRhine-Schie Canal and theZijl stream begin here. The Nieuwe Rijn ("New Rhine") is a short branch that, together with the Oude Rijn, forms part of Leiden's moat system; the two branches merge in the city's centre.
The streamKorte Vliet discharges into the Oude Rijn and it continues throughValkenburg andRijnsburg toKatwijk. AtKatwijk aan den Rijn theOegstgeesterkanaal merges with the Oude Rijn. From here the river has been straightened into a canal (called theUitwateringkanaal); it empties into theNorth Sea through a pumping station, preventing high tides inland and silting up of the river mouth.
Around 1000 CE the river silted up, causing floodings of the lowlands. As prevention, around 1100 CE a dam with locks was built at the village of Zwammerdam, upstream at the border to Utrecht, an area reigned by German EmperorFrederick Barbarossa. Continuing problems in water management in wide areas along Oude Rijn were reason for civilians with administrative responsibilities to collaborate and to establish a so-called High Water Authority or in DutchHoogheemraadschap, the first of its kind in The Netherlands. The organisation has been privileged in 1255 byCount William II ofHolland and Zeeland as central coordinator of all waterworks in the area and later was given the name Hoogheemraadschap van Rijnland.[1] Early works were the building of draining canals around the city of Leiden. From 1408 on, with the first at Zoeterwoude,wind-powered pumps were installed along the Old Rhine, to pump water from the lowlands into the river.
The river silted up in the course of theMiddle Ages and became much smaller. In 1572 near the North Sea the Water Authority had a canal built through the dunes to allow the Rhine water to flow into the sea, but due to war circumstances, it did silt. In 1807, a large water management system with locks was established to allow the water to flow out at low tide. In 1880 a steam driven mechanical pumping station was built.[2]
In Roman times, the river Oude Rijn formed part of the Roman Empire's northern border (Limes Germanicus). At strategic locations the Romans built guarding-towers and border-guardingcastella andcastra, including:Laurum (Woerden),Nigrum Pullum (Zwammerdam),Albaniana (Alphen aan den Rijn),Matilo (Leiderdorp),Praetorium Agrippinae (Valkenburg), andLugdunum Batavorum (Katwijk). Many of the at that time unpopulated locations, evolved into cities and villages.
In Valkenburg, the layout of the Roman castellum has been marked in the pavement. At Woerden and Zwammerdam, Roman ships have been excavated.
Martin Hendriksma, "De Rijn. Biografie van een rivier", Publisher De Geus, 2017
Media related toOude Rijn at Wikimedia Commons