Maasdam
Maasdam is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is located about 14 km south of the city of Rotterdam, in the municipality of Binnenmaas, on the rural Hoekse Waard island.
From the 14th Century until around 1800, Maasdam was also the name of the local administrative area, the fief and later the "ambacht".
Subsequently from 1 January 1812 until 1 January 1984, it became the name of the local municipality, which comprised the village of Maasdam and the surrounding polders. In the periods 1812 - 1817 and 1832 - 1984, the hamlet of Cillaarshoek and the hamlet and polder of Sint Anthoniepolder were also part of the municipality of Maasdam. [1] [2]
The municipality of Maasdam was eventually merged with some surrounding municipalities to become part of the new municipality of Binnenmaas. The exception was Cillaarshoek which was split and partly merged into the existing municipality of Strijen.[3]
History
Maasdam was founded in the 13th Century in an area which at the time was part of the County of Holland, a state within the Holy Roman Empire.
The current village covers areas that were separated by the river Maas until a dam was built around 1270, from which the village took its name. The foundation of "the Maasdam" created a connection between the areas known as Poelwijk in the Tiesselijnswaard (north of the river) and Weede in the Grote Hollandse Waard (south of the river). The establishment of the Maasdam took place during the reign of Floris V. It was part of the establishment of the Grote Hollandse Waard which in itself was part of the long term policy of land reclamation by the Counts of Holland (since the reign of William I) who saw it as a way to strengthen their political and territorial powers in the region.[4] [5]
Maasdam was founded nearby a substantial castle on the banks of the river Maas, the remaining foundations of which were discovered in 1958 in a parcel of land near the road in Maasdam known as "Kromme Elleboog". For a long time, it was assumed that the ruins in Maasdam were those of the castle Duivestein. However, it has more recently been suggested that the ruins could instead be those of a castle that belonged to the Lords of Weede.[6] The area with castle ruins in Maasdam is officially protected as a Rijksmonument. [7]
Most of the village of Maasdam and surrounding areas, including the castle, were destroyed during the second St. Elizabeth's flood (1421), although the main dyke in Maasdam as well as the hamlet and polder of Sint Anthoniepolder and hamlet of Cillaarshoek survived.
Successful restoration was hindered by further floods as well as the Hook and Cod Wars but eventually Maasdam was restored to its former size soon after Philip the Good allowed his treasurer Jan Nemery, who had been the vassal of Maasdam for a few decades, in 1435 to reclaim the polders next to the surviving dyke in Maasdam from the sea.[8]
Famous inhabitants
Kees Verkerk, Olympic speed skater
References
- ↑ Gemeentegeschiedenis.nl, "Maasdam"
- ↑ Hoge Raad van Adel, "Gemeente Maasdam"
- ↑ Ad van der Meer and Onno Boonstra, "Repertorium van Nederlandse gemeenten vanaf 1812", KNAW, 2nd Ed, 2011.
- ↑ S.J. Fockema Andreae, "Studiën over waterschapsgeschiedenis", Brill, 1950
- ↑ "Vaders hobby de Hoekse Waard", accessed online on 13/05/2015
- ↑ Kastelen in Nederland, "Duivestein/Weede", accessed online on 15/05/2015
- ↑ Rijksmonumenten.nl, "Terrein waarin overblijfselen van het kasteel Duyvesteyn in Maasdam", accessed online on 15/05/2015
- ↑ Martine's Historische Homepage, "Maasdam", accessed online on 14/05/2015
External links
Coordinates: 51°47′N 4°33′E / 51.783°N 4.550°E
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