Alphen aan den Rijn explained

Alphen aan den Rijn
Settlement Type:City and municipality
Image Alt:Straight canal with buildings on both sides
Flag Size:100x67px
Flag Alt:Black 8-pointed start centered on a white background
Shield Alt:Centre white shield with centered black 8-pointed start. Gold lions rampant holding the shield on both sides and crown on top.
Map Alt:Highlighted position of Alphen aan den Rijn in a municipal map of South Holland
Coordinates:52.1333°N 44°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Netherlands
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:South Holland
Government Footnotes:[1]
Governing Body:Municipal council
Leader Party:CDA
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Liesbeth Spies
Unit Pref:Metric
Elevation Footnotes:[2]
Elevation M:2
Population Demonym:Alphenaar
Timezone1:CET
Utc Offset1:+1
Timezone1 Dst:CEST
Utc Offset1 Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postcode
Postal Code:2390–2409, 2445, 2470–2471, 2730–2731, 2770–2771
Area Code Type:Area code
Area Code:0172

Alphen aan den Rijn (in Dutch; Flemish pronounced as /ˈɑlfə(n) aːn də(n) ˈrɛin/; English: "Alphen upon Rhine" or "Alphen on the Rhine") is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The city is situated on the banks of the river Oude Rijn (Old Rhine), where the river Gouwe branches off. The municipality had a population of in, and covers an area of NaNAlphen aan den Rijn}} of which NaNAlphen aan den Rijn}} is water.

The municipality of Alphen aan den Rijn also includes the communities of Aarlanderveen, Zwammerdam, and Boskoop. The city is located in what is called the 'Green Heart' of the Netherlands, which is a somewhat less densely populated centre area of the Randstad.

The name "Alphen" is probably derived from the name of the Roman fort Albaniana, meaning "settlement at the white water". Its remains still lie underneath the city centre.

History

The area around Alphen aan den Rijn has been inhabited for 2000 years. In the Roman era, the Oude Rijn was the main branch of the Rhine River and formed the north border of the Roman Empire. Since the rule of Emperor Claudius (41–54 AD), divisions of the Roman army were stationed here. Consequently, several Roman fortifications were located along the Oude Rijn, including castellum Albanianae in the centre of Alphen. The Romans had also built the first bridge over the Oude Rijn. Alphen was therefore an important commercial site in the area until Germanic raids ended that in 240 AD.

After recurring problems with flooding, especially in Utrecht and Leiden, the Oude Rijn was dammed at Wijk bij Duurstede in 1122, thereby making the Lek River the main branch of the Rhine. The Oude Rijn has not flooded since. During the Middle Ages, Alphen was a fiefdom called Alphen en Rietveld.

In the 17th century, Alphen became prominent again as a hub for commerce. The Oude Rijn was used for boat traffic; there are still portions along the river where the towpath is present.

The current municipality was formed in 1918 through the amalgamation of the smaller municipalities of Alphen, Aarlanderveen, and Oudshoorn. In 1964, the municipality of Zwammerdam was added as well. In 2014 the municipalities of Boskoop and Rijnwoude were amalgamated as well, doubling the land area and increasing the population to over 100,000.

During the Second World War, the majority of Jews from Alphen were deported and subsequently murdered; only a few survived. After the war, the Jewish congregation was disbanded and merged with the one in Leiden. A Jewish cemetery on the Aarkade was founded in 1802, but it was abandoned and razed in the 1960s, with the remains re-interred in Katwijk;[3] in 2012, after fifteen years of community activism by local historian Anke Bakker and CDA council member Alice Besseling, a monument was installed and the area turned into a city park.[4]

Since the 1950s, the city began to grow rapidly. A large new neighbourhood was built on the north side and Alphen became mostly a commuter city. Other urban developments however did create local employment. Since the 1990s, a similar new development was built at the city's south side.

In recent years, a large part of the city centre has undergone a full urban renewal. Many buildings from the 1950s and earlier have been demolished to make place for modern architecture. This "masterplan" included the addition of a new public square next to the riverbank, the construction of a performing arts theatre/cinema, an upgrade of local shops and the creation of pedestrian streets. As of 2006, all of these projects on the left riverbank Hoge Zijde have been finished and a new similar masterplan for the right riverbank Lage Zijde has been developed and is being executed now.

On 9 April 2011, a gunman opened fire at a shopping centre in Alphen aan den Rijn, killing six people and subsequently taking his own life.[5]

On 3 August 2015, a newly built bridge flap of the under-renovation Juliana Bridge on the Oude Rijn collapsed. It was being hoisted by two cranes, different in size, floating on a pontoon that was not stabilized. It became unbalanced shortly after the lifting started, fell and collapsed onto buildings. There were no injuries and fatalities, many inhabitants having already cleared the area. In total 51 properties were damaged.[6] [7]

Demographics

Tourism

Alphen aan den Rijn has the following attractions:

Events

Public transport

The town is served by Alphen aan den Rijn railway station. It is just south east of the town centre. The bus station is located near the railway station. Trains which head towards Alphen aan den Rijn railway station are notorious for not always opening their doors to passengers.

Politics

In total, there are 11 parties in the city council that consists of 35 councillors. Liesbeth Spies of the CDA is the current acting mayor. The council of mayor and alderman run the city on a day-to-day basis and report to the city council.

Current (2016) aldermen in Alphen aan den Rijn are:

Economy

The information and publishing company Wolters Kluwer is based in Alphen aan den Rijn.

Notable people

Sport

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: J.W.E. (Liesbeth) Spies . nl . . College . Gemeente Alphen aan den Rijn . 28 January 2015 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150129075702/http://www.alphenaandenrijn.nl/Bestuur/Burgemeester_wethouders/Taken_leden_college/J_W_E_Liesbeth_Spies . 29 January 2015.
  2. Web site: Postcodetool for 2405SH . nl . . Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland . Het Waterschapshuis . 11 February 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053543/http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool . 21 September 2013 .
  3. News: Over een paar maanden is de begraafplaats een stadspark. 1 December 2011. Dichtbij.nl. nl. 31 January 2014.
  4. News: Joodse begraafplaats omgevormd tot stadspark. 16 September 2012. Dichtbij.nl. nl. 31 January 2014.
  5. News: Gunman Kills Six in Busy Shopping Centre . 9 April 2011 . Sky News. 9 April 2011 . A 24-year-old gunman has opened fire with a machine gun in a packed shopping centre in the Netherlands, killing six people and then himself. . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110412164104/http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Netherlands-Shooting-At-Least-Six-People-Killed-In-Shopping-Centre-In-Alphen-Aan-De-Rijn/Article/201104215969271?lpos=World_News_Top_Stories_Header_0&lid=ARTICLE_15969271_Netherlands_Shooting%3A_At_Least_Six_People_Killed_In_Shopping_Centre_In_Alphen_Aan_De_Rijn . 12 April 2011 .
  6. News: 3 August 2015 . Netherlands cranes collapse in Alphen aan den Rijn . . 4 August 2015.
  7. News: 4 August 2015 . Investigation underway into Alpen a/d Rijn crane crash . . 6 August 2015.
  8. Web site: Niet-westerse allochtonen per gemeente 2010–2040 [Non-western allochthones per municipality 2010–2040] ]. Nationale Atlas Volksgezondheid . . 7 December 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20111205023038/http://www.zorgatlas.nl/beinvloedende-factoren/demografie/etniciteit/niet-westerse-allochtonen-per-gemeente-2010-2040 . 5 December 2011 . dead .
  9. Midsummer Fair, Aztek-TV, 19 June 2010 (archive)
  10. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0374050/ IMDb Database
  11. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2010286/ IMDb Database

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