Schiedam
Old City Hall
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname(s): Brandersstad
Location of Schiedam within The Netherlands
Coordinates: 51°54′42″N 04°23′58″E / 51.91167°N 4.39944°E / 51.91167; 4.39944
Country	The Netherlands
Province	South Holland
Government
- Mayor	W.M. (Wilma) Verver-Aartsen (VVD)
Area
- Total	19.89 km2 (7.7 sq mi)
- Land	18.18 km2 (7 sq mi)
- Water	1.71 km2 (0.7 sq mi)
Population (2005)
- Total	75,111
- Density	3,768/km2 (9,759.1/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CETDST (UTC+2)
Postcode	3111 - 3125
Website	http://www.schiedam.nl

View on Schiedam with the The Porters' Guild House

Windmill in Schiedam

Schiedam ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It is part of the Rotterdam metropolitan area.

It is known its historical center with its canals, and the tallest old windmills in the world. Schiedam is also known for jenever (gin) - such as the internationally-renowned Ketel One - so much so that in English the word schiedam (usually without a capital s-) refers to the town's Holland gin.

[edit] History

Around the year 1250 the river Schie was dammed to protect the polderland from the seawater. The dam attracted trade activities because goods for and from the hinterland had to be transhipped. A small town developed around the dam and its activities.

In the year 1275 Schiedam received city rights from Aleida van Avesnes, sister of William II, count of Holland.

[edit] Geography

The city of Schiedam lies in South Holland, The Netherlands. It is enclosed between Rotterdam (east), Vlaardingen (west) and the river Nieuwe Maas (south).

[edit] Demographics

[edit] Population

• 2004 - 75,619
• 2006 - 75,111

[edit] Attractions

[edit] Museums

• Het Stedelijk Museum
• Het Gedistilleerd Museum
• Het Borrelmuseum (in 't Spul on Hoogstraat)
• Museummolen De Nieuwe Palmboom
• Nationaal Coöperatie Museum Schiedam / 't Winkeltje
• Artmuseum T'Walvisch

[edit] Monuments

• The old city hall (Het Oude stadhuis) (photo)
• The canals of Schiedam
• The Wheat Exchange (De Korenbeurs)
• Church of Saint John (Sint Jan)
• The ruins of the castle Huis te Riviere (photo)
• Saint Lidwina basilica (photo)
• De Plantage
• The Porters' Guild House (Het Zakkendragershuisje)
• Het Proveniershuis
• The six historical windmills of Schiedam. This includes De Noord the tallest old Dutch mill in the world which is used as a restaurant.

[edit] Events

• De Brandersfeesten
• DOEK!
• The National Windmill Days (Nationale Molen- & Gemalen dag)
• Entry of Sinterklaas

[edit] Sport

The most popular sports in Schiedam are soccer and also field hockey. Cricket is more popular in Schiedam than in the most other Dutch cities.^[1]

[edit] People from Schiedam

• Dmitri van den Bersselaer (born 1968) - historian
• Willem den Broeder (born 1951) - Surrealist Artist
• Ton van Duinhoven - Classic and comic actor, best known for his creations of Mijnheer Jamin and Feyenoordsuppoost Van Crooswijk
• Jan van Riebeeck - (1619–1677), colonial administrator and founder of Cape Town (South Africa). Van Riebeeck grew up in Schiedam, although he was born in Culemborg, Netherlands.
• Willem "O" Duys - Television personality (started his career as a reporter for a local newspaper)
• Rinus Gosens (born 1920) - footballer
• Han van der Horst - author and historian
• Luke van Jammer - former Dutch Cricket Captain.
• Erik Jazet (born 1971) - hockey player and coach
• Ali El Khattabi (born 1977) - footballer
• Danny Koevermans (born 1978) - footballer
• Saint Liduina (1380-1433) - Catholic saint
• Robert Maaskant (born 1969) - footballer
• Piet Paaltjes pen name of Francois Haverschmidt - Protestant clergyman and romantic author
• Patricia Paay - singer and now tv juror
• Rien Poortvliet (1932-1995) - sketcher and painter
• Andre van Troost (born 1972) - English County cricket player (Somerset)
• Pieter van Vollenhoven (born 1939) - husband of Princess Margriet of the Netherlands
• Pauline van der Wildt (born 1944) - swimmer
• Elizabeth Witmer (born 1946) - member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada
• John de Wolf (born 1962) - footballer
• Bob Offenberg a.k.a. "Zanger Bob" (born 1996) - singer
• Luc Castaignos (born 1992) - footballer, currently playing for Feyenoord

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Schiedam

• Official site
• Detailed Falkplan map
• Historical Society Schiedam
• World's Tallest Windmills - Schiedam Holland

[edit] References

v • d • e    Municipalities of South Holland Alblasserdam · Albrandswaard · Alphen aan den Rijn · Barendrecht · Bergambacht · Bernisse · Binnenmaas · Bodegraven · Boskoop · Brielle · Capelle aan den IJssel · Cromstrijen · Delft · Den Haag (The Hague) · Dirksland · Dordrecht · Giessenlanden · Goedereede · Gorinchem · Gouda · Graafstroom · Hardinxveld-Giessendam · Hellevoetsluis · Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht · Hillegom · Kaag en Braassem · Katwijk · Korendijk · Krimpen aan den IJssel · Lansingerland · Leerdam · Leiden · Leiderdorp · Leidschendam-Voorburg · Liesveld · Lisse · Maassluis · Middelharnis · Midden-Delfland · Nederlek · Nieuw-Lekkerland · Nieuwkoop · Noordwijk · Noordwijkerhout · Oegstgeest · Oostflakkee · Oud-Beijerland · Ouderkerk · Papendrecht · Pijnacker-Nootdorp · Reeuwijk · Ridderkerk · Rijnwoude · Rijswijk · Rotterdam · Rozenburg · Schiedam · Schoonhoven · Sliedrecht · Spijkenisse · Strijen · Teylingen · Vlaardingen · Vlist · Voorschoten · Waddinxveen · Wassenaar · Westland · Westvoorne · Zederik · Zoetermeer · Zoeterwoude · Zuidplas (1 january 2010 Nieuwerkerk aan den IJssel, Moordrecht and Zevenhuizen-Moerkapelle) · Zwijndrecht See also: Netherlands · Provinces · Municipalities

Coordinates: 51°54′42″N 04°23′58″E / 51.91167°N 4.39944°E / 51.91167; 4.39944