Berkel en Rodenrijs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Berkel en Rodenrijs
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Dorpskerk
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| Country | The Netherlands | ||
| Province |  South Holland |
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| Municipality |  Lansingerland |
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| Area | |||
| • Total | 18.91 km2 (7.30 sq mi) | ||
| • Land | 18.62 km2 (7.19 sq mi) | ||
| • Water | 0.29 km2 (0.11 sq mi) | ||
| Population
(January 2020)
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| • Total | 31,650 | ||
| • Density | 1,673.7/km2 (4,334.9/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) | ||
| Postal code |
2651-2652
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| Area code(s) | 010 | ||
| Roads and Rail | N209, N470, N471, RandstadRail | ||
Berkel en Rodenrijs is a town in the Netherlands. It is located in the province of South Holland. The town is part of the larger municipality called Lansingerland. Berkel en Rodenrijs is very close to the big city of Rotterdam.
Contents
History of Berkel en Rodenrijs
Berkel en Rodenrijs was started in the 1100s. Over many centuries, the area changed a lot. At first, the land was a peat bog. This means it was a wet, spongy area with lots of decayed plants. People used to dig up this peat to make turf, which was used as fuel.
Digging up the peat created open areas called moors. In the 1700s, these moors were drained. This made the land suitable for farming. The drained land is known as a polder. After this, the town saw many new homes and businesses built.
In 1850, about 1,250 people lived in the town. By 1950, the population had grown to 5,700 people.
A nearby small municipality called Tempel joined Berkel en Rodenrijs in 1855.
On January 1, 2007, Berkel en Rodenrijs merged with two nearby towns. These were Bergschenhoek and Bleiswijk. Together, they formed the new municipality of Lansingerland. In January 2008, the former municipality of Berkel en Rodenrijs had about 22,626 people. It covered an area of 18.91 square kilometers, with 0.29 square kilometers being water.
In 2016, plans were announced for a new area called Berkel Centrum West. Construction began in April 2021. This new area will include houses, supermarkets, shops, restaurants, and cultural places.
Getting Around: Public Transport
You can get around Berkel en Rodenrijs using public transport.
- RandstadRail Line E: This is a light rail system that connects different towns.
- RET Bus Services: Since December 9, 2012, RET has provided bus services. These include bus numbers 170, 173, and 174.
- Bus 170 runs on a special bus route called the ZoRo bus. This route connects Zoetermeer Central Station to Rodenrijs Station.
Notable People
Some famous people were born in Berkel en Rodenrijs, or lived there for some time.
People Born in Berkel en Rodenrijs
- Phil Bloom (born 1945): An artist.
- Eimert van Middelkoop (born 1949): A politician who served as Minister of Defence.
- Piet Rietveld (1952–2013): A professor who studied transport economics.
- Victor Scheffers (born 1960): An Olympic rower for the Netherlands in the 1980 Summer Games.
- Tim Vincken (born 1986): A professional football player for Feyenoord Rotterdam.
- Peter-Paul Pigmans (1961–2003): A Dutch music producer known as 3 Steps Ahead.
People Who Lived in Berkel en Rodenrijs
- Annie M.G. Schmidt (1911–1995): A famous Dutch poet and author of children's books. She lived here in the mid-1960s.
- Wibi Soerjadi (born 1970): A talented pianist and composer.
- Ria Visser (born 1961): An all-round speed skater. She won many national championships and a silver medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics.
- Kiki Bertens (born 1991): A professional tennis player. She reached number 4 in the world rankings in May 2019.
Gallery
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Aerial view of the town
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Canal along the Noordeindeseweg with church (Onze Lieve Vrouw Geboortekerk) in the background
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Noordeindseweg canal and polder
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Windmill 'de Valk' (1772) located in township Rodenrijs, now used as a residential property
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Metro Station Rodenrijs
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Railway Station Rodenrijs (2005), part of Rotterdam Hofplein - Den Haag HS line, closed in 2006
