Hardinxveld-Giessendam Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Hardinxveld-Giessendam

Water tower Hardinxveld [nl]

Flag	Coat of arms

Location in South Holland

Established

1 January 1957

Government

• Body

Municipal council

Area

• Total

19.35 km² (7.47 sq mi)

• Land

16.92 km² (6.53 sq mi)

• Water

2.43 km² (0.94 sq mi)

Elevation

3 m (10 ft)

Population

(May 2014)

• Total

17,751

• Density

1,049/km² (2,720/sq mi)

Time zone

UTC+1 (CET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+2 (CEST)

Postcode

3370–3373

Area code

0184

Dutch topographic map of Hardinxveld-Giessendam, June 2015

Hardinxveld-Giessendam is a municipality in the western Netherlands. It is part of the South Holland province. This area is about 10 kilometers (6 miles) east of Dordrecht. It sits right on the Beneden-Merwede river.

In 2014, Hardinxveld-Giessendam had a population of 17,751 people. The total area is 19.35 km² (7.47 sq mi). A part of this area, 2.43 km² (0.94 sq mi), is water.

The municipality is made up of two main areas. These are Giessendam/Neder-Hardinxveld and Boven-Hardinxveld. Before 1957, Giessendam and Hardinxveld were separate municipalities. They were small, with only a few streets and a few thousand people.

The local economy mostly relies on building ships. Companies like Damen Shipyards Group are important here. There are also several industrial areas.

History of Hardinxveld-Giessendam
- Early Conflicts and Growth
- Merging Municipalities
Archeological Discoveries
- Ancient Finds
Transportation Links
Notable People from Hardinxveld-Giessendam
Gallery
See also

History of Hardinxveld-Giessendam

The village of Hardinxveld is one of the oldest places in the Alblasserwaard region. Records show that a priest and a church were present here in 1105. By 1282, Hardinxveld became a large fiefdom, which was a piece of land given by a lord.

Early Conflicts and Growth

Over the centuries, Hardinxveld faced many wars. These included the Gelder Wars and the Eighty Years' War. These conflicts affected the area greatly.

The name Giessendam was first used in 1231. It likely comes from a dam on a small river called Giessen. This dam was the long-standing border between Hardinxveld and Giessendam.

Merging Municipalities

The current municipality was formed in 1957. This happened when Hardinxveld merged with half of Giessendam. The other half of Giessendam joined a new municipality called Giessenburg. Giessenburg later merged with Giessenlanden in 1986.

Since the 1960s, Hardinxveld-Giessendam has grown a lot. New neighborhoods like De Peulen and Tienmorgen were built. For a time, the municipality had money problems. The province had to oversee its finances. This meant the town had to save money and increase its taxes.

Archeological Discoveries

Before the Betuweroute High-speed Railway was built, scientists did a lot of soil research in 1997. This research happened in Hardinxveld-Giessendam.

Ancient Finds

During the research, some very old items were found. One important discovery was a 7,500-year-old skeleton of a woman. She was named "Trijntje." This is the oldest human skeleton ever found in the Netherlands.

Since December 2003, a reconstructed version of Trijntje has been on display. You can see it at the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden (National Museum of Antiquities) in Leiden. In April 1998, an ancient dugout canoe was also found.

Transportation Links

Hardinxveld-Giessendam has its own railway station. The Hardinxveld-Giessendam railway station is part of the Elst–Dordrecht railway line. This makes it easy to travel to and from the municipality by train.

Notable People from Hardinxveld-Giessendam

Many interesting people have come from Hardinxveld-Giessendam. Here are a few:

Job de Ruiter (1930–2015): A Dutch politician, diplomat, and lawyer. He was born in Giessendam.
Kommer Damen (born 1944): A Dutch billionaire. He is the chairman of Damen Shipyards, a big shipbuilding company.
Bert de Ruijter (born 1952): Also known as Leigh Blond. He is a Dutch composer, singer, and songwriter from Hardinxveld.
Erik de Bruin (born 1963): A retired Dutch athlete. He holds records in discus throwing and shot put. He was born in Hardinxveld-Giessendam.
Jaap Wolterbeek (born 1943): A Dutch photographer and cinematographer. He was born in Hardinxveld.