Wassenaar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids

Wassenaar

Beach in Wassenaar after sunset

Flag	Coat of arms

Location in South Holland

Government

• Body

Municipal council

Area

• Total

62.37 km² (24.08 sq mi)

• Land

50.92 km² (19.66 sq mi)

• Water

11.45 km² (4.42 sq mi)

Elevation

1 m (3 ft)

Population

(May 2014)

• Total

25,768

• Density

506/km² (1,310/sq mi)

Demonym(s)

Wassenaarder

Time zone

UTC+1 (CET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+2 (CEST)

Postcode

2240–2245

Area code

070

Map of Wassenaar, June 2023

Wassenaar (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈʋɑsənaːr]) is a town and a municipality (a type of local government area) in the province of South Holland. It is located on the western coast of the Netherlands. In 2014, about 25,768 people lived there.

Wassenaar is a wealthy area located just 10 km (6 mi) north of The Hague. It is close to the North Sea coast and is part of the larger Rotterdam–The Hague metropolitan area. The municipality covers about 62.37 km² (24.08 sq mi) of land and water. Wassenaar is known for having some of the most expensive homes in the Netherlands, including the Konijnenlaan, which is the country's most costly street.

History of Wassenaar
Modern Wassenaar
- International Community
- Life in Wassenaar
Culture
- Sports Events
Notable People from Wassenaar
Gallery
See also

History of Wassenaar

Early Beginnings

The old Romanesque church in Wassenaar, built in the 12th century, is believed to be where the missionary Willibrord first arrived in the Netherlands. The tall dunes you see today near the coast were formed later. For a long time, Wassenaar was a small, quiet town, mostly known as the home of the House of Wassenaer, a noble family.

Growth and Development

Wassenaar started to become more important in the 1800s. This happened when Louis Bonaparte ordered the building of the Heerweg (meaning "Army Road"). This road connected The Hague and Leiden and is now known as the Rijksstraatweg. Around 1840, Prince Frederik had the beautiful De Paauw (Peacock) palace built. He lived there for many years, and today, it serves as the city hall of Wassenaar.

In 1907, a railway line was built. It connected Rotterdam, The Hague, Wassenaar, and Scheveningen. The path of this old railway is now the Landscheidingsweg road. Because of these improvements, Wassenaar became a popular place for wealthy people from Rotterdam to live. Grand buildings, like the historic Huize Ivicke, were constructed during this time.

Wassenaar During World War II

You can still find parts of the Atlantic wall on Wassenaar's beach, called the Wassenaarseslag. This was a line of coastal defenses built during World War II. There are nearly a thousand meters of underground tunnels connecting five bunkers. These tunnels are now a safe place for bats and are not open to visitors.

From September 1944 to March 1945, Wassenaar was used by the German Luftwaffe as a launch site for V-2 rockets. These rockets were mostly aimed at London during the war. After the war, American General Haywood Hansell, who helped plan bombing missions, lived in Wassenaar from 1957 to 1966 after he retired.

Important Agreements

In 1982, a very important agreement was signed in Wassenaar. It was called the Wassenaar Agreement and involved groups representing employers and trade unions in the Netherlands. This agreement helped to control how much wages increased and also aimed to fight unemployment and inflation.

Later, in May 1996, another major international agreement was signed here. This was the Wassenaar Arrangement, which is an arms control agreement from the post-Cold War era. Forty countries signed it to control the export of weapons and technology.

Modern Wassenaar

Old Castle of Wassenaar

De Langstraat, the main shopping street in Wassenaar

Wassenaar has often been a home for important people. From 2003 to 2019, King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, his wife, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, and their daughters lived in the Eikenhorst villa on the De Horsten estate in Wassenaar. Princess Alexia was even baptized at the Romanesque church in Wassenaar. The princesses also attended the Bloemcampschool in Wassenaar, which was founded in 1931.

From 1970 until 2016, the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Study (NIAS) was located in Wassenaar. This institute provides time and support for scholars from the Netherlands and other countries to do research. The Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael is also located here, at Huys Clingendael.

International Community

The U.S. Embassy in The Hague is located in Wassenaar, along with the homes of several ambassadors from countries like Canada, South Korea, Indonesia, and Ireland. Because it is so close to international organizations and embassies in The Hague, Wassenaar has a large community of expatriates (people living outside their home country), including diplomats and business people.

There are also several international schools in Wassenaar, such as the American School of The Hague (ASH) and The International School Wassenaar, which is part of the Rijnlands Lyceum Foundation.

Life in Wassenaar

Wassenaar has many parks and a network of bicycle paths. The town is very green, with lots of trees like beech, oak, and horse chestnut. The town center has many fancy shops, special food stores, bakeries, cafes, bars, and restaurants.

For sports, there are clubs for football, Field Hockey, Cricket, rugby, and Tennis. The fun theme park Duinrell is also in Wassenaar, as is the Duindigt race track, which is the only grass horse race track left in the Netherlands. The art Museum Voorlinden was opened by King Willem-Alexander in 2016.

Wassenaar is known in the Netherlands for its wealth. Some areas of the town are among the richest in the country. In 2018, the Konijnenlaan street had an average house price of about 2.5 million Euros, making it the most expensive street in the Netherlands.

Wassenaar has always had good relationships with its neighboring town, Voorschoten. They share some history; for example, the House of Wassenaer historically lived in the Kasteel Duivenvoorde in Voorschoten. There have even been talks about combining the two municipalities into one.

Culture

Sports Events

Wassenaar hosts a few annual sports events. The Zwemloop Wassenaar is a swimming and running event, which will have its 28th event in 2024. Also, the "15 van Wassenaar" is a running event that will celebrate its 10th edition in 2024.

Notable People from Wassenaar

Academic and Public Service

Alidius Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer, 1935

Jonkheer Alidius Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer (1888–1978 in Wassenaar) – A nobleman and statesman who was the last colonial Governor-General of the Netherlands East Indies.
Henk Hofstra (1904–1999 in Wassenaar) – A politician.
Gerard Helders (1905–2013) – A politician who lived to be 107 years old.
Maurits Kiek [nl] (1909–1980) – A World War II agent who parachuted into Nazi-occupied territory.
Johan Witteveen (1921–2019 in Wassenaar) – A retired politician.
Sidney van den Bergh, (born 1929 in Wassenaar) – A Canadian retired astronomer.
Pieter Kooijmans, (1933–2013) – A Dutch lawyer, politician, and diplomat who worked at the International Court of Justice.
Teun A. van Dijk, (born 1943) – A language expert who lived in Wassenaar between 1945 and 1962.
Corinne Hofman (born Wassenar, 1959) – A professor of Caribbean Archaeology at Leiden University.
Leendert de Lange (born 1972) – A politician who has been the mayor of Wassenaar since 2019.

Royal Family

Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands (born 1967) – The current King of the Netherlands.
Queen Máxima of the Netherlands (born 1971) – The wife of King Willem-Alexander.
Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange (born 2003) – The next in line to the throne of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Princess Alexia of the Netherlands (born 2005) – The second daughter of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima.
Princess Ariane of the Netherlands (born 2007) – The third daughter of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima.

The Arts

Theo van Gogh, 2004

Felix Tikotin (1893–1986) – An architect, art collector, and art dealer who founded the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art. He lived in Wassenaar.
Henri Friedlaender (1904–1996) – An Israeli typographer and book designer who lived in Wassenaar during World War II.
Boudewijn Büch (1948–2002) – A writer, poet, and television presenter who grew up in Wassenaar.
Theo van Gogh (1957–2004) – A film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and author.
Thom Hoffman (born 1957 in Wassenaar) – An actor and photographer.
Lorena Kloosterboer (born 1962) – An artist and author who lived in Wassenaar for several years.
Anthony Ingruber (born 1990) – A Canadian actor and voice actor who currently lives in Wassenaar.

Science & Business

Annebel van der Knijff, 2017

Sidney Van den Bergh FRS (born 1929 in Wassenaar) – A retired Canadian astronomer.
Morris Tabaksblat (1937–2011) – A former CEO of Unilever who lived and died in Wassenaar.
Rattan Chadha (born 1949) – A co-founder of the fashion company Mexx.
Hans M. Heybroek (1927–2022) – A botanist who bred elm trees resistant to Dutch elm disease.

Sport

Nico van der Voet (born 1944 in Wassenaar) – A water polo player.
Konrad Bartelski (born 1954) – A skier who lived in Wassenaar for some years.
Junior Strous (born 1986) – A racing driver and team owner from Wassenaar.
Annebel van der Knijff (born 1996 in Wassenaar) – A Dutch-Spanish canoe slalom paddler.
Laurens van Hoepen (born 2005) – A racing driver.
Mark Slats – An athlete who lived in Wassenaar. He holds the record for the fastest solo row across the Atlantic Ocean.