Alblasserdam is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It covers an area of, of which is water, and has a population of as of. Alblasserdam is officially a part of the Drechtsteden region. A portion of the small village of Kinderdijk, which boasts the largest and most famous concentration of windmills in the Netherlands, is part of Alblasserdam.
Etymology
The name Alblasserdam is derived from its location near the creek Alblas where a dam was built. Inhabitants of Alblasserdam are called Alblasserdammers.
History
13th-19th century
The town of Alblasserdam was first mentioned in the chronicles of Melis Stoke in 1299, but the municipality wasn't formed until 1447. Before that, it was part of Oud-Alblas. Because of its location on the Noord river, one of the busiest waterways in Western Europe, water has played a major role in Alblasserdam's history. The river was important for its development and makes it an advantageous location for industry. Alblasserdam's strategic location also brought it negative consequences. For example, between 1350 and 1821, the Alblasserwaardpolder flooded 32 times.
20th century
During World War I, mayor Simon Berman and the local government of Alblasserdam kept busy with 60 Belgian refugees within the municipal boundaries. An ad-hoc municipal fund for the unemployed was established. Alblasserdam suffered during the German raid on Rotterdam on May 11, 1940, when its town centre was severely damaged. The historic Kerkstraat and the characteristic dike construction along the river, however, were spared. The North Sea flood of 1953 also affected a portion of Alblasserdam. The Delta Works program included reinforcements to the dikes and improvement of the locks. Therefore, water no longer poses a direct danger to Alblasserdam. In 1999the town celebrated its 700th anniversary.
21st century
Bert Blase served as mayor from 1999 to 2014, when he was appointed as mayor of Vlaardingen. Subsequently, the mayor of Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, Jan Heijkoop, also acted as mayor Alblasserdam. On July 1, 2015 Jaap Paans became mayor of Alblasserdam.
