Laren, North Holland
Laren is a town and municipality in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. Located in the Gooi region, it is the oldest town in the area. Together with its neighbor Blaricum, Laren is one of the most affluent towns in the Netherlands.
Nationally, Laren is well known for its history as a late 19th-century art colony, preserved in the museum Singer Laren, its retirement home for elderly artists Rosa Spier Huis, as well as its wide array of shops. Laren is part of the Amsterdam metropolitan area, situated east of Amsterdam.Government
The municipal council of Laren consists of 15 seats, which since 2014 are divided as follows:Demographics
In 2007, Laren had the following demographic data:
- Birth rate: 7.29 per 1,000
- Death rate: 17.94 per 1,000
- NGR: -1.07% per year
In August 2017, there were 11,135 inhabitants in Laren. The municipality has a population density of 897/km2.Notable residents
The Arts
- Anton Mauve, painter, Hague School & Laren School, lived in Laren 1886/1888
- Albert Neuhuys, painter Laren School
- :nl:Johan Briedé|Johan Briedé, Dutch Wiki artist, illustrated H.G. Wells books
- Maurits Cornelis Escher, graphic artist, illustrator and printmaker, lived in Rosa Spier Huis from 1970
- Barthold Fles a Dutch-American literary agent, author and translator; lived in Rosa Spier Huis from 1986
- Maarten Krabbé a Dutch painter and art educator
- Hannie Lips a broadcaster and TV announcer
- Roberto Vander a Dutch-Chilean actor and singer
- Johnny de Mol a Dutch actor and presenter
Public Service
- Maria Montessori an Italian physician and education reformer, lived in Laren 1936/1939
- Mona Louise Parsons a Canadian actress, nurse and member of an informal Dutch resistance network
- Gerard Croiset a Dutch parapsychologist, psychometrist and psychic
- Jan van den Brink a Dutch politician and businessman
- Henk Zanoli a lawyer and member of the Dutch resistance in WWII
- Paul Joan George Kapteyn a judge at the European Court of Justice
- Roelof Nelissen a Dutch politician and businessman; lived in Laren
- Pim van Lommel a Dutch cardiologist, author and researcher into near-death studies
- Elbert Roest a Dutch historian, politician, former teacher and former Mayor of Laren
Sport
- Willemien Aardenburg a former Dutch field hockey player, team bronze medallist the 1988 Summer Olympics
- Marcel van der Westen a retired Dutch hurdler
- Thomas Boerma a field hockey player, competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics
- Jacobine Veenhoven a Dutch female rower, team bronze medallist at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Gallery
