Hoorn - WikiHQ

Hoorn () is a city and municipality in the northwest of the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. It is the largest town and the traditional capital of the region of West Friesland. Hoorn is located on the Markermeer, 20 kilometers (12 mi) east of Alkmaar and 35 kilometers (22 mi) north of Amsterdam. The municipality has just over 75,000 inhabitants and a land area of , making it the third most densely populated municipality in North Holland after Haarlem and Amsterdam. The town acquired city rights in 1357 and flourished during the Dutch Golden Age. Cape Horn and the Hoorn Islands were both named after this city.

Etymology

left|thumb|160px|Variant flag of Hoorn (1783), with the archaic [[French language|French spelling ]]

The origin of the name Hoorn – in archaic spelling Hoern, Horne or Hoirn(e) – is surrounded in myths. According to old Frisian legends, the name comes from Hornus, a bastard son of King Redbad and brother of Aldgillis II, who presumably founded the city in 719 and named it after himself. A different theory claims that the name was derived from a sign depicting a post horn, which hung from one of the taverns established by brewers from Hamburg in the early fourteenth century.

According to Hadrianus Junius, the name could also be a reference to the city's horn-shaped port. The chronicler rejects this theory, as well as the assertion that the name comes from "Dampterhorn", which was thought to be the only remaining neighborhood of the flooded village of .

One of the earliest mentions of Hoorn is found in a letter which states that in 1303, a merchant from Bruges was imprisoned in West Friesland near a place called "Hornicwed". This phrase – although it is uncertain whether it actually refers to Hoorn – is a compound of the Middle Dutch words , meaning "corner", and , meaning "shallow water". It is likely that the name Hoorn was indeed derived from Middle Dutch , or simply , and that the city was named for its location in a sharp bight of (the former) Lake Flevo. In Modern Dutch, however, the word translates to "horn", both in an acoustic and anatomical sense.

History

thumb|230px| (1622) by [[Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom]]

thumb|230px|Map of Hoorn (1649) by [[Joan Blaeu]]

Early history

In the beginning of the eighth century, the threat of Viking raids led to unrest in the Frisian Kingdom, causing many people to leave their hometowns and settle elsewhere. Here, overproduction of dairy products led to the establishment of a marketplace within the domain of Zwaag, where excesses could be traded for other goods. The construction of these buildings was completed in 1316 and led to the expansion of the settlement, as more merchants from Northern Germany and Denmark now visited the place to trade. Nonetheless, the city of Hoorn celebrated its 600 and 650 year anniversary in 1957 and 2007 respectively.

The Dutch Revolt

The revolution in Hoorn occurred without bloodshed. The town’s middle classes, after a futile attempt to assert Hoorn’s wish to garrison neither the Spanish army nor the rebel Sea Beggars, and after much debate, voted to open the city’s gates to the Beggars. By that time, Hoorn had already been flanked by the Beggar control of nearby Enkhuizen and Medemblik, and many rebellious exiles from earlier troubles returned to influence the town’s politics.

Dutch Golden Age

Hoorn rapidly grew to become a major port city and a prosperous center of trade, which flourished during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, also known as the Dutch Golden Age. Furthermore, the city was an important home base for the Dutch East India Company (VOC), the Dutch West India Company (WIC) and the Noordsche Compagnie. A statue of Coen was placed on the city's central square Roode Steen in 1893. In 1616, the explorer Willem Schouten, together with Jacob Le Maire, braved furious storms as he rounded the southernmost tip of South America. He named it (Cape Horn) in honor of his home town.

Eighteenth century to present

thumb|230px|[[Roode Steen in 1975]]

Hoorn's fortunes declined somewhat in the eighteenth century. The prosperous trading port became little more than a sleepy fishing village on the Zuiderzee. placing Hoorn in AHS heat zone 2. It is also common to have at least a couple of snowy days each year.

The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute has one of its weather stations located in Berkhout, a village situated west of Hoorn. Climatological data from this station can be found in the table below. The record extremes range from to . The average annual precipitation is .

Districts

The municipality of Hoorn consists of the city of Hoorn (postal codes 1620–1628) and the villages of Zwaag (postal code 1689) and Blokker (postal code 1695), which are further divided into the following districts:

thumb|300px|Districts of Hoorn

{| class="sortable wikitable plainrowheaders"

! scope="col" |No.

! scope="col" width="180px" |District

! scope="col" |Population <small>(2019)</small>

! scope="col" |Postal code

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |1

|Binnenstad (city center)

|5,570

|1621

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |2

|Grote Waal

|7,680

|1622

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |3

|Venenlaankwartier

|2,575

|1623

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |4

|Hoorn-Noord

|5,460

|1624

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |5

|Risdam-Zuid

|8,555

| rowspan="2" |1625

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |6

|Nieuwe Steen

|1,250

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |7

|Hoorn 80

|10

|1627

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |8

|Kersenboogerd-Zuid

|16,965

| rowspan="2" |1628

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |9

|Kersenboogerd-Noord

|3,945

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |10

|Risdam-Noord

|7,840

| rowspan="3" |1689

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |11

|Zwaag

|3,145

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |12

|Zevenhuis

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |13

|Bangert en Oosterpolder

|6,165

|1689, 1695

! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" |14

|Westerblokker

|3,815

|1695

Culture

thumb|230px|Hoofdtoren

thumb|230px|Grote Kerk (left) and Koepelkerk

Architecture

Many of the houses in the historical city center date back to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, especially in the area north of the harbor. Other notable buildings include:

Hoofdtoren (1464), the former harbor control tower
Maria-/Kruittoren (1508), a tower built in late gothic style as part of the city wall
Oosterpoort (1578), the only remaining city gate
Waag (1609), weigh house at the junction of Grote Oost and Roode Steen
Statenlogement (1613), former city hall
Burgerweeshuis (1620), the former orphanage in the Korte Achterstraat
Statencollege (1632), which houses the Westfries Museum
Koepelkerk (1882), a Roman Catholic basilica
Claes Stapelhof (1682), a hofje

Hoorn has notable modern buildings as well, such as:

Schouwburg Het Park, a theater and congress center that was opened on 25 June 2004 by Queen Beatrix. The opening was delayed, as the fly tower collapsed in the night of 20 April 2001 due to faulty construction work.

Museums

Notable museums in Hoorn include:

Westfries Museum
Museum of the 20th Century (on the Oostereiland)

Cemeteries

Jewish cemetery, Hoorn

Local government

thumb|230px|The [[Town hall|city hall of Hoorn]]

Municipal council

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:right"

|+Election results

! colspan="2" rowspan="2" |Party

! colspan="2" |2014

! colspan="2" |2018

! colspan="2" |2022

! width="40px" |%

! width="40px" |Seats

! width="40px" |%

! width="40px" |Seats

! width="40px" |%

! width="40px" |Seats

| style="text-align:left" |Fractie Tonnaer

| style="text-align:center" |FT

|4.93

|10.33

|14.59

| style="text-align:left" |Hoorn Lokaal

| style="text-align:center" |HL

|2.48

|4.36

|11.25

| style="text-align:left" |GroenLinks

| style="text-align:center" |GL

|8.77

|10.97

|10.21

| style="text-align:left" |ÉénHoorn

| style="text-align:center" |1H

|—

|10.15

| style="text-align:left" |Christian Democratic Appeal

| style="text-align:center" |CDA

|9.48

|10.35

|9.79

| style="text-align:left" |People's Party for Freedom and Democracy

| style="text-align:center" |VVD

|10.35

|12.92

|9.13

| style="text-align:left" |Democrats 66

| style="text-align:center" |D66

|10.49

|7.46

|7.95

| style="text-align:left" |Labour Party

| style="text-align:center" |PvdA

|14.69

|9.12

|7.84

| style="text-align:left" |Sociaal Hoorn

| style="text-align:center" |SH

|—

|5.74

|6.70

| style="text-align:left" |Liberaal Hoorn

| style="text-align:center" |LH

|—

|6.39

| style="text-align:left" |De Realistische Partij

| style="text-align:center" |DRP

|—

|2.81

|3.51

| style="text-align:left" |Christian Union

| style="text-align:center" |CU

|—

|2.79

|2.48

| style="text-align:left" |Hoornse Onafhankelijke Partij

| style="text-align:center" |HOP

|7.36

|7.03

|—

| style="text-align:left" |V.O.C. Hoorn

| style="text-align:center" |VOC

|7.88

|6.76

|—

| style="text-align:left" |Hoornse Senioren Partij

| style="text-align:center" |HSP

|5.32

|5.01

|—

| style="text-align:left" |Hoorns Belang

| style="text-align:center" |HB

|5.24

|4.35

|—

| style="text-align:left" |Socialist Party

| style="text-align:center" |SP

|12.02

|—

| style="text-align:left" |Hoorn+

| style="text-align:center" |H+

|0.99

|—

! colspan="2" scope="row" |Total

! scope="row" style="text-align:right" |100.0

! scope="row" style="text-align:right" |35

! scope="row" style="text-align:right" |100.0

! scope="row" style="text-align:right" |35

! scope="row" style="text-align:right" |100.0

! scope="row" style="text-align:right" |35

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

|+Current composition

! width="290px" |Party

!Seats

|Fractie Tonnaer

| style="text-align:right" |5

| style="background:navajowhite" |Hoorn Lokaal †

| style="background:navajowhite;text-align:right" |4

| style="background:navajowhite" |GroenLinks †

| style="background:navajowhite;text-align:right" |4

| style="background:navajowhite" |ÉénHoorn †

| style="background:navajowhite;text-align:right" |4

| style="background:navajowhite" |Christian Democratic Appeal †

| style="background:navajowhite;text-align:right" |3

| style="background:navajowhite" |People's Party for Freedom and Democracy †

| style="background:navajowhite;text-align:right" |3

| style="background:navajowhite" |Democrats 66 †

| style="background:navajowhite;text-align:right" |3

|Labour Party

| style="text-align:right" |3

|Sociaal Hoorn

| style="text-align:right" |2

|Liberaal Hoorn

| style="text-align:right" |2

|De Realistische Partij

| style="text-align:right" |1

|Christian Union

| style="text-align:right" |1

! scope="row" | Coalition

! scope="row" style="text-align:right" |21

! scope="row" |Opposition

! scope="row" style="text-align:right" |14

! scope="row" |Total

! scope="row" style="text-align:right" |35

Municipal executive

As of 16 June 2022, the municipal executive of Hoorn consists of:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:left"

! colspan="2" |Mayor

!Portfolio

!Party

|style="color:inherit;background:"|

|Jan Nieuwenburg

|Public Security, Regional Cooperation and Public Affairs

|PvdA

! colspan="2" |Aldermen

!Portfolio

!Party

| style="color:inherit;background:#008EBE" |

|René Assendelft

|Education, Harbors, Traffic and Transportation

|HL

|style="color:inherit;background:"|

|Axel Boomgaars

|Finance, Income, Culture and Diversity

|GL

| style="color:inherit;background:#C1001F" |

|Karin Hakhoff

|Poverty Alleviation, Social Support, Elderly and Welfare

|1H

| style="color:inherit;background:" |

|Dick Bennis

|Public Space, Environment, Neighborhood Affairs and Sport

|CDA

| style="color:inherit;background:" |

|Marjon van der Ven

|Housing, Urban Development and Public Health

|VVD

| style="color:inherit;background:" |

|Arthur Helling

|Economic Affairs, Tourism, Spatial Planning and Sustainability

|D66

Transport

thumb|240px|Hoorn railway station

Railways

Hoorn is connected to the Dutch railway network and has two train stations: Hoorn and Hoorn Kersenboogerd. From these stations, it is possible to travel in the directions of Enkhuizen, Alkmaar and Amsterdam. It is also the starting point of the Hoorn–Medemblik heritage railway.

Roads

The A7 motorway, which runs from Zaandam to the German border via the Afsluitdijk, passes along Hoorn. The exit Hoorn North connects to the provincial road N302, also called , which runs from Hoorn to Lelystad via the Houtribdijk.

Notable people

Born

The following is a list of notable people who were born in Hoorn:

Public figures

Hadrianus Junius (1511–1575), humanist
Cornelis Cort (ca. 1533 – ca. 1578), engraver
Rombout Hogerbeets (1561–1625), jurist
Willem Schouten (ca. 1567–1625), explorer
Jonas Michaelius (1577 – after 1638), clergyman
Cornelius Jacobsen May (ca. 1580 – after 1624), explorer
Willem Bontekoe (1587–1657), explorer
Jan Pieterszoon Coen (1587–1629), colonial administrator
Jacques Waben (ca. 1590 – ca. 1634), painter
Pieter Anthoniszoon Overtwater (ca. 1610–1682), merchant
Birgitta Durell (1619–1683), Swedish industrialist
Pieter Coopse (–1673), painter and draughtsman
Jacob Rotius (1644–1681), painter
Martinus Houttuyn (1720–1798), botanist
Adrianus Bleijs (1842–1912), architect
Johan Messchaert (1857–1922), singer
Aaf Bouber (1885–1974), actress
Maria Elizabeth van Ebbenhorst Tengbergen (1885–1980), composer
Bart Bok (1906–1983), American astronomer
Anton Quintana (1937–2017), writer
Corine Rottschäfer (1938–2020), model
Martin Brozius (1941–2009), actor
George Baker (born 1944), singer
Cees Renckens (born 1946), physician
Joop van Wijk (born 1950), director
Simone van der Vlugt (born 1966), writer
Ron Blaauw (1967), chef
Richard Tol (born 1969), economist
Jan van Steenbergen (born 1970), linguist
Maria Barnas (born 1973), writer and poet
Wytske Postma (born 1977), politician
Marieke Vellinga-Beemsterboer (born 1986), politician
Tim Knol (born 1989), singer-songwriter
Stien den Hollander (born 2000), singer and rapper
Rikkie Kollé (born 2001), model

Sportspeople

Johannes van Hoolwerff (1878–1962), Olympic sailor
Frans Hoek (born 1956), football player
Ruud Heus (born 1961), football player
Stephan van den Berg (born 1962), Olympic windsurfer
Silvan Inia (born 1969), football player
Frank de Boer (born 1970), football player
Ronald de Boer (born 1970), football player
Minouche Smit (born 1975), swimmer
Marja Vis (born 1977), speed skater
Marcelien de Koning (born 1978), Olympic sailor
Vera Koedooder (born 1983), racing cyclist
Coen de Koning (born 1983), Olympic sailor
Tine Veenstra (born 1983), bobsledder
Adrie Visser (born 1983), track cyclist
Wil Besseling (born 1985), golfer
Willemijn Karsten (born 1986), handball player
Robert Krabbendam (born 1986), basketball player
Pim Ligthart (born 1988), road cyclist
Ruud Vormer (born 1988), football player
Maikel van der Werff (born 1989), football player
Roland Alberg (born 1990), football player
Nadine Broersen (born 1990), track and field athlete
Marco Bizot (born 1991), football player
Lorenzo Ebecilio (born 1991), football player
Nicole Koolhaas (born 1991), volleyball player
Brandley Kuwas (born 1992), football player
Sonny Stevens (born 1992), football player
Paul Kok (born 1994), football player
Bas Schouten (born 1994), racing driver
Nadine Visser (born 1995), track athlete
Inessa Kaagman (born 1996), football player
Maaike Boogaard (born 1998), racing cyclist
Dani de Wit (born 1998), football player
Dagmar Boom (born 2000), volleyball player
Kenzo Goudmijn (born 2001), football player
Sontje Hansen (born 2002), football player

Residing

The following is a list of people who were born elsewhere, but are notable (former) residents of Hoorn:

David Pietersz. de Vries (ca. 1593–1655), explorer
Andreas Cellarius (1596–1665), cartographer
Jan Albertsz Rotius (1624–1666), painter
Miep Gies (1909–2010), helper of the Frank family
Edgar Vos (1931–2010), fashion designer
Milly Scott (born 1933), singer and actress
Bonnie St. Claire (born 1949), singer
Ernesto Hoost (born 1965), kickboxer
Sylvana Simons (born 1971), presenter and politician
Steven van Weyenberg (born 1973), politician
Lobke Berkhout (born 1980), Olympic sailor
Dean Saunders (born 1981), singer
Ben Saunders (born 1983), singer

International relations

Partner cities

Hoorn is twinned with the following cities and municipalities:

Beersel, Belgium (since 1968)
Příbram, Czech Republic (since 1992)

Friendships

Lewes, Delaware, United States

: Lewes was the site of the first European settlement in Delaware: a whaling and trading post that Dutch settlers led by David Pieterszoon de Vries established in 1631 and named Zwaanendael. Upon their arrival in the Delaware Bay, they entered a kill which De Vries named "Hoornkill" after his hometown Hoorn. Nowadays, the city's Zwaanendael Museum is located in a replica of the Statenlogement, the former city hall of Hoorn. Although Hoorn and Lewes have never officially been partner cities, there is close informal relationship between the two towns. Delegations from Hoorn and Lewes have visited each other's cities in light of Lewes's 375th and Hoorn's 650th anniversary in 2006 and 2007 respectively.

Malacca City, Malaysia (since 1989)

: In 1641, the Dutch conquered the colony of Malacca from the Portuguese. During the Dutch rule, the iconic Stadthuys was built – a replica of the first city hall of Hoorn, which was demolished in 1797. Hoorn and Malacca became sister cities in 1989, but the partnership was officially ended in 2005.