Leiderdorp - WikiHQ

265px|thumb|Dutch topographic map of the municipality of Leiderdorp, June 2015

Leiderdorp () is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland near the city of Leiden. It had a population of in .

The municipality covers an area of of which is water. Leiderdorp is located next to the city of Leiden, although the Oude Rijn (Old Rhine) river and the Zijl river separate the two. The HSL-Zuid high-speed rail line between Amsterdam and Brussels crosses Leiderdorp in a tunnel.

It is one of the oldest towns in South Holland province and was a base for the Spanish army in the Eighty Years' War.

History

Excavations have shown that as early as during the Iron Age in the area of current day Leiderdorp hunters and fishers roamed around and lived on the dry places around the river.

Roman Period

The Rhine, which passes through Leiderdorp, functioned as the Northern border of the Roman Empire. Close to Leiderdorp, the Romans built a fort, Matilo. Around the fall of the Western Roman Empire the Romans retreated from the area.

1700-1940

From 1597 till 1795 Leiden had administrative rights over Leiderdorp, which led to the town becoming even more dependent on the larger city. In 1795 Leiderdorp decreases in size as the neighbouring Leiden expands. A rope factory was constructed in 1806, and in 1862 the first school was established on the Hoofdstraat (main street). A shipyard was constructed in 1877, and in 1915 social housing designed by famous Dutch architect Willem Marinus Dudok was erected.

Second World War

During the Second World war a bunker was constructed in the neighbouring fields, and a pen factory and community centre were destroyed to make way for it. The spires of one of the churches was used as a sniper's nest.

Notable people

140px|thumb|Carice van Houten, 2019

The Reverend Pierre Jacques Smit (1863 – 1960) an illustrator at the British Natural History Museum
Gerrit de Blanken (1894 – 1961) a Dutch potter
Armin van Buuren (born 1976) trance music producer and DJ, lived in Leiderdorp
Carice van Houten (born 1976) a Dutch actress and singer
Thomas Erdbrink (born 1976) chief of the Tehran Bureau of The New York Times
Dennis Leeflang (born 1979) a Dutch rock drummer, currently lives in Los Angeles
Thomas Azier (born 1987) electro-pop singer and musician
Robert de Hoog (born 1988) a Dutch actor
Daphne Groeneveld (born 1994) a Dutch model

Sport

140px|thumb|Ilse Paulis, 2016

Marcel Vonk (born 1974) poker player and academic researcher in string theory
Sylvia Karres (born 1976) a retired field hockey player, team silver medallist at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Femke Dekker (born 1979) a Dutch rower, team silver medallist at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Taeke Taekema (born 1980) a Dutch field hockey player, team silver medallist at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Noeki Klein (born 1983) women's water polo player, team gold medallist at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Regina Bruins (born 1986) professional cyclist, lives in Leiderdorp
Ted Jan Bloemen, (born 1986) Dutch-Canadian long track speed skater, gold medallist at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Jens Toornstra (born 1989) a Dutch footballer with 300 club caps
Ilse Paulis (born 1993) a Dutch rower, team gold medallist at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Jeroen Kampschreur (born 1999) a Dutch paralympic skier
Bente Paulis (born 1997) a Dutch rower, silver medallist at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the quadruple sculls.
Matthijs de Ligt (born 1999) professional footballer, 45 caps with the Netherlands national team
Noussair Mazraoui (born 1997) professional footballer.

Twin towns

Until 2013 Leiderdorp was twinned with

{| class="wikitable"

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Šamorín, in Slovakia.

Gallery

File:Netherlands, Leiderdorp, map of 1867.png|Leiderdorp, map of 1867.

File:Netherlands, Zuid-Holland, Leiderdorp, Oude Rijn (2).JPG|Town centre on the Old Rhine.

File:Leiderdorp - Hoofdstraat 31.jpg|Listed farm in spring

File:Netherlands, Zuid-Holland, Leiderdorp, Does (2).JPG|Leiderdorp, Does

</gallery>

References

External links