Hansweert
Encyclopedia
Hansweert is a village on the Zuid-Beveland
peninsula in the Dutch province of Zeeland
. It is located in the municipality of Reimerswaal
, about 2 km west of the village of Kruiningen
.
in Zeelandic Flanders.
In 1866, however, when the Canal through Zuid-Beveland
opened up, the village flourished; the canal ran right through the middle of the village (dividing it into eastern and a western parts) where sluice
s were located, bringing commercial traffic with it. Hansweert in those days knew a disproportionately large number of bakeries, butchers, and cafes, and came to be called "Small Antwerp".
For a long time, Hansweert was an important stop on the shortest shipping route between the busy ports of Rotterdam
and Antwerp, but all that changed when the Scheldt–Rhine Canal opened up and became the quicker route. Hansweert's economy collapsed, and so did the village. The eastern part of the village was torn down to make way for a harbor; further renovation moved the canal farther from the village.
In 2010 Hansweert had a population of 1685. While the village has declined since the opening of the Scheldt–Rhine Canal, there is still an active community life. In 2005, the old ferry to Perkpolder was restored; it now sails during the summer months for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Zuid-Beveland
Zuid-Beveland is a part of the province of Zeeland in the Netherlands north of the Westerschelde and south of the Oosterschelde. It is a former island, now peninsula, crossed by the Canal through Zuid-Beveland on the west and the Scheldt-Rhine Canal on the east.It consists of four...
peninsula in the Dutch province of Zeeland
Zeeland
Zeeland , also called Zealand in English, is the westernmost province of the Netherlands. The province, located in the south-west of the country, consists of a number of islands and a strip bordering Belgium. Its capital is Middelburg. With a population of about 380,000, its area is about...
. It is located in the municipality of Reimerswaal
Reimerswaal (municipality)
Reimerswall is a municipality in the province of Zeeland in the southwestern Netherlands on Zuid-Beveland, named after the lost city. The municipality had 20,966 inhabitants in 2004, and has a surface area of 243.70 km² . The central town Yerseke is known for trade in mussels and oysters...
, about 2 km west of the village of Kruiningen
Kruiningen
Kruiningen is a village in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is located in the municipality of Reimerswaal, about 5 km south of the village of Yerseke.Kruiningen has a station on the railway line Bergen op Zoom - Vlissingen.-References:...
.
History
The first mention of what later is called Hansweert is made in 1353. Variants of the name include Hannekinswaerde, Hannekijnswaard, and Hanzwartz; the last of those is probably the source for the modern variant Answest. For a long time Hansweert was a small, agrarian community; it was notable only for the Hansweert-Walsoorden ferry, which dates from the sixteenth century and connects Hansweert in Zuid-Beveland to WalsoordenWalsoorden
Walsoorden is a village in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Hulst, and lies about 22 km southwest of Bergen op Zoom....
in Zeelandic Flanders.
In 1866, however, when the Canal through Zuid-Beveland
Canal through Zuid-Beveland
The Canal through Zuid-Beveland in the Netherlands is the western of the two canals crossing Zuid-Beveland. It connects the Westerschelde and the Oosterschelde....
opened up, the village flourished; the canal ran right through the middle of the village (dividing it into eastern and a western parts) where sluice
Sluice
A sluice is a water channel that is controlled at its head by a gate . For example, a millrace is a sluice that channels water toward a water mill...
s were located, bringing commercial traffic with it. Hansweert in those days knew a disproportionately large number of bakeries, butchers, and cafes, and came to be called "Small Antwerp".
For a long time, Hansweert was an important stop on the shortest shipping route between the busy ports of Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
and Antwerp, but all that changed when the Scheldt–Rhine Canal opened up and became the quicker route. Hansweert's economy collapsed, and so did the village. The eastern part of the village was torn down to make way for a harbor; further renovation moved the canal farther from the village.
In 2010 Hansweert had a population of 1685. While the village has declined since the opening of the Scheldt–Rhine Canal, there is still an active community life. In 2005, the old ferry to Perkpolder was restored; it now sails during the summer months for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Events
- Answester Dweildag: an event where a few dweilbands give a concert on different places through the village; it is on the last Sunday of SeptemberSeptemberSeptember is the 9th month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of four months with a length of 30 days.September in the Southern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent of March in the Northern Hemisphere....
. - Cycle race of Hansweert: an annual event on the last Saturday of AugustAugustAugust is the eighth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with a length of 31 days.This month was originally named Sextilis in Latin, because it was the sixth month in the original ten-month Roman calendar under Romulus in 753 BC, when March was the first...
.