Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht
Encyclopedia
Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht (population: 25.120) is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...

. It is located in the Dutch province of South Holland
South Holland
South Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world...

, on the island of IJsselmonde, and borders with Zwijndrecht, Ridderkerk
Ridderkerk
Ridderkerk is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 44,886 in 2010, and covers an area of 25.10 km² ....

, and the Noord River. The jurisdiction of the municipality covers an area of 11.99 km² (4.63 mile²) of which 1.26 km² (0.49 mile²) is water. It comprises no other population centres.

Until 1855, the town was known as Hendrik-Ido-Schildmanskinderen-Ambacht en de Oostendam. Then it merged with Sandelingen-Ambacht and its full name for a period of time was Hendrik-Ido-Oostendam-Schildmanskinderen-Groot-en-Klein-Sandelingen-Ambacht.

History

The area has been populated from circa the year 1000 CE. Agriculture and animal husbandry
Animal husbandry
Animal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock.- History :Animal husbandry has been practiced for thousands of years, since the first domestication of animals....

 were the only means of existence for many centuries. All lands were owned by or in control of the nobility of Dordrecht
Dordrecht
Dordrecht , colloquially Dordt, historically in English named Dort, is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, located in the province of South Holland. It is the fourth largest city of the province, having a population of 118,601 in 2009...

. Not until the Eighty Years' War some industrial activities began to appear along the river dike. Furthermore, horticulture
Horticulture
Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...

 and flax
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...

 growing also developed.

Because of the rapid industrial growth in Germany and the daily tides, two citizens of Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht started a ship breaking
Ship breaking
Ship breaking or ship demolition is a type of ship disposal involving the breaking up of ships for scrap recycling. Most ships have a lifespan of a few decades before there is so much wear that refitting and repair becomes uneconomical. Ship breaking allows materials from the ship, especially...

yard which grew into an industry resulting in the town becoming worldwide known as the "ship breaking village".

The establishment of industries in the region changed the centuries-old seasonal labour to permanent work opportunities with higher wages. Only a few monumental farms and buildings, including the 14th century Reformed Church, remain as a reminder of its historic past.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK