Leidschendam
Encyclopedia
Leidschendam is a town and former municipality in the province of South Holland
of the Netherlands
. Along with Voorburg
and Stompwijk
, it is part of the municipality Leidschendam-Voorburg
.
, near the historic city of Leiden. The settlement on the Northern side of the lock was known as 'Veur', until the formation of the municipality of Leidschendam in 1938. This recent date belies the long history of human habitation in this area, which predates the Roman occupation two thousand years ago.
Important driver for the development of the area was the Vliet
river, ferrying people and goods through Holland in the Middle Ages, and even in Roman times. As elsewhere in Holland, windmills were constructed to power local industry, such as a wheat grinding mill in 1594 and wood processing mills in 1643 and 1739 ('de Salamander' and 'de Hoop'). Veur became an independent municipality in the time of the short-lived Batavian Republic
.
The Southern side of the Vliet was settled at a later date due to presence of extensive swamps. These were drained around 1200 by the Dutch counts, enabling the settlements of Stompwijk and Wilsveen to be established. Subsequently the peat
industry flourished, and about twenty windmills were constructed for water management. In 1811, Stompwijk and Veur were combined to form Leidschendam, but this was reversed only six years later, although one mayor continued to serve both villages.
Starting in the closing years of the 19th century, the area started to change rapidly due to combined forces of the agricultural crisis, improved transportation in the area, and regional effects of the first and second World Wars.A growing number of government and industrial activities (the Dutch political capital of The Hague is nearby) and the associated housing demand transformed Veur from a rural into a suburban community. This led to a municipal reorganization and the formation of Leidschendam, in 1938.
Both Leidschendam and Voorburg
are now attached to the city of The Hague
and are often regarded as its suburbs. Stompwijk
is still a rural village, located a few miles Northeast of Leidschendam. All three were combined into the municipality of Leidschendam-Voorburg
in 2002 (population: 73,832 in 2004, area: 35.6 km²). Hans van der Sluijs has been mayor of Leidschendam-Voorburg since 2007.
A large, semi-covered, shopping area, Leidsenhage, exists near the border with Voorburg. Leidsenhage contains a large number of retailers, including large chains such as Albert Heijn
, Vroom & Dreesmann
, and C&A
, as well as medium and smaller-sized shops and restaurants. Drawing large numbers of people, the area is a focal point of road and rail traffic in the area. Leidschendam also hosts the headquarters of Fugro
, a multinational company providing geotechnical and surveying services.
Leidschendam hosted the main office of the country's secret service, the AIVD
, which is an integral part of the Dutch Ministry of the Interior, before the office moved to Zoetermeer
in 2007.
The building now hosts the UN Special Tribunal for Lebanon
to try those suspected of assassinating former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri
. Voorburg hosted CBS "Centraal Bureau voor de Statistieken" Statistics Netherlands
, the Dutch census office until mid 2008 when it moved to a new office in The Hague – Leidschenveen.
For Leidschendam-Voorburg combined, having a total population of 73,148 (Leischendam alone: 31,289), 21% is below the age of 20, while 15% is above age 70. There are 34,894 men (47.7%) and 38,254 women (52.3%). There are 31,892 (43.6%) unmarried people, 30,764 (42.1%) married, 5,075 widowed (6.9%), and 5,416 (7.4%) divorced. There are 21,044 (28.8%) people in households with a partner having no children, 18,957 (25.9%) children living at home, 17,092 (23.4%) people in households with a partner having one or more children, 12,156 (16.6%) living without partner and without children, 2,174 (3.0%) living without partner and with one or more children, 814 (1.1%) in institutional settings, and 1,848 (2.5%) which do not fall in any of these categories.
There are 14,540 living units in Leidschendam, of 34,290 total in Leidschendam-Voorburg. Of these, 18,120 are owned units, 10,260 are subsidized rental units and 5,250 are private rental units. There are 9,230 units built prior to 1940, 9,470 between 1940–1970, and 14,930 since 1970. The make-up of the units is close to 1/3 of either less than three rooms, four rooms, or five or more rooms.
and Leiden University
, and a number of applied science and art universities in The Hague (granting bachelor degrees only), all easily accessible.
Leidschendam is served by highways A4 and A12, which connect to all other areas of the country and international destinations. A number of nearby train stations connect directly to The Hague, Rotterdam and Leiden, with easy access to the rest of the country. Two tram lines
connect to local destinations: No. 2 to Kraayenstein in The Hague, and No. 6 to De Uithof in The Hague. There is local and regional bus service. Overall, connectivity is best to downtown The Hague, especially since the beginning of the 21st century when the Noordelijke Randweg was completed, a regional road linking the A4 motorway to parts of The Hague, passing through Leidschendam.
Long-distance travel is convenient from Schiphol airport, within one hour's travel either by car or train.
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...
of the 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...
. Along with Voorburg
Voorburg
Voorburg is a Dutch town and former municipality in the western part of the province of South Holland, the Netherlands. As also Leidschendam and Stompwijk, it is part of the municipality Leidschendam-Voorburg. It has approximately 39,000 inhabitants....
and Stompwijk
Stompwijk
Stompwijk is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is located between the cities Leiden and Zoetermeer and is part of the municipality of Leidschendam-Voorburg....
, it is part of the municipality Leidschendam-Voorburg
Leidschendam-Voorburg
Leidschendam-Voorburg is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 73,832 in 2004, and covers an area of 35.68 km² of which 2.86 km² is water.-Origin:...
.
History
The town's name has been in use for centuries and refers to the lock in the VlietVliet
Vliet is a Dutch name meaning "flows". As a surname it is often extended into the Dutch Van, van, de or der Vliet.-Places in the Netherlands:*Vliet , a canal in the province of South Holland*Vliet , a hamlet in the province of Utrecht...
, near the historic city of Leiden. The settlement on the Northern side of the lock was known as 'Veur', until the formation of the municipality of Leidschendam in 1938. This recent date belies the long history of human habitation in this area, which predates the Roman occupation two thousand years ago.
Important driver for the development of the area was the Vliet
Vliet
Vliet is a Dutch name meaning "flows". As a surname it is often extended into the Dutch Van, van, de or der Vliet.-Places in the Netherlands:*Vliet , a canal in the province of South Holland*Vliet , a hamlet in the province of Utrecht...
river, ferrying people and goods through Holland in the Middle Ages, and even in Roman times. As elsewhere in Holland, windmills were constructed to power local industry, such as a wheat grinding mill in 1594 and wood processing mills in 1643 and 1739 ('de Salamander' and 'de Hoop'). Veur became an independent municipality in the time of the short-lived Batavian Republic
Batavian Republic
The Batavian Republic was the successor of the Republic of the United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on January 19, 1795, and ended on June 5, 1806, with the accession of Louis Bonaparte to the throne of the Kingdom of Holland....
.
The Southern side of the Vliet was settled at a later date due to presence of extensive swamps. These were drained around 1200 by the Dutch counts, enabling the settlements of Stompwijk and Wilsveen to be established. Subsequently the peat
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
industry flourished, and about twenty windmills were constructed for water management. In 1811, Stompwijk and Veur were combined to form Leidschendam, but this was reversed only six years later, although one mayor continued to serve both villages.
Starting in the closing years of the 19th century, the area started to change rapidly due to combined forces of the agricultural crisis, improved transportation in the area, and regional effects of the first and second World Wars.A growing number of government and industrial activities (the Dutch political capital of The Hague is nearby) and the associated housing demand transformed Veur from a rural into a suburban community. This led to a municipal reorganization and the formation of Leidschendam, in 1938.
Both Leidschendam and Voorburg
Voorburg
Voorburg is a Dutch town and former municipality in the western part of the province of South Holland, the Netherlands. As also Leidschendam and Stompwijk, it is part of the municipality Leidschendam-Voorburg. It has approximately 39,000 inhabitants....
are now attached to the city of The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
and are often regarded as its suburbs. Stompwijk
Stompwijk
Stompwijk is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is located between the cities Leiden and Zoetermeer and is part of the municipality of Leidschendam-Voorburg....
is still a rural village, located a few miles Northeast of Leidschendam. All three were combined into the municipality of Leidschendam-Voorburg
Leidschendam-Voorburg
Leidschendam-Voorburg is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality had a population of 73,832 in 2004, and covers an area of 35.68 km² of which 2.86 km² is water.-Origin:...
in 2002 (population: 73,832 in 2004, area: 35.6 km²). Hans van der Sluijs has been mayor of Leidschendam-Voorburg since 2007.
Economy
In terms of percentage of population, the main economic activities are real estate and commercial services, retail and hotel/restaurants, medical care, transportation and communication, and government. In 2002, the unemployment rate was 13.1%.A large, semi-covered, shopping area, Leidsenhage, exists near the border with Voorburg. Leidsenhage contains a large number of retailers, including large chains such as Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn
Albert Heijn B.V. is a supermarket chain founded in 1887 in Oostzaan, Netherlands. It is named after Albert Heijn, Sr., the founder of the first store in Oostzaan....
, Vroom & Dreesmann
Vroom & Dreesmann
Vroom & Dreesmann is a Dutch chain of department stores founded in 1887 by Willem Vroom and Anton Dreesmann. The first V&D store opened in Weesperstraat in Amsterdam...
, and C&A
C&A
C&A is an international chain of fashion retail clothing stores, with its European head offices in Vilvoorde , Belgium and Düsseldorf, Germany...
, as well as medium and smaller-sized shops and restaurants. Drawing large numbers of people, the area is a focal point of road and rail traffic in the area. Leidschendam also hosts the headquarters of Fugro
Fugro
Fugro N.V. is a Dutch multinational company headquartered in Leidschendam. The current president is K.S. Wester.Fugro provides geotechnical, survey and geoscience services to oil, gas, mining and construction industries...
, a multinational company providing geotechnical and surveying services.
Leidschendam hosted the main office of the country's secret service, the AIVD
General Intelligence and Security Service
Algemene Inlichtingen- en Veiligheidsdienst , formerly known as the BVD is the General Intelligence and Security Service or The Secret service of the Netherlands. The office is in Zoetermeer...
, which is an integral part of the Dutch Ministry of the Interior, before the office moved to Zoetermeer
Zoetermeer
Zoetermeer is a city in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers an area of 37.06 km² . A small village until the late 1960s, it had 6,392 inhabitants in 1950...
in 2007.
Special Tribunal for Lebanon
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon is an international tribunal for the prosecution under Lebanese law of those responsible for the assassination of Rafic Hariri on February 14, 2005. The tribunal also has jurisdiction over a series of other attacks in Lebanon if they are proven to be connected...
to try those suspected of assassinating former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri
Rafik Hariri
Rafic Baha El Deen Al-Hariri , was a business tycoon and the Prime Minister of Lebanon from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2000 until his resignation, 20 October 2004.He headed five cabinets during his tenure...
. Voorburg hosted CBS "Centraal Bureau voor de Statistieken" Statistics Netherlands
Statistics Netherlands
Statistics Netherlands, founded in 1899, is a Dutch governmental institution that gathers statistical information about the Netherlands. In Dutch it is known as the Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek, often abbreviated to CBS. It is a department of the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs and is...
, the Dutch census office until mid 2008 when it moved to a new office in The Hague – Leidschenveen.
Demographics
As of 31 December 2001, about 40% of the population has a college degree or better, ranking ninth out of the fifty largest cities in The Netherlands. About 25% has a low education level (presumably high school at most), also ranking ninth.For Leidschendam-Voorburg combined, having a total population of 73,148 (Leischendam alone: 31,289), 21% is below the age of 20, while 15% is above age 70. There are 34,894 men (47.7%) and 38,254 women (52.3%). There are 31,892 (43.6%) unmarried people, 30,764 (42.1%) married, 5,075 widowed (6.9%), and 5,416 (7.4%) divorced. There are 21,044 (28.8%) people in households with a partner having no children, 18,957 (25.9%) children living at home, 17,092 (23.4%) people in households with a partner having one or more children, 12,156 (16.6%) living without partner and without children, 2,174 (3.0%) living without partner and with one or more children, 814 (1.1%) in institutional settings, and 1,848 (2.5%) which do not fall in any of these categories.
There are 14,540 living units in Leidschendam, of 34,290 total in Leidschendam-Voorburg. Of these, 18,120 are owned units, 10,260 are subsidized rental units and 5,250 are private rental units. There are 9,230 units built prior to 1940, 9,470 between 1940–1970, and 14,930 since 1970. The make-up of the units is close to 1/3 of either less than three rooms, four rooms, or five or more rooms.
Medical care
Leidschendam-Voorburg counts 34 general practitioners, 26 dentists, 10 pharmacies, and 2 hospitals.Education
As of 1 October 2003, Leidschendam-Voorburg has 23 primary schools enrolling 6,110 students; 5,112 students were enrolled in high school. There is one special needs school with 152 students. There are 50 locations for child care. There are no institutions for higher education within Leidschendam or Voorburg. However, at about 10 miles distance there are both the Delft University of TechnologyDelft University of Technology
Delft University of Technology , also known as TU Delft, is the largest and oldest Dutch public technical university, located in Delft, Netherlands...
and Leiden University
Leiden University
Leiden University , located in the city of Leiden, is the oldest university in the Netherlands. The university was founded in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, leader of the Dutch Revolt in the Eighty Years' War. The royal Dutch House of Orange-Nassau and Leiden University still have a close...
, and a number of applied science and art universities in The Hague (granting bachelor degrees only), all easily accessible.
Transportation
In 2003, Leidschendam-Voorburg was ranked first among the fifty largest municipalities in The Netherlands in terms of efficiency of transportation (public and private), taking into account geographical location, infrastructural resources, and population density.Leidschendam is served by highways A4 and A12, which connect to all other areas of the country and international destinations. A number of nearby train stations connect directly to The Hague, Rotterdam and Leiden, with easy access to the rest of the country. Two tram lines
Trams in The Hague
The The Hague tramway network forms part of the public transport system in The Hague, the seat of government of the Netherlands.Opened in 1864, the network currently has 12 tram lines and two light rail lines. It has been operated since 2002 by HTM Personenvervoer.-External links:...
connect to local destinations: No. 2 to Kraayenstein in The Hague, and No. 6 to De Uithof in The Hague. There is local and regional bus service. Overall, connectivity is best to downtown The Hague, especially since the beginning of the 21st century when the Noordelijke Randweg was completed, a regional road linking the A4 motorway to parts of The Hague, passing through Leidschendam.
Long-distance travel is convenient from Schiphol airport, within one hour's travel either by car or train.