Spaarndam
Encyclopedia
North Holland
North Holland |West Frisian]]: Noard-Holland) is a province situated on the North Sea in the northwest part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is Haarlem and its largest city is Amsterdam.-Geography:...
, 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...
, on the Spaarne
Spaarne
The Spaarne is a river, in North Holland, Netherlands. This partially canalized river connects the Ringvaart to a side branch of the North Sea Canal. It runs through Haarlem, Heemstede, and Spaarndam....
and IJ
IJ (bay)
The IJ is a river, formerly a bay, in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is known for being Amsterdam's waterfront. The name derives from the generic Germanic term for "water" and is similar to other Aa/Ee names for bodies of water. In Dutch, the name consists of the digraph ij, which is...
rivers. The oldest part of the village, on the western side of the Spaarne, belongs to the municipality of Haarlem
Haarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
; the newer part on the eastern side is a part of the municipality of Haarlemmerliede en Spaarnwoude
Haarlemmerliede en Spaarnwoude
Haarlemmerliede en Spaarnwoude is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.-Population centres :The municipality of Haarlemmerliede en Spaarnwoude consists of the following cities, towns, villages and/or districts: Haarlemmerliede, Halfweg, Penningsveer, Spaarndam ,...
. The village is built around a dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
in the river, which is also the division line of the two municipalities.
Spaarndam was created around a dam where the river Spaarne flows into the IJ. This dam was built here by count Floris V of Holland
Floris V, Count of Holland
Count Floris V of Holland and Zeeland , "der Keerlen God" , is one of the most important figures of the first, native dynasty of Holland . His life was documented in detail in the Rijmkroniek by Melis Stoke, his chronicler...
in 1285. The village collected toll
Toll road
A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...
at this dam, and people made their living from fishing. From 1812 to 1927, the western part of Spaarndam was an independent municipality.
The village has some tourism, and many people commute to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
and Haarlem.
Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates
Hans Brinker, or The Silver Skates is a novel by American author Mary Mapes Dodge, first published in 1865...
. The fictional story within the book is about an unnamed Dutch boy, "The Hero of Haarlem," who stuck his finger in a dike to prevent the town from flooding. The story became a popular legend in America, and in 1950 the local tourist bureau put a statue of this fictional character in Spaarndam.