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Alkmaar

City and municipality in North Holland, Netherlands

For other uses, see Alkmaar (disambiguation).

City and municipality in North Holland, Netherlands

Alkmaar (Dutch pronunciation:[ˈɑl(ə)kmaːr]^ⓘ) is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland. Alkmaar is well known for its traditional cheese market. For tourists, it is a popular cultural destination. The municipality has a population of , as of ^[4]

History[edit]

The earliest mention of the name Alkmaar is in a 10th-century document. As the village grew into a town, it was granted city rights in The oldest part of Alkmaar lies on an ancient sand bank a couple of meters (yards) above the surrounding region; it afforded some protection from inundation during medieval times. Its vicinage consists of some of the oldestpolders in existence. Older spellings include Alckmar.^[5]

On June 24, , after the Geuzen captured the town, five Franciscans from Alkmaar were taken to Enkhuizen and hanged, becoming the martyrs of Alkmaar.

Siege of Alkmaar[edit]

In the city underwent a siege by Spanish forces under the leadership of Don Fadrique, son of the Duke of Alva. The citizens sent urgent messages for help to the Prince of Orange; he responded by promising to open the floodgates of the dykes and flood the region if the need arose, which despite the protestations of the peasantry, fearful for their harvest, he proceeded to do.

Some of his dispatches fell into the hands of Don Fadrique, and, with the waters beginning to rise, the Spaniards raised the siege and fled. It was a turning point in the Eighty Years War and gave rise to the expression Bij Alkmaar begint de victorie ("Victory begins at Alkmaar"). The event is still celebrated every year in Alkmaar on 8 October, the day the siege ended.

Since the French Revolutionary Wars[edit]

In , during the French Revolutionary Wars, an Anglo-Russian expeditionary force captured the city but was ultimately defeated in the Battle of Castricum. After that battle, on 18 October , the two opposing sides held the Convention of Alkmaar which met to determine the fate of the defeated Anglo-Russian force. The French victory was commemorated on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris as "Alkmaer".

The North Holland Canal, opened in , was dug through Alkmaar. In and the railways between Alkmaar and Den Helder and between Alkmaar and Haarlem were built respectively.

In the second half of the 20th century, Alkmaar expanded quickly with development of new neighbourhoods. On 1 October , the town of Oudorp and the southern portions of Koedijk and Sint Pancras were added to the municipality of Alkmaar.^[6]

Administrative divisions[edit]

Year	Pop.	±% p.a.
	3,	—&#;&#;&#;&#;
	4,	+%
	12,	+%
	13,	+%
	13,	+%
	12,	−%
	7,	−%
Source: Lourens & Lucassen , pp.&#;54–55

The municipality of Alkmaar historically consists of the following cities, towns, villages and districts: Alkmaar, Bergermeer, Daalmeer, De Hoef, De Horn, De Nollen, Het Rak, Huiswaard, Koedijk (southeastern part), Overdie, Oudorp and Omval. On 1 January the municipalities of Graft-De Rijp and Schermer were merged into Alkmaar. The historical village of De Rijp is thus since a part of Alkmaar.

These once separate villages are now all linked together by the suburban sprawl of buildings that arose between the late s and early s. During this time, the population of Alkmaar almost doubled.

Local government[edit]

The municipal council of Alkmaar consists of 39 seats, which are divided as follows after the elections:^[7]

Transport[edit]

The A9 motorway runs from Amsterdam to Alkmaar, then continues on to Den Helder as the N9.

There are direct trains to Den Helder, Hoorn, Zaandam, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Ede, Arnhem, Nijmegen, 's-Hertogenbosch, Eindhoven, Maastricht and Haarlem. For exact details see Alkmaar railway station.

Alkmaar has two railway stations:

The waterway Noordhollandsch Kanaal, which opened in , runs through Alkmaar. As of ^[update]. it can be crossed (among other ways) using two of the five operating vlotbruggen, Koedijkervlotbrug and Rekervlotbrug.

Main sights[edit]

Alkmaar has many medieval buildings that are still intact, most notably the tall tower of the Grote or Sint-Laurenskerk, where many people from Alkmaar hold wedding ceremonies. The other main attraction, especially in the summer months, is Alkmaar's cheese market at the Waagplein, one of the country's most popular tourist attractions. The cheese market traditionally takes place from the first Friday in April through the first Friday in September. Every Friday morning (–) the Waagplein is the backdrop for this traditional cheese market. After the old-fashioned way of the hand clap, traders and carriers will weigh the cheeses. It is one of only four traditional Dutch cheese markets still in existence. The traditional fare of this cheese market is those cheeses made in the local area, as opposed to the well-known brands of Dutch cheeses, including the Edam and Gouda cheeses. It is not actually possible to buy cheese at the market itself, which is really only a demonstration of how this merchants' market operated in times gone by. However, the demonstration, which takes place in front of the medieval weighing house, is surrounded by many specialized stalls where it is possible to buy all kinds of cheese (and non-cheese) related products. The Waag is also home to the local tourist office and a cheese museum. Alkmaar has registered rijksmonuments, of which most are situated along the city's old canals.^[8]

Alkmaar has two large theatres and a big cinema (which was originally two cinemas). A red light district is situated at the Achterdam, and Alkmaar has a nightlife scene as well which takes place in the pubs in front of the cheesemarket. Every year, at the end of May Alkmaar hosts the four-day event Alkmaar Pride, which has a canal pride parade on Saturday.^[9]

Museums[edit]

Sports[edit]

Alkmaar is home to the professional football team AZ (Alkmaar Zaanstreek). In , the club moved to a new 17, capacity stadium, the DSB Stadion, now named the AFAS Stadion. In –, AZ won the Eredivisie, the Dutch football league. It was the second league title for the club after the Eredivisie in /81 with only one league defeat. Notable coaches include former FC Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman, and Netherlands national football team coach Louis van Gaal.

The city also has a velodrome where the Dutch national track cycling championships are held every year. The city hosted the European Road Championships.

[edit]

Public thinking & public service[edit]

Isaac Dorislaus (–) a Dutch Calvinist historian and lawyer ^[10]
Jan Janse de Weltevree ( in De Rijp –&#;??) a Dutch sailor, the first Dutchman to visit Korea
Cornelis van der Lijn (–) Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies and elected Mayor of Alkmaar in
Bernard Nieuwentyt ( in West-Graftdijk – ) a Dutch philosopher, mathematician, physician and magistrate
Anna Smitshuizen (–) the victim of a cause célèbre murder
Kees Boeke (–) a Dutch reformist educator, Quaker missionary and pacifist
Nicolette Bruining (–) a Dutch theologian, teacher and humanitarian in WWII
Geertruida Wijsmuller-Meijer (–) a resistance fighter, saved Jewish children
Coenraad van der Molen (born ) successful business man and philanthropist.
Cornelis Berkhouwer (–) politician, President of the European Parliament
Rudi Vis (–) British Labour politician, MP to
Jaap Pop (born ) a former Dutch politician, Mayor of Alkmaar
Sybilla Dekker (born ) a retired Dutch politician and businesswoman
Ronald Bandell (–) a Dutch civil servant, politician and Mayor of Alkmaar –
Jos Punt (born ) bishop in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam
Patrick Cammaert (born ) a retired Dutch general and commander of UN peacekeeping missions

The arts[edit]

Maria Tesselschade Roemers Visscher (–), poet and engraver
Pieter van Schaeyenborgh (–), painter known for pictures of fish; worked in Alkmaar from
brothers Caesar van Everdingen (/) & Allaert van Everdingen (–) ^[11]Dutch Golden Age painters
Emanuel de Witte (–) a Dutch perspective painter of genre paintings
Willem de Fesch (–) a virtuoso Dutch violone player and composer
Geertruida Bosboom-Toussaint (–) a Dutch novelist ^[12]
Cécile de Jong van Beek en Donk (–) a Dutch feminist writer
Dirk Smorenberg (–) a Dutch Art Deco painter
Jan Wils (–) a Dutch architect and founding member of the De Stijl movement
Jan Gerrit van Gelder (–) a Dutch art historian
Ans Wortel (–) a Dutch painter, poet and writer
Rudi Carrell (–) entertainer, hosted his own TV show ^[13]
Dan van der Vat (–) a journalist, writer and military historian
Angela Groothuizen (born ) a Dutch singer, artist and TV personality ^[14]
Karin Bloemen (born ) is a Dutch actress and singer ^[15]
Lorena Kloosterboer (born ) a Dutch-Argentine artist who paints using trompe-l'œil
Joost Zwagerman (–) a Dutch writer, poet and essayist ^[16]
Marco Borsato (born ) a Dutch singer ^[17]
Edwin Brienen (born ) a Dutch film director, actor, producer and journalist ^[18]
Hellen van Meene (born ) a Dutch photographer known for her portraits
Tom Six (born ) a Dutch horror filmmaker, writer and actor ^[19]
Roderick Teerink (born ) a Dutch-Argentine actor and music producer ^[20]
Melissa Venema (born ) a Dutch trumpet player