Alblasserdam
Alblasserdam () is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It covers an area of , of which is water, and has a population of as of . Alblasserdam is officially a part of the Drechtsteden region. A portion of the small village of Kinderdijk, which boasts the largest and most famous concentration of windmills in the Netherlands, is part of Alblasserdam. Etymology. The name "Alblasserdam" is derived from its location near the creek Alblas where a dam was built. Inhabitants of Alblasserdam are called "Alblasserdammers" (singular: "Alblasserdammer"). History. 13th-19th century. The town of Alblasserdam  was first mentioned in the chronicles of Melis Stoke in 1299, but the municipality wasn't formed until 1447. Before that, it was part of Oud-Alblas. Because of its location on the Noord river, one of the busiest waterways in Western Europe, water has played a major role in Alblasserdam's history. The river was important for its development and makes it an advantageous location for industry. Alblasserdam's strategic location also brought it negative consequences. For example, between 1350 and 1821, the Alblasserwaard polder flooded 32 times. 20th century. During World War I, mayor Simon Berman and the  local government of Alblasserdam kept busy with 60 Belgian refugees within the municipal boundaries. An ad hoc municipal fund for the unemployed was established. Alblasserdam suffered during the German raid on Rotterdam on May 11, 1940, when its town centre was severely damaged. The historic Kerkstraat (Church Street) and the characteristic dike construction along the river, however, were spared. The invaders placed the Netherlands under German occupation. The North Sea flood of 1953 also affected a portion of Alblasserdam. The Delta Works program included reinforcements to the dikes and improvement of the locks. Therefore, water no longer poses a direct  danger to Alblasserdam. In 1987, the custom yacht builder Oceanco started building yachts in the 80 metre+ range. In 1999 the town celebrated its 700th anniversary. 21st century. Bert Blase served as mayor from 1999 to 2014, when he was appointed as mayor of Vlaardingen. Subsequently, the mayor of Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht, Jan Heijkoop, also acted as mayor Alblasserdam. On July 1, 2015 Jaap Paans became mayor of Alblasserdam.