Bennebroek
Encyclopedia
Bennebroek is a town and former municipality in the Netherlands
, in the province of North Holland
, now part of Bloemendaal
municipality. Before its merger, it was the smallest municipality in the Netherlands, covering an area of only 1.75 km².
On May 28, 1653, Bennebroek split off from the Heemstede
fiefdom and Adriaen Pauw (1622-1697), son of Adriaan Pauw
, became its first feudal lord. Its population was dependent on animal husbandry and transportation. Later on bulb flower cultivation became an important business here. Yet since the second half of the 20th century, Bennebroek functions primarily as a commuter community for the surrounding cities.
On March 29, 2007, the municipal councils of Bennebroek and Bloemendaal
agreed to merge into one municipality, which became reality on January 1, 2009.
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...
, in the province of North Holland
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:...
, now part of Bloemendaal
Bloemendaal
Bloemendaal is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. According to the Dutch Central Statistical Bureau, Bloemendaal is the wealthiest place in the Netherlands.-Population centres :...
municipality. Before its merger, it was the smallest municipality in the Netherlands, covering an area of only 1.75 km².
History
Bennebroek was probably formed in the 13th century and its development was closely linked to the peat harvesting industry.On May 28, 1653, Bennebroek split off from the Heemstede
Heemstede
Heemstede is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.-History :Heemstede formed around the Castle Heemstede that was built on the Spaarne River around 1286. Before 1296, Floris V, Count of Holland, granted Heemstede as a fiefdom to Reinier of Holy...
fiefdom and Adriaen Pauw (1622-1697), son of Adriaan Pauw
Adriaan Pauw
Adriaan Pauw, knight, heer van Heemstede, Bennebroek, Nieuwerkerk etc. was Grand Pensionary of Holland from 1631 to 1636 and from 1651 to 1653.-Life:...
, became its first feudal lord. Its population was dependent on animal husbandry and transportation. Later on bulb flower cultivation became an important business here. Yet since the second half of the 20th century, Bennebroek functions primarily as a commuter community for the surrounding cities.
On March 29, 2007, the municipal councils of Bennebroek and Bloemendaal
Bloemendaal
Bloemendaal is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. According to the Dutch Central Statistical Bureau, Bloemendaal is the wealthiest place in the Netherlands.-Population centres :...
agreed to merge into one municipality, which became reality on January 1, 2009.
Local government
The last municipal council of Bennebroek before its merger consisted of 11 seats, which were divided as follows:- VVDPeople's Party for Freedom and DemocracyThe People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party located in the Netherlands. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is often perceived as an economic liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal Democrats 66 alongside which it sits in...
- 4 seats - CDAChristian Democratic AppealThe Christian Democratic Appeal is a centre-right Dutch Christian democratic political party. It suffered severe losses in the 2010 elections and fell from the first to the fourth place...
- 4 seats - PvdALabour Party (Netherlands)The Labour Party , is a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands. Since the 2003 Dutch General Election, the PvdA has been the second largest political party in the Netherlands. The PvdA was a coalition member in the fourth Balkenende cabinet following 22 February 2007...
- 3 seats
Attractions
- Linnaeushof - a recreation park known as Europe's largest children's playground, formerly a botanical garden where Carl Linnaeus acted as hortulanus (lead gardener) in the 18th century and where he wrote the Hortus CliffortianusHortus CliffortianusThe Hortus Cliffortianus is a work of early botanical literature published in 1738.The work was a collaboration between Carl Linnaeus and Georg Dionysius Ehret, financed by George Clifford in 1735-1736. Clifford, a wealthy Amsterdam banker was a keen botanist with a large herbarium and governor of...
- HartekampHartekampHartekamp, or Hartecamp, is the name of a villa in Heemstede, the Netherlands, on the Bennebroek border. It was once the summer home of George Clifford, who employed Linnaeus in 1737 to write his Hortus Cliffortianus, a detailed description of the gardens of Hartecamp.-History:The house was built...
- an estate (partially in Heemstede) with an extensive public park. - Former railway station Vogelenzang-Bennebroek - railway station from 1842.