Bennebroek is a town and former municipality in the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
, in the province of
North HollandNorth 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
BloemendaalBloemendaal is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.-Population centres :The municipality of Bloemendaal consists of the following cities, towns, villages and/or districts: Bennebroek, Bloemendaal, Aerdenhout, Bloemendaal aan Zee, Overveen, and...
municipality. Before its merger, it was the smallest municipality in the Netherlands, covering an area of only 1.75 km².
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
HeemstedeHeemstede 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 the year 1296, Floris V, Count of Holland, granted Heemstede as a fiefdom to Reinier of Holy...
fiefdom and Adriaen Pauw (1622-1697), son of
Adriaan PauwAdriaan Pauw, knight, heer van Heemstede, Bennebroek, Nieuwerkerk etc. was Grand Pensionary of Holland from 1631 to 1636 and from 1651 to 1653. He was born in Amsterdam in a rich merchant family - his father, Reinier Pauw wasn't only a merchant, but also a Mayor of Amsterdam - and studied law...
, became its first feudal lord.
Bennebroek is a town and former municipality in the
NetherlandsThe Netherlands is a country in Northwestern Europe, constituting the major portion of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east...
, in the province of
North HollandNorth 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
BloemendaalBloemendaal is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.-Population centres :The municipality of Bloemendaal consists of the following cities, towns, villages and/or districts: Bennebroek, Bloemendaal, Aerdenhout, Bloemendaal aan Zee, Overveen, and...
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
HeemstedeHeemstede 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 the year 1296, Floris V, Count of Holland, granted Heemstede as a fiefdom to Reinier of Holy...
fiefdom and Adriaen Pauw (1622-1697), son of
Adriaan PauwAdriaan Pauw, knight, heer van Heemstede, Bennebroek, Nieuwerkerk etc. was Grand Pensionary of Holland from 1631 to 1636 and from 1651 to 1653. He was born in Amsterdam in a rich merchant family - his father, Reinier Pauw wasn't only a merchant, but also a Mayor of Amsterdam - and studied law...
, 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
BloemendaalBloemendaal is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.-Population centres :The municipality of Bloemendaal consists of the following cities, towns, villages and/or districts: Bennebroek, Bloemendaal, Aerdenhout, Bloemendaal aan Zee, Overveen, and...
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:
- VVD
The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a Dutch liberal political party. The VVD is the most vocal supporter of private enterprise in the Netherlands although supportive of the welfare state and is often perceived as a more economically liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal D66...
- 4 seats
- CDA
The Christian Democratic Appeal is a center-right Dutch Christian democratic political party. The party is currently the biggest coalition partner in the fourth Balkenende cabinet.-History before 1977:...
- 4 seats
- PvdA
The Dutch Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands. Since the Dutch general election, 2003, the PvdA has been the second largest political party in the Netherlands...
- 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.
- Hartekamp
Hartekamp was the summer home of George Clifford in Heemstede on the Bennebroek border. Clifford hired Linnaeus in 1737 to write his 'Hortus Cliffortianus', a detailed description of the gardens of Hartecamp, Netherlands. The house was expanded with wings on either side after it left the Clifford...
- an estate (partially in Heemstede) with an extensive public park.
- Former railway station Vogelenzang-Bennebroek - railway station from 1842.