Reeuwijk is a former municipality in the western 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...

, in the province of South Holland

South Holland

South Holland is a province situated on the North Sea in the western part of the Netherlands. The provincial capital is The Hague and its largest city is Rotterdam.South Holland is one of the most densely populated and industrialised areas in the world...

. The former municipality covers an area of 50.11 km² (of which 11.89 km² is water). Since January 1, 2011 Reeuwijk merged with Bodegraven

Bodegraven

Bodegraven is a town and former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The former municipality covers an area of 38.50 km² of which 1.02 km² is water....

 to Bodegraven-Reeuwijk

Bodegraven-Reeuwijk

Bodegraven-Reeuwijk is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It was established by a merger of Bodegraven and Reeuwijk on January 1, 2011. The municipality covers 88.61 km² . It had a population of 32,772 in April 2011.- External links:...

.

The former municipality of Reeuwijk includes the communities of Diemerbroek

Diemerbroek

Diemerbroek is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the former municipality of Reeuwijk, and lies about north of the town of Oudewater....

, Driebruggen

Driebruggen

Driebruggen is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the former municipality of Reeuwijk, and lies about 6 km east of Gouda.In 2001, the village of Driebruggen had 1313 inhabitants...

, Hogebrug

Hogebrug

Hogebrug is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the former municipality of Reeuwijk, and lies about 6 km east of Gouda....

, Langeweide

Langeweide

Langeweide is a hamlet in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the former municipality of Reeuwijk, and lies about 6 km east of Gouda....

, Middelburg, Oud-Reeuwijk

Oud-Reeuwijk

Oud-Reeuwijk is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the former municipality of Reeuwijk, and lies about 4 km north of Gouda....

, Oukoop

Oukoop (South Holland)

Oukoop is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the former municipality of Reeuwijk, and lies about 4 km east of Gouda....

, Platteweg

Platteweg

Platteweg is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the former municipality of Reeuwijk, and lies about 2.3 km east of Gouda....

, Randenburg

Randenburg

Randenburg is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the former municipality of Reeuwijk, and lies about 6 km northwest of Gouda....

, Reeuwijk-Brug, Reeuwijk-Dorp

Reeuwijk-Dorp

Reeuwijk-Dorp is a town in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the former municipality of Reeuwijk, and lies about 5 km north of Gouda.In 2001, the town of Reeuwijk-Dorp had 497 inhabitants...

, Sluipwijk

Sluipwijk

Sluipwijk is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the former municipality of Reeuwijk, and lies about 3 km northeast of Gouda...

, Tempel, Waarder

Waarder

Waarder is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is a part of the former municipality of Reeuwijk, and lies about 5 km southwest of Woerden.In 2001, the village of Waarder had 1143 inhabitants...

 and Westeinde.

History

Reeuwijk was established as a good location for peat

Peat

Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...

 harvesting. The earliest known reference to the town is from 1248.

The area prospered in the 18th century when layers of peat were dug up, dried, and used as fuel for industries in Gouda

Gouda

Gouda is a city and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Gouda, which was granted city rights in 1272, is famous for its Gouda cheese, smoking pipes, and 15th-century city hall....

. Eventually these peat quarries struck a fresh-water spring, forming the Reeuwijk Ponds (Reeuwijkse Plassen). Reeuwijk added neighboring municipalities: in 1855, Middelburg was added, in 1857, Oukoop, in 1870, Sluipwijk and Stein.

On January 1, 1989, when the municipality Driebruggen (formed in 1964) was dissolved, its communities Waarder and Driebruggen were added to Reeuwijk.

External links

• Official Website
• http://www.plattegronden.nl/gemeentereeuwijk/