Oostzaan (Dutch pronunciation: [oːstˈsaːn] ) is a municipality and a town in the Zaanstreek, Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. The municipality had a population of 9,689 in 2021. Oostzaan has a total area of 16.08 km2 (6.21 sq mi) of which 4.55 km2 (1.76 sq mi) is water.
Oostzaan | |
|---|---|
 Street in Oostzaan | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
.svg) Location in North Holland | |
| Coordinates: 52°26′N 4°53′E / 52.433°N 4.883°E | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Province | North Holland |
| Government | |
| • Body | Municipal council |
| • Mayor | Marvin Polak (VVD) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 16.08 km2 (6.21 sq mi) |
| • Land | 11.53 km2 (4.45 sq mi) |
| • Water | 4.55 km2 (1.76 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
| Population (January 2021)[4] | |
| • Total | 9,689 |
| • Density | 840/km2 (2,200/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postcode | 1510–1511 |
| Area code | 075 |
| Website | www |
Oostzaan—together with Westzaan and Assendelft—are considered the "mother towns" of the Zaanstreek (the region around the River Zaan), of which they are the three oldest towns. Oostzaan also played a role in the VOC and WIC shipping and shipbuilding.
17th century Oostzaan was the home of the pirate Claes Compaen. Originally a privateer for the Dutch Republic, he soon began to act as a pirate, capturing several hundred ships.[5] A street in Oostzaan is named after him.
The town has a Reformed church with a cruciform groundplan, the Great Church (1760), which contains two ship models that recall the days when Oostzaan was an important sea-faring community. In the Oostzijderveld area of Oostzaan stands a windmill, De Windjager (The Wind Hunter).
Hamlets
Oostzaan consists of several hamlets,
- Achterdichting (Get Behind The Seal),
- De Heul,
- Kerkbuurt (church neighborhood),
- Noordeinde (North end),
- Zuideinde (South end).
Kerkbuurt and the northern part of Zuideinde are the center of Oostzaan.
Local government
The municipal council of Oostzaan consists of 13 seats, which at the 2022 municipal elections divided as follows:[6]
- VVD - 5 seats
- GroenLinks - 3 seats
- CDA - 2 seats
- PvdA - 2 seats
- D66 - 1 seat
Economy
The poultry company Meyn Food Processing Technology is headquartered in Oostzaan.
Notable people
- Jacob Cornelisz van Oostsanen (before 1470 – 1533) a Northern Netherlandish designer of woodcuts and a painter
- Claes Gerritszoon Compaen (1587 in Oostzaan – 1660 in Oostzaan) a Dutch corsair, merchant, a privateer for the Dutch Republic and pirate
- Albert Heijn (1865 in Oostzaan – 1945) a Dutch entrepreneur who founded Albert Heijn, a Dutch supermarket chain
- Grietje de Jongh (1924 in Oostzaan – 2002) a Dutch sprinter, competed at the 1948 and 1952 Summer Olympics
- Robert Tijdeman (born 1943 in Oostzaan) a Dutch mathematician, specializing in number theory, wrote Tijdeman's theorem
- Trijnie Rep (born 1950 in Oostzaan) a Dutch former speed skater, who competed at the 1972 Winter Olympics
- Charles Zwolsman Sr. (1955 in Oostzaan – 2011) a Dutch drug dealer and professional racecar driver
Gallery
Kerkbuurt 27, Oostzaan
Mill Twiske at Oostzaan
Zaanse schans straote
Church in the center of Oostzaan
References
External links
Media related to Oostzaan at Wikimedia Commons- Official website
