Winterswijk

Winterswijk
Municipality and town
Winterswijk seen from Venemansmolen windmill

Flag
Coat of arms
Highlighted position of Winterswijk in a municipal map of Gelderland
Location in Gelderland
Coordinates: 51°58′N 6°43′E / 51.967°N 6.717°E / 51.967; 6.717Coordinates: 51°58′N 6°43′E / 51.967°N 6.717°E / 51.967; 6.717
Country Netherlands
Province Gelderland
Government[1]
 • Body Municipal council
 • Mayor Joris Bengevoord (GroenLinks)
Area[2]
 • Total 138.81 km2 (53.59 sq mi)
 • Land 138.15 km2 (53.34 sq mi)
 • Water 0.66 km2 (0.25 sq mi)
Elevation[3] 37 m (121 ft)
Population (August 2017)[4]
 • Total 28,999
 • Density 210/km2 (500/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Winterswijker
Time zone UTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode 7100–7119
Area code 0543
Website www.winterswijk.nl

Winterswijk (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌʋɪntərsˈʋɛik] ( listen); also known as Winterswiek or Wenters) is a municipality and a town in the eastern Netherlands. It has a population of 28,999 and is situated in the Achterhoek, which lies in the easternmost part of the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands.

It was also known as Winethereswick, Winriswic or Wenterswic; the Anglo Saxon wich or wic means the living place of a certain person. The person would likely have been called Wenether, Winitar or Winter.

Geography

Winterswijk is located in east of the province of Gelderland in the east of the Netherlands. It is part of the region of Achterhoek.

Topographic map of the municipality of Winterswijk, 2013

History

Winterswijk, church: de Jacobskerk
Winterswijk, former townhall

Founded around 1000 AD it remained an isolated farming community until 1830 when the road from Borken to Zutphen via Winterswijk and Groenlo was built. Around 1840 many emigrated to America — Michigan in particular. After 1870 the town became a centre for textiles, such as spinning and weaving and indeed the Tricot fabriek employed a large proportion of the local population in its heyday. In 1878 the railway line to Zutphen was built primarily for the textile industry, which was set up by Jan Willink. Some of the families such as the Willinks have lived there since 1284.

World War II Liberation

On 31 March, 1945 was the liberation day for Winterswijk during World War II. Before the city was liberated, there was a tank battle on the 30th of March in one of the townships called Woold, with sixty Sherman tanks. The 53rd Welsh Division and the 3rd British Infantry Division, were moving from Bocholt via Aalten to Winterswijk. The tank battle resulted in sixteen German and nine British soldiers losing their lives. On 31 March, 1945 (Good Friday) around nine o'clock in the evening allied forces had a struggle just over five km south of Winterswijk following reinforcements from the NSB. On 31 March the first allied troops finally reached the Slingestream near Winterswijk. 31 March is marked as the official day to remember the liberation of Winterswijk, despite the fact that in the late afternoon of 31 March parts of Miste and Woold were already liberated. After the liberation of Winterswijk they founded a Rest-Centre for British soldiers in the Sociëteit de Eendracht (Zonnebrink), where the British soldiers, who came from the front, could find some rest. The British front was moving in April 1945, in the northwest of Germany. [5]

Although the Jewish community of Winterswijk was greatly decimated during the war, a synagogue still exists. Yet no regular services are being held. The synagogue is open for visitors and guided tours.

Railway stations

Notable residents

References

  1. ↑ "Samenstelling" [Members] (in Dutch). Gemeente Winterswijk. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  2. ↑ "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten" [Key figures for neighbourhoods]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 2 July 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  3. ↑ "Postcodetool for 7101GH". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Retrieved 23 July 2014.
  4. ↑ "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 27 October 2017. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  5. ↑ Liberation of Winterswijk, during World War II wenters.nu
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