Wormer

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Wormer is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Wormerland, and lies about 13 km northwest of Amsterdam.

In 2006, the town of Wormer had 12566 inhabitants. The built-up area of the town is 16.88 km² (of which water: 4.19 km²).^[1]

The town is situated in the Zaanstreek, on the eastside of the river Zaan, opposite to Wormerveer.

The village of Oostknollendam, the polder Schaalsmeer (reclaimed in 1631), the polder Enge Wormer (reclaimed in 1634) and a part of the Markerpolder also historically belong to the area of Wormer.

1 History
2 Wormer in the news
- 2.1 The holes of Wormer
- 2.2 ADM Cocoa Wormer Distribution Centre Fire
3 Famous (former) inhabitants of Wormer
4 References
5 External links

[edit] History

Mentioned already in 1063 in a list of the abbey of Egmond as Weremere, Wormer is one of the oldest towns in the Zaanstreek. The inhabitants of Wormer repulsed several attacks of the Frisians and West Frisians in 1280. Floris V, Count of Holland rewarded this with an exemption from paying toll in Holland, an important privilage at that time. Important skirmishes between Spanish troups and de Geuzen took place in Wormer during the Eighty Years' War. At Whitsunday (Pentecost) the 30th of May 1574, 1400 Spanish soldiers tried to capture Wormer and Jisp. They were crushingly defeated by a combined force of locals, Geuzen and filibusters, bringing an end to the Spanish tyranny in the Waterland area. In the following century Wormer became very prosperous from the production of beschuit (rusk). At least 130 bakeries in the town were once supplying the countless ships of the Dutch East India Company. Other important industial activities in the town during this period were the production of starch and the processing of whale blubber. At least 66 windmills were built in Wormer, but nowadays only one windmill (de Koker) has been preserved.^[2]

[edit] Wormer in the news

[edit] The holes of Wormer

In 1959, farmers Jongert and Grevers discovered strange holes of about 60 cm in diameter on their land in Wormer. For a brief period, Wormer became the Dutch Roswell and filmcrews from all over the world came over to Wormer to cover this story and the following excavations and investigations. Several theories were proposed for what might have caused the holes, varying from rockets, meteorites, a part of the Sputnik to geological causes. The bomb squad of the Dutch army had received a budget of 2500 guilders and one week time to excavate the largest hole (the second hole had already been filled up with rubble by Grevers to prevent his cows from falling into it). accidents. One claimed to have felt something hard at 28 metres dept, but at that time one had run out of time and money and the hole was filled up again.

Sixteen years later, at the 19^th of August 1975, again a mysterious hole was discovered by farmer Dokter on his land in Wormer. This time no excavations were executed, but again the affair was cause of many wild theories, especially since several people claimed to have seen a fireball the evening before the discovery of the new hole. At present, no clear explanation for the phenomena have been given.

[edit] ADM Cocoa Wormer Distribution Centre Fire

At the 18^th of December 2003, a warehouse containing cocoa powder caught fire in Wormer, due to an accident. Since cocoa powder fires are extremely difficult to exthinguish and liberate high quantities of thick smoke, the fire caused a lot of inconvenience and media attention. Over 1200 inhabitants of Wormer had to be evacuated. There were no casualties.

[edit] Famous (former) inhabitants of Wormer

Thijs Al mountainbiker
Martinus Duncanus (Maarten Donc, 1505 - †1590), writer and lecturer.
G.W. Sok vocalist of anarcho-punk band The Ex
Tim Klijn (30 juni 1979), Dutch diskjockey at Radio 538
Robin Koenders canoer
Pieter Jan Leeuwerink (10 februari 1962), Dutch international volleyballer († 2004)
Henk Sprenger (3 januari 1919), Dutch cartoonist († 2005)
Jan Jansz Struys adventurer/explorer 1631 - 1694
Terrie guitarist of anarcho-punk band The Ex