Amsterdam Zuidoost

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Amsterdam Zuidoost is one of the 15 boroughs (stadsdelen) of the city of Amsterdam, that consists of four residential areas Bijlmermeer, Venserpolder, Gaasperdam and the village Driemond, as well as a business park Amstel III/Bullewijk which includes the recreational "ArenA Boulevard" area.

Amsterdam Zuidoost has approximately 86,000 inhabitants and consists of some 38,000 houses. Over 130 nationalities create a multicultural atmosphere. 30% of the inhabitants is of Dutch origin, 30% of Surinam origin, 23% of African origin, 6% of Dutch Antillian origin and 2% of Moroccan origin.

[edit] History

The part of Amsterdam Zuidoost called Bijlmermeer was envisioned as a town of the future, build in accordance with the principles of the Swiss architect Le Corbusier. In total, 18,000 houses would be built, 13,000 of which were flats in apartment blocks. Architect of the Bijlmermeer is Siegfried Nassuth.

Construction of the Bijlmermeer began in 1963. The first apartment block, named Hoogoord, was completed in 1968. The last of the 13,000 flats was completed in 1975.

In 1992 the Bijlmermeer was struck by disaster as an Israeli El Al airplane El Al Flight 1862 crashed into the blocks called Groeneveen en Kruitberg, in the very heart of the Bijlmermeer. In The Netherlands this disaster is known as the Bijlmerramp. 43 people were killed, including the three Israeli pilots. A memorial has been erected at the crash site.