| Amsterdam-Zuidoost | |
|---|---|
| Country | Netherlands |
| Province | Noord-Holland |
| Municipality | Amsterdam |
| Population | 84,811 |
| Website | zuidoost.amsterdam.nl |
Amsterdam-Zuidoost is one of fifteen boroughs (stadsdelen) of the city of Amsterdam. It consists of four residential areas—Bijlmermeer, Venserpolder, Gaasperdam and Driemond—as well as the Amstel III/Bullewijk Business Park and the ArenA Boulevard area.
Amsterdam-Zuidoost has approximately 86,000 inhabitants, living in some 38,000 houses. 30% of the inhabitants of Amsterdam-Zuidoost are of Dutch origin, 30% of Surinam origin, 23% of African origin, 6% of Dutch Antillian origin and 2% of Moroccan origin.
Geographically, Amsterdam-Zuidoost is an exclave of Amsterdam—not directly bordering any other borough of the city.
Amsterdam-Zuidoost is served by bus, metro and NS rail services. Duivendrecht and Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA stations serve the very north of the borough; Amsterdam Holendrecht railway station serves the Academic Medical Center as well its surrounding area. Amsterdam Metro lines 50, 53 and 54 also serve the borough.
The part of Amsterdam-Zuidoost called Bijlmermeer was envisioned as a town of the future, built 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 1977, Amsterdam's first metro line was opened, connecting Zuidoost to the city center and Central Station.
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.