Almelo

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Almelo
City and municipality
Almelo city centre
Almelo city centre
Flag of Almelo
Flag
Coat of arms of Almelo
Coat of arms
Highlighted position of Almelo in a municipal map of Overijssel
Location in Overijssel dat is naast Flevoland
Coordinates: 52°21′N 6°40′E / 52.350°N 6.667°E / 52.350; 6.667Coordinates: 52°21′N 6°40′E / 52.350°N 6.667°E / 52.350; 6.667
CountryNetherlands
ProvinceOverijssel
Government
 • BodyMunicipal council
 • MayorArjen Gerritsen (VVD)
Area
 • Total69.41 km2 (26.80 sq mi)
 • Land67.27 km2 (25.97 sq mi)
 • Water2.14 km2 (0.83 sq mi)
Elevation12 m (39 ft)
Population
 (January 2019)[4]
 • Total72,849
 • Density1,083/km2 (2,800/sq mi)
Demonym(s)Almeloër
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode
7600–7614, 7627
Area code0546
Websitewww.almelo.nl

Almelo (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɑlməloː] (About this soundlisten)) is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands. The main population centres in the town are Aadorp, Almelo, Mariaparochie, and Bornerbroek.

Almelo has about 72,000 inhabitants in the middle of the rolling countryside of Twente, with the industrial centres of Enschede and Hengelo as close neighbours but also with tourist towns like Ootmarsum, Delden and Markelo only a bicycle ride away. Almelo received city rights in 1394. Within the city limits lies the castle of the Counts of Almelo.

Located in the city centre is Huize Almelo, a castle that in its current form dates back to 1662 (This castle is not open to the public). There are mosaics which decorate the walls of the tunnel close to the railway station.

The city is also known for its local association football club Heracles Almelo, which plays in the Eredivisie, the highest football league in the Netherlands. The club uses the Erve Asito.

History[]

At the end of the 19th century textile emerged as a major employer and drew many workers to Almelo, at first from within the Netherlands. Since the 1960s workers from Spain and Turkey came to Almelo. The first mosque of the Netherlands was built in Almelo in 1976 for the Turkish population of the city. Almelo also has a sizeable number of Armenians who built their own Armenian Apostolic Church in 2003.[5]

In the 1970s the industry dwindled and most factories were relocated to countries with cheaper labour. Some factories remain in the city centre and are now in use for apartments or offices.

Topography[]

Topographic map of Almelo, Sept. 2014 Topographic map of Almelo, Sept. 2014

Economy[]

Currently, a major employer in Almelo is Urenco Nederland. This is a uranium enrichment plant which uses the gas centrifuge method and produces uranium with about five percent U-235, for nuclear reactors. A bakery factory, Bolletje, Malvern Panalytical, the Stichting Ziekenhuisgroep Twente (a hospital) and the regional court are also major employee.

Transport[]

Almelo station

Almelo has 2 railway stations:

The main station is Almelo and offers links to Hengelo, Enschede, Amersfoort, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Utrecht, Gouda, Rotterdam, The Hague and Zwolle. There is also a train every 2 hours into Germany serving cities such as Osnabrück, Hannover and Berlin.

Sport[]

Football[]

Heracles Almelo, a professional football club playing in the Eredivisie is based in Almelo.

Cycling[]

Since 1983 Almelo has organised the Profronde van Almelo, an elite men's and women's professional road bicycle racing event.

Notable people[]

Wubbo Ockels, 2007
Kea Bouman, 1929
Kirsten Wild, 2018

Sport[]

  • Kea Bouman (1903 – 1998) female tennis player; only Dutch female tennis player to win a Grand Slam singles tournament
  • Lex Mullink (born 1944) a retired rower, bronze medallist at the 1964 Summer Olympics
  • Hendrie Krüzen (born 1964) football midfielder, over 500 club caps
  • Brian van Loo (born 1975) retired soccer goalkeeper, 261 club caps
  • Marnix Smit (born 1975) retired soccer player, 231 club caps with Heracles Almelo
  • Arnold Bruggink (born 1977) retired soccer player, 447 club caps
  • Mark Looms (born 1981) soccer player, 329 club caps
  • Kirsten Wild (born 1982) track and road race cyclist; multiple National Champion
  • Marc Höcher (born 1984) a Dutch football player with over 350 club caps
  • Dennis Kuipers (born 1985) a Dutch rally driver
  • Anouk Dekker (born 1986) a Dutch footballer with over 250 club caps
  • Fabian Roosenbrand (born 1988) a Dutch professional darts player
  • Maret Balkestein-Grothues (born 1988) a Dutch volleyball player
  • Maud Roetgering (born 1992) a football defender 184 caps with FC Twente Vrouwen

International relations[]

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in the Netherlands

Twin towns — Sister cities[]

Almelo is twinned with:

  • Turkey

Denizli, Turkey

See also[]

  • Ambt Almelo

Gallery[]

  • The Catholic St. Georgius church in Almelo

  • Almelo - Sculptuur op de hoek van de Oranjestraat en de Molenstraat

  • Huize Almelo

  • Almelo, spoorviadukt bij de Wierdensestraat

  • Afbeelding

  • Bird sculpture at the Marktplein

  • Restaurant in former factory

  • Twentekanaal (branch to Almelo)

References[]

  1. ^ "Portefeuilleverdeling" [Division of tasks] (in Dutch). Gemeente Almelo. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  2. ^ "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2020" [Key figures for neighbourhoods 2020]. StatLine (in Dutch). CBS. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Postcodetool for 7607EK". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  4. ^ "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 1 January 2019. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  5. ^ "Ontstaan Armeense Kerk Almelo - Onze Kerk".
  6. ^ IMDb Database retrieved 25 October 2019
  7. ^ IMDb Database retrieved 25 October 2019
  8. ^ IMDb Database retrieved 25 October 2019

External links[]

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