Kinderdijk
Kinderdijk | ||
---|---|---|
Village | ||
Municipality Molenlanden | | |
Population (1 January 2021) | ||
• Total | 800 |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/75/Kinderdijk_bord.jpg/220px-Kinderdijk_bord.jpg)
Kinderdijk (Dutch pronunciation:
Kinderdijk is situated in the
Etymology
The name Kinderdijk is
History
Origins
Kinderdijk first originated in its name in 1421 from a legend where a wave was said to have washed ashore a cradle that contained a sleeping baby.
Early years
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2b/Kinderdijk_g%C3%A9olocalisation.jpg/220px-Kinderdijk_g%C3%A9olocalisation.jpg)
In the Alblasserwaard, problems with water became more and more apparent in the 13th century. Large canals, called weteringen in Dutch, were dug to get rid of the excess water in the polders. However, the drained soil continued to subside, while the level of the river rose due to the river's sand deposits. After a few centuries, an additional way to keep the polders dry was required.
Construction
It was decided to build a series of windmills, with a limited capacity to bridge water level differences, but just able to pump water into a reservoir at an intermediate level between the soil in the polder and the river.
The reservoir could be pumped out into the river by other windmills whenever the river level was low enough; the river level has both seasonal and tidal variations. Although some of the windmills are still used, the main water works are provided by two diesel pumping stations near one of the entrances of the windmills site.
World Heritage Site
Kinderdijk was inscribed as a
In popular culture
- In the 2005 PlayStation 2 video game Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves, Kinderdijk is the third playable location. Several missions include utilizing the iconic windmills to aid the main character, Sly, in a biplane dogfight over the village.
- Kinderdijk is a stage in the fighting game Capcom vs. SNK 2: Mark of the Millennium 2001. The players fight in front of the windmills in a verdant field.
Image gallery
See also
- Zaanse Schans, a similar popular tourist destination in the Netherlands
References
- ^ Meder 2007; Griffis, 1918.
Sources
- Griffis, William Elliot. The Cat and the Cradle in Dutch Fairy Tales For Young Folks. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1918. (English). Available online by SurLaLane Fairy Tales Archived 2016-05-24 at the Wayback Machine. File retrieved 9-12-2007.
- Meder, Theo. Dutch folk narrative. Meertens Instituut, Amsterdam. File retrieved 9-12-2007.
- World Heritage List: Mill Network at Kinderdijk-Elshout
External links
Media related to Kinderdijk at Wikimedia Commons
Kinderdijk travel guide from Wikivoyage
- Kinderdijk Foundation
- kinderdijk.nl
- Pictures of Kinderdijk
- Spherical Panorama of Kinderdijk at Sunset
- Photos from Kinderdijk 2011 October
- Visit site in 3600 panophotography