Enschede

Enschede
City and Municipality
Images, from top down, left to right: Skyline of Enschede, the Rijksmuseum Twenthe, the White House mansion, Synagogue of Enschede, Grolsch Veste stadium of FC Twente, St. James Church, historic city centre of Enschede
Flag Coat of arms
Location in Overijssel
Coordinates: 52°13′N 6°54′E / 52.217°N 6.900°E / 52.217; 6.900Coordinates: 52°13′N 6°54′E / 52.217°N 6.900°E / 52.217; 6.900
Country	Netherlands
Province	Overijssel
Government [1]
• Body	Municipal council
• Mayor	Onno van Veldhuizen (D66)
Area [2]
• Municipality	142.72 km2 (55.10 sq mi)
• Land	141.00 km2 (54.44 sq mi)
• Water	1.72 km2 (0.66 sq mi)
Elevation [3]	42 m (138 ft)
Population  (Municipality, August 2017; Urban and Metro, May 2014)[5][6]
• Municipality	157,631
• Density	1,118/km2 (2,900/sq mi)
• Urban	158,004
• Metro	315,807
• Twente	626,586 [4]
Demonym(s)	Enschedeër
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode	7500–7549
Area code	053
Website	www.enschede.nl

Enschede (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɛnsxəˌdeː] (listen), West Frisian: Ynskedee), also known as Eanske [ˈɛːnskə] in the local dialect of Twents, is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands in the province of Overijssel and in the Twente region. The municipality of Enschede consisted of the city of Enschede until 1935, when the rural municipality of Lonneker, which surrounded the city, was annexed after the rapid industrial expansion of Enschede which began in the 1860s and involved the building of railways and the digging of the Twentekanaal.

Geography[edit]

Enschede lies in the eastern part of Overijssel and is the easternmost city of more than 140,000 inhabitants in the Netherlands; the city lies a few kilometres from Germany, which borders the municipality. In the west, Hengelo is the first important place and at the eastern side, Gronau plays that role. More than a few small rivers flow through or surround the city, such as the Roombeek and Glanerbeek.

Dutch Topographic map of Enschede (city), June 2014

Enschede contains five official city districts ("Stadsdelen"). Note that they also include surrounding villages in the municipality:

• Stadsdeel Centrum (Binnenstad, Boddenkamp, De Bothoven, 't Getfert, Hogeland Noord, Horstlanden-Veldkamp, Laares, Lasonder-'t Zeggelt)
• Stadsdeel Noord (for example: Lonneker, Deppenbroek, Bolhaar, Mekkelholt, Roombeek, Twekkelerveld)
• Stadsdeel Oost (for example: Wooldrik, Velve-Lindenhof, De Eschmarke, ’t Ribbelt, Stokhorst, Dolphia, ’t Hogeland and Glanerbrug)
• Stadsdeel Zuid (Wesselerbrink, Helmerhoek and Stroinkslanden)
• Stadsdeel West (Boswinkel, Ruwenbos, Pathmos, Stadsveld, Bruggert, ’t Zwering, ’t Havengebied, De Marssteden, Boekelo, Usselo and Twekkelo)

Climate[edit]

Like most of the Netherlands, Enschede features an oceanic climate (Cfb in the Köppen classification), however, winters tend to be less mild than the rest of the Netherlands due to its inland location. Although the former military airport is derelict and plans to revive the place were canceled in 2012, the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute still has its weather station there online.

History[edit]

Balcony of the town hall. Enschede receives city rights

Pre-industrialisation[edit]

The early history of Enschede is largely unknown, but a settlement existed around the Old Marketplace in early medieval times; the name of this settlement is mentioned as Anescede or Enscede meaning either "near the border" (with Bentheim) or "near the Es" and sported a church, a marketplace and a fortified aristocratic house.^[8]

Enschede was granted city rights around 1300 which were confirmed in 1325 by Bishop Jan III van Diest and henceforth was allowed to protect itself with a wall; because a stone wall was too expensive (since stone had to be imported), Enschede had a system of ditches, palisades and hedges instead, which is still reflected in the street-names Noorderhagen and Zuiderhagen (North Hedge and South Hedge, respectively). The city plan of this era is still recognisable in the street-pattern; the city was spared destruction in 1597 at its capture during the Eighty Years' War when after a short siege, the Spanish garrison surrendered the city and the defences were razed.

Because the medieval city was largely built of wood and stone houses were the exception, fire was a constant risk and a series of fires in 1517, 1750 and again on 7 May 1862 earned the people from Enschede the nickname Brandstichters (arsonists).

Langestraat in Enschede, with the Grote Kerk in the background

Industrialisation[edit]

The last fire coincided with the start of the growth of the city into a large production center of textiles, originally as a cottage industry, but since the start of the 19th century on an industrial scale, especially the manufacture of bombazijn (a mixture of cotton and linen) proved an export hit. One such factory to have produced textiles in the late 19th century is the Hardick & Seckel Factory.

The industrialisation stimulated a large increase in population, which by 1894 had reached an estimated 18,267:^[9] nineteenth-century urban growth was at first rather chaotic; the names of the slums (like De Krim and Sebastopol) are still notorious, although they have long since been torn down. In 1907 the laissez faire mentality was dropped and Enschede was the first city in the Netherlands to draw up an official expansion-plan, incorporating the (surrounding) municipality of Lonneker.

World War II[edit]

During the Second World War Enschede was one of the first Dutch cities to be captured by German troops, being the city closest to Germany. Resistance members helped many of the Jews from Enschede to hide on farms in the vicinity. Out of approximately 1300 Jews in Enschede, 500 were saved (38.5%), compared to less than 20% in the rest of the Netherlands. This higher survival rate is attributed to three members of the Jewish Council of Enschede, Sig Menko, Gerard Sanders and Isidoor Van Dam who took the initiative, against the advice of the Jewish Council of Amsterdam, of urging their community to go into hiding and not to answer the call-up of the Germans for "labour in the East".

Enschede was bombed on several occasions, most notably on October 10, 1943 and February 22, 1944. During the first raid the nearby airport (then Fliegerhorst Twente) was a target of opportunity for the VIII Bomber Command during a raid on rail- and waterways in Münster.^[10][11] 141 people died and many houses were damaged. The latter mission named Enschede as a target of opportunity during Big Week after bombers had been recalled due to adverse weather.^[12]

The end of the industrial age[edit]

In the 1970s the textile production in Enschede came to a halt, due to fierce competition from mainly the Far East; this had a profound effect on the populace. Enschede became one of the poorest municipalities in the Netherlands and went bankrupt. Large areas of industrial wasteland came to mark the city.

With the support of the national government, this property was acquired and rebuilt; the city center was rendered a car-free zone.

Monument commemorating the 2000 fireworks disaster. The inscription says, "The vanished house between heaven and earth."

On 13 May 2000, a fireworks storage depot in Enschede exploded, destroying the entire neighborhood of Roombeek and killing 23 people, including 4 firemen.

In 2001 a referendum confirmed the proposal of the city council to expand the built-up area into the Usseler Es, an area of historic cultural significance and of geological importance, as it was here that the Usselo horizon was discovered.

The renovations at Roombeek were finished in the year 2012; the place where the factory used to be is now a monument.

Religion[edit]

The largest religion in Enschede is Christianity with 34.9% of the population that is Christian.

Economy[edit]

The city is a former centre of textile production; when this industry left the area for cheaper production centers in South-East Asia, Enschede became one of the poorest municipalities in the Netherlands. The biggest challenge of the city is to prevent higher educated (wealthy) citizens from moving to the west (Randstad). Decades of renovation work in the city center have been carried out with the goal of making Enschede more attractive to this group.

Het ei van Ko (Ko's egg) fountain

Modern shopping centers and department stores that until recently were only found in much larger cities have been opened. Enschede is host to many yearly festivals and the Old Market Square is often the venue for events, live music and other activities on the weekend.

The proximity to Germany has, historically, been another major factor in the city's economic activity, ranging from the smuggling of coffee and tobacco in the 19th and 20th century, to large numbers of Germans, who visit the city's shops and (especially) the weekly markets. Therefore, most natives of Enschede speak German more or less fluently.

The city is co-operating with the nearby municipalities of Almelo, Borne and Hengelo as Netwerkstad Twente. A draft law plan to merge Enschede with Hengelo and Almelo was defeated in parliament under the influence of opposition from the other towns.

The world-famous Grolsch beer is brewed in Enschede; the tyre manufacturer Apollo Vredestein B.V. head office and a factory is in Enschede. It is one of the most important employers of the region.

Research, education and health care[edit]

The Universiteit Twente (University of Twente), a university with mostly technical studies, is located in Enschede, it is one of the four technical universities in the Netherlands (besides Delft University of Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology and the Wageningen University and Research Centre). The Universiteit Twente is also the only large-campus university in the Netherlands.

A shelf cloud associated with a heavy or severe thunderstorm over Enschede, Netherlands

The university has courses in pure technical studies such as Applied Physics, Applied Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Informatics/Computer Science and Industrial Engineering and also offers study programmes in Communication, Psychology, Economical Sciences, International Business Administration, Public Administration, Applied Medicine and Biomedical Technology; the latter attract a broader public. Since 2006, the programmes of European Studies, Advanced Technology, Creative Technology and ATLAS University College have been added to the university's offerings.

Enschede is also home to one of the three campuses of Saxion University of Applied Sciences (Saxion Hogeschool Enschede), a polytechnical school offering internationally recognized Bachelor's degrees and Master's degrees in a wide range of fields, including engineering, economics, social work, investigations and health care;^[14] the other campuses are located in Deventer and Apeldoorn.

The Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation of the University of Twente, with former name International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences, (known by its abbreviation ITC) is famous for its MSc, Master's, Diploma and PhD courses in Geo-Information Science for developing countries. Students from all over the world attend the ITC.

Enschede also has an academy of arts and design combined with a conservatory named ArtEZ.

The Medisch Spectrum Twente (MST) hospital is one of the largest top-clinical hospitals of the Netherlands and features important tertiary care departments, fulfilling a supraregional role, it includes a level I trauma center as well. The hospital is strongly involved in higher medical education, with up to 300 medical students following their internships in the hospital at any given time, closely working together with the University of Twente's Technical Medicine program training a new type of technically specialized doctors.

Transport[edit]

Enschede is a terminus station of the NS railway lines from the west. Trains operate to Hengelo, Almelo, Zwolle, Deventer, Apeldoorn, Amersfoort, Hilversum, Amsterdam, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Utrecht, Rotterdam and The Hague.

To the east there is a line to Gronau, Germany, which has two more stations in the Netherlands: Enschede De Eschmarke and Glanerbrug; the latter two have low ridership. The line is served by DB Regionalbahn Westfalen (part of the German Deutsche Bahn), to Münster and to Dortmund, each on an hourly interval and alternating half-hours in the service to Gronau.

There is no track connection between the two systems; the through line had been retained for eventual NATO use during the Cold War even after through passenger service was ended (September 1981), although it was in serious disrepair in later years. With the renewal of service to Germany (May 2001) the track was severed; there is a gap of about 30 centimeters between them.^[15]

There is also Enschede Kennispark railway station, near the football stadium.

Enschede has a combined regional civil airport, Enschede Airport, and Airbase Twenthe of the Royal Netherlands Air Force; the latter was closed in 2007; the former was closed in 2008. Enschede is situated at the south-east terminus of the Twentekanaal.

There is also a network of bus lines connecting nearly every part of the city with the centre. Enschede also has bus connections to nearby towns and cities, like Hengelo, Oldenzaal and south towards Haaksbergen, Neede and Eibergen; the city lines are operated by Syntus, under the Twents-branche. The interlocal lines are exploited by Syntus and Arriva.

Culture[edit]

There are several museums in Enschede, among them the Rijksmuseum Twenthe for art. A museum of natural history and a museum dedicated to the history of the textiles industry, both closed in January 2007, have merged, and have reopened in April 2008 in new premises on a new location under the name TwentseWelle (Source/Well of Twente); the new location is situated in Roombeek, where a fireworks disaster took place in 2000. The new museum is located partly in a renovated old textile factory, in reference to Enschede's textile history, and partly in an adjourning new building, designed by the Amsterdam-based firm SeARCH (project architect: Bjarne Mastenbroek). Besides museums there are also several art spaces, the most prominent being Villa de Bank and TETEM; the latter focuses on art and technology, and aims to be accessible for a wide public.^[16] Enschede is also home of The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra.

In December 2012, the Serious Request action from national radio station 3FM took place in Enschede, which collected more than 12.2 million euros (almost 16.2 million US dollars).

Sports[edit]

IJsbaan Twente

• Enschede is well known for its local association football club, FC Twente. Twente were the 2010 Eredivisie champions but relegated to the second tier league, the Eerste Divisie, after the 2017-18 season.
• The oldest marathon of the Netherlands, and the second oldest of Europe, is the Enschede Marathon.
• The Student Rowing Club D.R.V. Euros has produced several national champions and one Olympic Champion.
• DOS-WK played until 2006 in the highest competition of korfball, the 'Korfbal League'.
• Enschede (Old Church to University) is the final stage of the Batavierenrace, a footrace relay beginning in Nijmegen, contested mostly by university student teams and claimed to be the largest relay races in the world, with 8000 participants.
• Enschede built the second indoor speed skating arena in the country, IJsbaan Twente.

Twin towns[edit]

• Palo Alto, California, US, since 1980
• Dalian, People's Republic of China, since 2009

Notable people born in Enschede[edit]

See also People from Enschede

• Wilma Landkroon (1957) – singer
• Jan Cremer (1940) – writer and traveller
• Bert Doorn (1949) – politician
• Tomás Gómez Franco (1968) - Spanish politician
• Noor Holsboer (1967) – field hockey defender
• Jeroen Heubach (1974) - ex football player
• Kees van Baaren (1906) – composer
• Tino Tabak (1946) – retired cyclist
• Jasper van 't Hof (1947) – piano player
• Hans Schnitger (1915–2013) – field hockey player
• Willem Wilmink (1936–2003) – poet and writer
• Hans van Abeelen (1936) – first Dutch behavior geneticist
• Jorien ter Mors (1989) - Olympic speed skater

References[edit]

Literature[edit]

• Alfred Hagemann/Elmar Hoff (Hg.): Insel der Träume. Musik in Gronau und Enschede (1895–2005), Klartext-Verlag, Essen 2006.

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Enschede.

• Enschede travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Official website
• Tourist Information