Bussum

History

For a long time Bussum was a hamlet situated in the heathlands of the Gooi and was first mentioned in 1306. At this time, Bussum was shown on maps as a large heathland with many small farms, sheep pens and forests. Since Bussum was situated near the fortified town of Naarden it was governed by Naarden from 1369. In 1470 Bussum had about 250 inhabitants, which made it the smallest village in the Gooi. Bussum became independent from Naarden in 1817, yet it was not until the arrival of a railway line in 1874 that Bussum began to flourish. Two train stations were built in the town, that still exist today: Naarden-Bussum and Bussum Zuid (Dutch for Bussum South), both on the connection between Amsterdam and Hilversum. The stations and the road network fostered the town's status as a satellite town of Amsterdam, allowing for reverse commute also to Hilversum. From 1898 until 1907, Bussum housed the first Dutch socialist colony after the example of Thoreau's Walden, set up by the writer and psychiatrist Frederik van Eeden. In 1951, Bussum hosted the first Dutch national TV broadcast and the national TV studios were located there until 1964. Bussum merged with the local municipalities of Naarden, Muiden and Muiderberg on 1 January 2016. In October 2014, the combined town councils chose the name Gooise Meren for the new municipality, the other options being Naarden-Bussum and Naardingerland.

Most-observed species

• Eurasian Coot

  Fulica atra Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  62,005
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  61,576
• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  59,030
• Gray/Purple Heron

  Ardea cinerea Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  52,922
• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  52,541
• Common Buzzard

  Buteo buteo (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  49,996
• Great Egret

  Ardea alba Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  49,846
• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  49,558

Most recent

• M 4.2 — 2011-09-08
  3 km ENE of Heijen, Netherlands
• M 2.9 — 2008-10-11
  19 km WNW of Egmond aan Zee, Netherlands