Dordrecht

Sister cities

• Hastings
• Varna
• Recklinghausen
• Dordrecht, Eastern Cape
• Bamenda

History

The city was formed along the Thure river, in the midst of peat marshes. This river was a branch of the river Dubbel, which is part of the massive Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta complex, near the current Bagijnhof. Around 1120 reference to Dordrecht was made by a remark that count Dirk IV of Holland was murdered in 1049 near "Thuredrech". Dordrecht was granted city rights by William I, Count of Holland, in 1220, making it the oldest city in the present province of South Holland. In fact, Geertruidenberg was the first city in the historical county of Holland to receive city rights, but this municipality currently is part of the province of North Brabant. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Dordrecht developed into an important market city because of its strategic location. It traded primarily in wine, wood and cereals. Dordrecht was made even more important when it was given staple right in 1299. Dordrecht's staple privilege was closely linked to the comital river toll system and functioned as part of a negotiated alliance between the count of Holland and the city's elite, rather than as an absolute or uniformly restrictive trade monopoly. In 1253 a Latin school was founded in Dordrecht. It still exists today as the and is the oldest gymnasium in the Netherlands. From 1600 to 1615 Gerhard Johann Vossius was rector at this school. On 18–19 November 1421, the Saint Elizabeth's flood flooded large parts of southern Holland, causing Dordrecht to become an island. It was commonly said that over 10,000 people died in the flood, but recent research indicates that it was probably fewer than 200 people. On 29 June 1457, the city was devastated by a fire which started in Kleine Spuistraat, destroying many buildings, including the Grote Kerk. In 1572, four years into the Dutch…