Editing Weesp (section)

== History ==
[[File:Gem-Weesp-OpenTopo.jpg|thumb|left|Topographic map of Weesp, January 2016]]
Until the early [[Middle Ages]] the region around Weesp was an uninhabited [[Bog|peat bog]]. Weesp (Wesopa in [[Latin]] documents) was granted [[city rights]] in 1355 and celebrated its 650th anniversary as a city in 2005.

From the late Middle Ages, the river Vecht was a defensive line for the County of Holland and it remained a military defensive line until the [[World War II|Second World War]]. Weesp was strongly fortified, more than its size would justify; for most of its history it had a few thousand inhabitants.

The defensive lines consisted of inundation zones, which would be flooded in wartime (the [[Hollandic Water Line]]). Behind them were fortified towns, forts, barracks and other military structures. The most comprehensive was the Defence Line of Amsterdam ([[Stelling van Amsterdam]]), a circular inundation zone around Amsterdam, a [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage Site]].<ref name="pm759">[https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/759 ''Defence line of Amsterdam'' on the UNESCO website]</ref>

After the Second World War, new housing was built in the west and an industrial zone with a harbour at the Amsterdam-Rhine Canal was constructed. In the 1970s a suburb was built on the south. Another suburb was built in the north which recently expanded with plans for further expansion.

Before the reformation the church was dedicated to Saint Lawrence. It is still in use for Protestant services. In the tower it has a famous carillon by Pieter [[Hemony]] cast in 1671. Following the 19th Century emancipation of Dutch Catholics, a Catholic church was erected in Weesp.

The [[Government of the Netherlands|Dutch government]] considered Weesp too small to continue as an independent municipality.<ref name="weespermop"/> In a 2018 referendum, 57.4% of the inhabitants voted in favor of a merger with Amsterdam.<ref name="weespermop"/> On 1 June 2019 the civil service offices of the municipality of Weesp merged with those of the municipality of Amsterdam in preparation of the merger of the two municipalities.<ref name="herindeling">{{Cite web|url=https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/stb-2021-296.html/|title=Wet van 9 juni 2021 tot herindeling van de gemeenten Amsterdam en Weesp|website=www.officielebekendmakingen.nl/|language=nl|access-date=2021-08-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211016083748/https://zoek.officielebekendmakingen.nl/stb-2021-296.html/ |archive-date=October 16, 2021}}</ref> [[Bas Jan van Bochove]] was the last mayor of the municipality of Weesp until the merger was finalized on 24 March 2022.<ref name="weespermop">{{cite web |url=https://nos.nl/artikel/2422461-weesp-is-nu-een-stukje-amsterdam-maar-ik-blijf-een-weespermop |title=Weesp is nu een stukje Amsterdam, maar 'Ik blijf een Weespermop' |website= NOS Nieuws |date=March 24, 2022 |archive-date=March 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323134845/https://nos.nl/artikel/2422461-weesp-is-nu-een-stukje-amsterdam-maar-ik-blijf-een-weespermop }}</ref>