Editing Aalsmeer

{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
<!-- Name and transliteration -->
| name                    = Aalsmeer
| settlement_type         = [[List of municipalities of the Netherlands|Municipality]]
<!-- Images, nickname, motto -->
| image_skyline           = File:Flight to AMS, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Luchthaven Schiphol, Flughafen Amsterdam Schiphol - panoramio.jpg
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           = Aerial photo of Aalsmeer, 2014
| image_flag              = Aalsmeer flag.svg
| flag_size               = 100x67px
| flag_alt                = 
| image_shield            = Aalsmeer wapen.svg
| shield_size             = 100x80px
| shield_alt              = 
| nickname                = Flower capital of the world
<!-- Maps, coordinates -->
| image_map               = LocatieAalsmeer.png
| map_alt                 = Highlighted position of Aalsmeer in a municipal map of North Holland
| map_caption             = Location in North Holland
|pushpin_map =Netherlands
|pushpin_map_caption     = Location in the Netherlands
| coordinates             = {{coord|52|16|N|4|45|E|region:NL|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes   = 
| subdivision_type        = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name        = [[Netherlands]]
| subdivision_type1       = [[Provinces of the Netherlands|Province]]
| subdivision_name1       = [[North Holland]]
| subdivision_type2               = [[List of regions of the Netherlands|Region]]
| subdivision_name2               = [[Amsterdam metropolitan area]]
| government_footnotes    = <ref name="mayor_now">{{harvnb|Municipality of Aalsmeer|2014}}</ref>
| governing_body          = [[Municipal council (Netherlands)|Municipal council]]
| leader_party            = [[Christian Democratic Appeal|CDA]]
| leader_title            = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name             = Gido Oude Kotte
| leader_title1           = [[Wethouder|Aldermen]]
| leader_name1            = {{Collapsible list
  |title=List of aldermen
  |1= Robert van Rijn ([[People's Party for Freedom and Democracy|VVD]])
  |2= Bart Kabout ([[Christian Democratic Appeal|CDA]])
  |3= Willem Kikkert ([[Democrats 66|D66]])
 }}
<!-- Geographic information -->
| unit_pref               = Metric
<!-- ALL fields with measurements have automatic unit conversion -->
<!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| area_footnotes          = <ref>{{harvnb|Central Bureau of Statistics|2014}}</ref>
<!-- square kilometers -->
| area_total_km2          = {{Dutch municipality total area|Aalsmeer}}
| area_land_km2           = {{Dutch municipality land area|Aalsmeer}}
| area_water_km2          = {{Dutch municipality water area|Aalsmeer}}
| elevation_footnotes     = <ref name="AHN">{{harvnb|Anon|2013}}</ref>
| elevation_m             = -0.1
| elevation_max_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| elevation_max_m         =
| elevation_min_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| elevation_min_m         =
<!-- Population, demographics -->
| population_footnotes    = <ref>{{harvnb|Central Bureau of Statistics|2014a}}</ref>
| population_total        = {{Dutch municipality population|Aalsmeer}}
| population_as_of        = {{MONTHNAME|{{Dutch municipality population|popbasemonth}}}} {{Dutch municipality population|popbaseyear}}
| population_density_km2  = {{Dutch municipality population density|Aalsmeer}} <!-- For automatic calculation: auto-->
| population_demonym      = Aalsmeerder
<!-- Other information -->
| timezone               = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset             = +1
| timezone_DST           = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset_DST         = +2
| postal_code_type        = [[Postal codes in the Netherlands|Postcode]]
| postal_code             = 1430–1433
| area_code_type          = [[Telephone numbers in the Netherlands|Area code]]
| area_code               = 0297
| website                 = {{in lang|en}} [https://www.aalsmeer.nl/visiting-aalsmeer?locale=en_EN Aalsmeer.nl]
| footnotes               =
}}

'''Aalsmeer''' ({{IPA|nl|aːlsˈmeːr|lang|Nl-Aalsmeer.ogg}}) is a municipality and a town in the [[Netherlands]], in the province of [[North Holland]]. Its name is derived from the [[Dutch language|Dutch]] for eel (''aal'') and lake (''meer'').<ref name="eb"/> Aalsmeer is bordered by the [[Westeinderplassen]] lake, the largest open water of the [[Randstad]], and the [[Ringvaart]] Canal.<ref name="eb">{{harvnb|Encyclopædia Britannica Online|2013}}</ref> The town is located 13&nbsp;km (8&nbsp;mi) southwest of [[Amsterdam]].

The town is sometimes referred to as the flower capital of the world, as the [[Aalsmeer Flower Auction|largest flower auction in the world]] is based in Aalsmeer, along with numerous [[Nursery (horticulture)|nurseries]] and an experimental station for [[floriculture]].

==Population centres==
The municipality of Aalsmeer consists of the following cities, towns, and villages: Aalsmeer, [[Kudelstaart]], [[Oosteinde (Aalsmeer)|Oosteinde]], as well as the hamlet [[Calslagen]].

==Geology==
Aalsmeer is located on the border of the former [[Haarlem Lake]]. The older portion of the town is built on peat, and is surrounded by [[polder]]s. The polders consist of loamy soil and are {{convert|9|-|15|ft|m}} below sea level.<ref name=EB>{{harvnb|Hoiberg|2010|p=2}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:Aalsmeer 1866.png|thumb|left|Aalsmeer in 1866.]]
Aalsmeer is first referenced in a document from 1133 in which it is called "''Alsmar''" and is granted to the Abbey of [[Rijnsburg]]. [[Dirk VII, Count of Holland|Diederik VII van Kleef]] confirmed this grant in an act in 1199. The area was then a wilderness with alders and willow forests.

In its surroundings, large tracts of land were dug up for peat, creating large lakes and ponds such as [[Oosteinderpoel]] (East End Pool), Schinkelpoel (Schinkel Pool), Stommeer (Stom Lake), Hornmeer (Horn Lake), Legmeer (Leg Lake), and the Westeinderplassen (West End Ponds). This left little land for agriculture, causing Aalsmeer's inhabitants to switch to fishery. The land was cultivated intensely, mostly for tree [[Nursery (horticulture)|nurseries]].

[[File:gem-Aalsmeer-OpenTopo.jpg|upright=1.35|thumb|Topographic map of Aalsmeer, June 2015]]
The lack of dry land was countered by reclaiming some of the lakes, starting with Stom Lake in 1650, and followed by Horn Lake in 1674. In 1852, the large [[Haarlemmermeer|Haarlem Lake]], bordering on Aalsmeer, was made into a polder. Then followed Schinkelpoel, Oosteinderpoel, and Legmeer. Peat was no longer dug up and the fishing business declined. Yet horticulture increased, especially strawberry cultivation, which peaked between 1850 and 1885. The strawberry became the symbol for the flag of Aalsmeer: red (fruit), green (leaf), and black (soil). The cultivation of flowers began circa 1880, first with roses in greenhouses.

The growers would sell their strawberries and flowers to distributors who would bring them with barges to the market in Amsterdam. But the trade shifted to Aalsmeer where auctions began to be held in local cafés. In 1912 two auction businesses were established: ''Centrale Aalsmeerse Veiling'' (Central Aalsmeer Auction) in the town's centre and ''Bloemenlust'' in Aalsmeer East.

===World War II===
During World War 2, Aalsmeer gained a reputation for its [[Nazi]] support, mostly because of its fanatical [[National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands|National Socialistic]] mayor and a handful of [[fascist]] supporters. The highest supreme commander of the German [[Wehrmacht]] in the Netherlands, [[Friedrich Christiansen]], was a regular visitor. Following the war, more than a hundred court cases were held against Nazi supporters from Aalsmeer.

===Post war===
In 1950 Aalsmeer had 12,500 inhabitants. In 1968 the two flower auction businesses merged, and in 1972 a new large auction building was completed in South Aalsmeer and expanded in 1999.

==Local government==
[[File:Raadhuis Aalsmeer.jpg|thumb|Aalsmeer [[Town Hall]]]]

The municipal council of Aalsmeer consists of 23 seats, which since 2022 are divided as follows:<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aalsmeer municipal election 2022 |url=https://www.verkiezingsuitslagen.nl/verkiezingen/detail/GR20220316/731373|access-date=22 January 2024|website=www.verkiezingsuitslagen.nl|language=nl}}</ref>
* [[Christian Democratic Appeal]] (CDA) – 6 seats
* Absoluut Aalsmeer (AA) – 6 seats
* [[People's Party for Freedom and Democracy]] (VVD) – 5 seats
* [[Democrats 66]] (D66) – 3 seats
* [[GreenLeft]] (GL) – 2 seats
* [[Labour Party (Netherlands)|Labour Party]] (PvdA) – 1 seat

The [[college van burgemeester en wethouders|executive board]] consists of CDA, VVD and D66, with Gido Oude Kotte (CDA) as mayor.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Burgemeester Gido Oude Kotte |url=https://www.aalsmeer.nl/bestuur-organisatie/bestuurder/gido-oude-kotte|access-date=22 January 2024|website=www.aalsmeer.nl|language=nl}}</ref>

==Public transport==
The bus interchange in Aalsmeer is called the ''Hortensiaplein'', where the buses meet. These services are:

* 171 - ''Aalsmeer'' - [[Bovenkerk, Amstelveen|Bovenkerk]] - [[Amstelveen]] - [[Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA railway station|Amsterdam Bijlmer ArenA Station]]
* 198 - ''Aalsmeer'' - [[Amsterdam Schiphol Airport]] ([[Schiphol Sternet]])
* 340 - ([[Mijdrecht]] 2x per hour) - [[Uithoorn]] - ''Aalsmeer'' - [[Hoofddorp railway station|Hoofddorp Station]] - [[Hoofddorp]] - [[Heemstede]] - [[Haarlem]] - [[Haarlem railway station|Haarlem Station]]
* 357 - ([[Kudelstaart]] 2x per hour) - ''Aalsmeer'' - [[Amstelveen]] - [[Amsterdam]] City Centre - [[Amsterdam Centraal railway station|Amsterdam Centraal]]
* 342 - [[Schiphol, Airport]] - [[Schipholgebouw Schiphol]], - [[P30 Parkeerterrein Schiphol-Rijk, Beechavenue]] - [[Aalsmeer, Dorpsstraat]] - [[Aalsmeer, Zwarteweg/N196]] - [[Uithoorn, Poelweg Uithoorn]], - [[Noorddammerweg Uithoorn,]] - [[Burg. Kootlaan Uithoorn]], - [[Uithoorn, Busstation]]
* N57 - [[Amsterdam Centraal railway station|Amsterdam Centraal]] - [[Amsterdam]] City Centre - [[Amstelveen]] - [[Bovenkerk, Amstelveen|Bovenkerk]] - ''Aalsmeer'' (Nightbus)

All of these services are very frequent, half-hourly or more frequent.

==Economy==
[[File:Bloemenveiling Aalsmeer1.jpg|thumb|Flower Auction Aalsmeer.]]

Having {{convert|999000|m2|sqft}} of floor space, the flower auction building of {{Interlanguage link|FloraHolland|nl}} is one of the [[List of largest buildings in the world|largest commercial buildings]] in the world. Its close proximity to Schiphol Airport allows the growers access to markets worldwide. On 1 January 2008 the Aalsmeer flower auction merged with the united auctions of Naaldwijk and Rijnsburg under the name FloraHolland, and is the largest auction market in the world.<ref>{{harvnb|Munro|1995|p=1}}</ref> The flowers that are grown and sold here are [[carnation]]s, [[rose]]s, [[lilac]]s, [[freesia]]s, [[chrysanthemum]]s, [[cyclamen]]s, and [[begonia]]s.<ref name=EB/>

The [[Endemol]] television studios are located in the former Central Auction building. The Bloemenlust building is nowadays a [[convention center|sports, event, and congress centre]]. Dominating the Ringvaart canal are the large building halls of [[Royal De Vries]] Scheepsbouw.

Agriculture and manufacturing also play an important role in the economy of the locality. [[Dairy]], [[beef]], [[potatoes]], [[vegetables]], and [[fruit]] are the areas within agriculture, and the types of manufacturing in the city are farm products, sporting goods, boats, and packaging material.<ref name=Cohen>{{harvnb|Cohen|1998|p=1}}</ref>

==Culture==
[[File:Water tower Aalsmeer.JPG|thumb|The Water Tower of Aalsmeer was completed in 1928 in an [[Art Deco]] style.]]
[[File:Aalsmeer, stellingmolen De Leeuw RM6841 foto4 2015-08-28 15.55.jpg|Windmill: stellingmolen De Leeuw|thumb]]

===Events===
Aalsmeer has a number of annual events and festivals. The most famous was the Flower parade ([[Bloemencorso]]), every first Saturday in September. After 60 years, this tradition was discontinued in 2007 as the flower auction stopped its sponsorship. Other annual events are the "Pramenrace", every second Saturday in September and the Bands Night (Bandjesavond) in June.

===Music scene===
Aalsmeer has a rich music scene. The best known groups and artists from Aalsmeer and Kudelstaart since 1970 are:
* Eton Crop
* Hobo String band
* The Whatts
* Livin' at A
* Madeliefjes
* Los Boundros
* Café Blue (later: [[Koel Bewaren]])
* Ten Beers After
* Katelijne van Otterloo Group
* Social Animal

== Notable people ==
[[File:Peter R. de Vries.jpg|140px|thumb|Peter R. de Vries, 1995]]
* [[Jan de Pous]] (1920 in Aalsmeer – 1996) a Dutch politician and economist
* [[Ada van Keulen]] (1920 in Aalsmeer – 2010) a Dutch woman participant in the resistance in [[World War II|WWII]] 
* [[Joost Hoffscholte]] (born 1942) a retired Dutch politician, Mayor of Aalsmeer 1985 to 2007, lives in Aalsmeer
* [[Fred Borgman]] (1946 in Aalsmeer – 11 May 1996) was a Dutch politician, an alderman of Aalsmeer 1974 to 1978
* [[Theodore van Houten]] (1952 in Aalsmeer – 2016) a Dutch-British writer, journalist and radio-theatre producer
* [[Peter R. de Vries]] (born 1956 in Aalsmeer – July 15, 2021) a Dutch investigative journalist and crime reporter<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1719901/ IMDb Database] retrieved 22 January 2020</ref>
* [[Pieter Litjens]] (born 1968) a Dutch politician, Mayor of Aalsmeer 2007 to 2012

=== Sport ===
* [[IJke Buisma]] (1907 in Aalsmeer – 1994) a Dutch high jumper, competed in the [[1928 Summer Olympics]]
* [[Jan Bol]] (1924 in Aalsmeer - 2010) a Dutch sailor who competed at the [[1968 Summer Olympics]]
* [[Jan Jongkind]] (born 1932 in Aalsmeer) a sailor who competed at the [[1964 Summer Olympics]]
* [[Piet Bon]] (1946 in Aalsmeer – 2010) a retired Dutch rower, competed at the [[1968 Summer Olympics]]
* [[Michael Buskermolen]] (born 1972) a Dutch retired footballer with 399 club caps with [[AZ Alkmaar]], lives in [[Kudelstaart]]
* [[David Pel]] (born 1991 in Aalsmeer) a Dutch tennis player

==Footnotes==
{{reflist|30em}}

==References==
* {{cite web | author = Anon | url = http://www.ahn.nl/common-nlm/postcodetool.html | title = Postcodetool for 1431EH | trans-title = Zip Tool for 1431EH |language = nl | year = 2013 | website = Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland | publisher = Het Waterschapshuis | access-date = 25 Feb 2014 }}
* {{cite web |author=Central Bureau of Statistics |year=2014 |access-date=28 Feb 2014 |trans-title=Key figures and neighborhoods 2009-2012 |title=Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2009-2012 |url=http://statline.cbs.nl/StatWeb/publication/?DM=SLNL&PA=70904ned&D1=122-124&D2=6018,6020-6021,6023,6027,6029,6031,6033,6036,6038,6040,6045,6047&D3=l&LA=EN&HDR=T&STB=G1,G2&VW=T |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140304183122/http://statline.cbs.nl/StatWeb/publication/?DM=SLNL&PA=70904ned&D1=122-124&D2=6018,6020-6021,6023,6027,6029,6031,6033,6036,6038,6040,6045,6047&D3=l&LA=EN&HDR=T&STB=G1,G2&VW=T |archive-date=2014-03-04 |website=Statline.cbs.nl |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite web |author=Central Bureau of Statistics |year=2014a |access-date=28 Feb 2014 |trans-title=Population Development; region by month |title=Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand |url=http://statline.cbs.nl/StatWeb/publication/?DM=SLNL&PA=37230NED&D1=17-18&D2=101-619,621,624-632&D3=l&LA=EN&HDR=T&STB=G1,G2&VW=T |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140404124012/http://statline.cbs.nl/StatWeb/publication/?DM=SLNL&PA=37230NED&D1=17-18&D2=101-619,621,624-632&D3=l&LA=EN&HDR=T&STB=G1,G2&VW=T |archive-date=2014-04-04 |website=Statline.cbs.nl |url-status=dead }}
* {{cite encyclopedia | editor-last = Cohen | editor-first = Saul B. | encyclopedia = The Columbia Gazetteer of the World | title = Aalsmeer | year = 1998 | publisher = Columbia University Press | location = New York, NY | isbn = 0-231-11040-5 }}
* {{cite web | author = Encyclopædia Britannica Online | year = 2013 | url = http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9003200 | title = Aalsmeer | website = [[Encyclopædia Britannica]] | access-date = 10 Nov 2013 | publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica Online }}
* {{cite encyclopedia | editor-last = Hoiberg | editor-first = Dale H. | encyclopedia = Encyclopædia Britannica | title = Aalsmeer | edition = 15th | year = 2010 | publisher = Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. | volume = I: A-Ak - Bayes | location = Chicago, Illinois | isbn = 978-1-59339-837-8 | url = https://archive.org/details/newencyclopaedia2009ency }}
* {{cite web | author = Municipality of Aalsmeer | url = http://www.aalsmeer.nl/web/Bestuur-en-organisatie/College-van-B-en-W.htm | title = College van B en W | trans-title = Board of Mayor and Aldermen | language = nl | date = 13 Jan 2014 | website = Gemeente Aalsmeer | publisher = Gemeente Aalsmeer | access-date = 25 Feb 2014 }}
* {{cite encyclopedia | editor-last = Munro | editor-first = David | title = Aalsmeer | encyclopedia = The Oxford Dictionary of the World | year = 1995 | publisher = Oxford University Press | location = Oxford, UK | isbn = 0-19-866184-3 | url = https://archive.org/details/oxforddictionary00munr }}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Official website|http://www.aalsmeer.nl/ }}
*[http://www.bloemencorsoaalsmeer.nl/ Bloemencorso Aalsmeer] (in Dutch)

{{Geographic location
 | Centre    = Aalsmeer
 | Northeast = [[Amstelveen]]
 | Southeast = [[Uithoorn]]
 | Southwest = [[Kaag en Braassem]] ([[South Holland|ZH]])
 | Northwest = [[Haarlemmermeer]]
}}
{{North Holland Province}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Aalsmeer| ]]
[[Category:Populated places in North Holland]]
[[Category:Municipalities of North Holland]]