Puttershoek

Puttershoek is a town in The Netherlands, in the province of South Holland, on the banks of the Oude Maas river, part of the Binnenmaas municipality, on the Hoeksche Waard island. The town (the largest one of the municipality) has a city-like character with 6.293 inhabitants (1 January 2005). It was merged with several other municipalities to Binnenmaas on January 1, 1984.

Before the St. Elizabeth's flood (1421) a township named "Hoecke" was located on the spot of the present-day town. The name "Hoecke" (meaning "Hook") is probably derived from the sharp angle the dike around the former Grote of Zuid-Hollandsche Waard island took here. After the St. Elizabeth's flood, the land was owned by the Lords of Putten, who loaned it to a vassal lord. The first four vassal lords of "Hoecke" were all named "Pieter". It remains unclear if the name "Puttershoek" is derived from Pietershoeck, or if it is a reference to the Lords of Putten.

Until the 19th century, Puttershoek was a small and remote village, where reed cutting was the main source of income. However, in 1912 a large sugar beet processing plant was built in the village, bringing not only employment and a sweet odour during autumn, but also employees from the catholic Noord-Brabant province. A thriving catholic community was founded in the very protestant village, building one of only two catholic churches on the Hoeksche Waard island. At the end of 2004, the sugar factory closed its doors, after all production was transferred to Poland.

After the big North Sea flood of 1953, a large part of the old town was demolished in favour of a higher and stronger dike. Only the 16th century harbour (the smallest open harbour in The Netherlands), the Schouteneinde street and a part of the old village centre around the Kerkstoep/Arent van Lierstraat could be kept intact. In the old village centre one can find the old town hall of Puttershoek (recognized by the old town coat-of-arms: three sable lilies on a crest of argent) and the old post office "Het Springende Peerd" (with stair gable and gable stone) that are reminiscent of the times when Puttershoek was a stop on the postway from Rotterdam to Antwerp.

Other places worth a visit are windmill "De Lelie" (the Lily) and across the road the museum "Poldermuseum Zuidhollandse Eilanden" in the former steam engine pump building "Het Hooft van Benthuizen".

Puttershoek has a few bars and cafés and a large night club. The most famous inhabitant is Kees Verkerk who won a gold medal for speed skating during the 1968 Winter Olympics. Presently, Verkerk resides in Norway, but his birth house still hosts the bar his father founded, "Het Veerhuis", located at the harbourside.