Oude IJsselstreek

Oude IJsselstreek
—  Municipality  —
Coat of arms
Coordinates: 51°54′N 6°25′E / 51.9°N 6.417°E / 51.9; 6.417Coordinates: 51°54′N 6°25′E / 51.9°N 6.417°E / 51.9; 6.417
Country	Netherlands
Province	Gelderland
Area(2006)
- Total	137.87 km2 (53.2 sq mi)
- Land	136.47 km2 (52.7 sq mi)
- Water	1.40 km2 (0.5 sq mi)
Population (1 January, 2010)
- Total	39,896
- Density	294/km2 (761.5/sq mi)
	Source: CBS, Statline.
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
- Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)

Oude IJsselstreek is a municipality in the eastern Netherlands. It came into existence on 1 January, 2005 through a merger of the former municipalities Gendringen and Wisch.

Geography and population centres

Northern part of the former DRU area, with the characteristic water tower, at the river Oude IJssel

The municipality belongs to the transition area between the rivers in the south, coming from Germany (Rhine and Issel), and the sandy soils of the Eastern Netherlands.

It has 15 kernen (population centres). Formerly from Gendringen

• Breedenbroek, Etten, Gendringen, Megchelen, Netterden, Ulft, Varsselder, and Voorst (Oude IJsselstreek) (not to be confused with the muninicipality of Voorst, also in Gelderland).

Formerly from Wisch (Gelderland)

• Bontebrug, Heelweg-Oost and Heelweg-West, Silvolde, Sinderen, Terborg, Varsseveld, and Westendorp.

Terborg is the only kern with city rights, but the largest one is Ulft with 10,000 inhabitants. The municipality of Oude IJsselstreek is considered to be divided into three units. The kernen along the river Oude IJssel (Ulft, Gendringen, Etten on the left border, Silvolde and Terborg on the right) constitute the urban belt, Varsseveld in the east of the municipality is a rural village and the other kernen are the external territories. The municipality plans to make Ulft the local centre.

Culture

In this essentially rural municipality, there have been some places where iron ore was mined and processed. From the several enterprises the DRU (Diepenbrock en Reigers te Ulft) was the largest, it closed in Ulft in 2003. Since 2009 the DRUfabriek is a cultural centre that gives home to the local library of Ulft, a theater, a Turkish cultural centre, a regional centre for vocational education and other facilities. In its conference room the meetings of the municipal council take place.

International affairs

Oude IJsselstreek is a member of the Ring of the European Cities of Iron Works and hosted the annual convention of 2010.

External links

• Official website