Dronten is a town and a municipality in the Dutch province of
Flevoland, in Eastern Flevoland. The municipality has 41,677
inhabitants (August 1, 2020, source: CBS) on an area of 334 km²;
the place has 28,795 inhabitants (January 1, 2020). The first
concrete plans for the village center of Dronten started in 1958.
The construction of the village started in 1960. From the beginning
there was a discussion whether Dronten should become a village or a
city. Initially a maximum of 15,000 inhabitants was assumed, later
plans foresaw a growth to 30,000 inhabitants.
The first plans
were based on ten cores, just like in the Noordoostpolder small
cores around a central main town. This number was reduced due to
changing views on transport (increasing use of moped and car) and
the experience that the centers in the Noordoostpolder had turned
out to be too small. In various steps of the planning phase, the
number of cores was ultimately reduced to three: Dronten,
Biddinghuizen and Swifterbant. At the start of construction in 1960,
the places Larsen and Zeewolde were still included in the planning.
These two places were ultimately not realized either. In 1965 it was
finally decided to build only three cores. The name Zeewolde was
later used for another place in Southern Flevoland.
On
January 1, 1972, the municipality of Dronten was officially given
its name. Until the province of Flevoland was established in 1986,
the Ministry of the Interior took over most of the provincial tasks;
some tasks were arranged by the municipality itself.
The plans for the municipality of Dronten were made
from the beginning of the 1950s. The first concrete plans started in
1958, construction started in 1960 and the first residents settled
there on April 26, 1962. From the start there was a discussion
whether Dronten should become a village or a city. Initially a
maximum of 15,000 inhabitants was assumed, later plans foresaw a
growth to 30,000 inhabitants.
The initial plans were based on
ten cores, just as in the Noordoostpolder: small cores around a
central capital. This number was reduced due to changing views on
transport (increasing use of moped and car) and the experience that
the centers in the Noordoostpolder had turned out to be too small.
In various steps of the planning phase, the number of cores was
ultimately reduced to three: Dronten, Biddinghuizen and Swifterbant.
At the start of construction in 1960, the places Larsen and Zeewolde
were still included in the planning. These two places were
ultimately not realized either. In 1965 it was finally decided to
build only three cores. The name Zeewolde was later used for another
place in Southern Flevoland. During the construction of Dronten,
several wrecks of aircraft from the Second World War were found; to
commemorate the victims, the Kite Monument was placed.
On
January 1, 1972, the municipality of Dronten was established by law.
Dronten takes its name from the Polder Dronthen, a polder created by
alluvial land near Kampen, on the border of the provinces of
Overijssel and Gelderland. Until the establishment of the province
of Flevoland in 1986, the Ministry of the Interior took over most of
the provincial tasks; some tasks were arranged by the municipality
itself.
The number of inhabitants is slightly above the limit
of 40,000 inhabitants, which was exceeded in 2010, after steady
growth in the period 2002-2012,
Around the turn of the century, many iconic buildings in the center
of Dronten were demolished as part of a radical renovation of the
village centre, which was built in the 1960s. Disappeared include the
1962 building of public primary school De Dukdalf (De Noord; architect
Jochem Bredman), the Sint-Ludgerus church with parish house and
presbytery (Werfstraat; architect Johannes Sluijmer), which was
completed in 1964, and the community center De Meerpaal, which opened in
1967. (De Rede; architect Frank van Klingeren), the stilt houses built
in 1968 (De Rede; architect Pietro P. Hammel) and the public library
dating from 1969 (Hetruim; architect Joop van den Berg). The former
police station, the health center (1965), the pharmacy and the post
office (1970), all located at De Schans, were also demolished.
In
2015-2016, however, a neighborhood with the 137 first-built homes of
Dronten was restored according to the construction plan of 1959. Ten of
these chalet homes on the Lijzijde have been declared a municipal
monument.
Dronterland
In 2012, the Rutte II cabinet suggested
scaling up the municipalities in the Netherlands to municipalities with
more than 100,000 inhabitants, and merging the provinces of Utrecht,
Noord-Holland and Flevoland. More and more municipal tasks are being
carried out in partnerships. In addition, the city council now
designates Dronten as a "city". The municipality as a whole is defined
by the GGD as "little urban".
The Meerpaal days are a three-day event that takes place in the
second weekend of August. In addition, the Defqon.1 and Lowlands events,
which annually attract a maximum of 65,000 people per day, are organized
at the Walibi Holland event site near Biddinghuizen. In addition, the
Pinskter conference is held there every year during the Pentecost
weekend: a three-day Christian conference that also attracts about
65,000 visitors. In 1995, the eighteenth World Jamboree was held on this
site.
Since 2015 there is an annual tulip route. which attracts
many visitors (2017: approx. 50,000).
The commemoration of the
dead in Dronten is special. Former soldiers from Great Britain come over
to attend the commemoration. This bond came about through the discovery
of aircraft wrecks during the reclamation of the Flevopolder and the
erection of a monument in Dronten in memory of the airmen. In addition
to military personnel, representatives of foreign embassies and
representatives of the Dutch armed forces are also present.
There
are several (pop) venues within the municipality. These regularly
organize events. In the center is the Meerpaal and on the Educalaan is
JKC Nirwana. There are also a few private bodies that organize events,
such as Cultus Inn.
Dronten is located on the provincial roads N305, N307 and N309.
As part of the Hanzelijn between Lelystad and Zwolle, a station was
built in Dronten, which was put into service on December 9, 2012.
Dronten has become more accessible as a result, the travel time from
Dronten to Zwolle has since been approximately 18 minutes. Furthermore,
various bus lines run from and to Dronten to Kampen, Emmeloord,
Harderwijk and Lelystad, among others. These bus lines are operated by
OV Regio IJsselmond.
Sports are practiced in Dronten by various teams. ASV Dronten plays
at the Burgemeester Dekker Sportpark. This football team plays in the
First Division Saturday in the 2010/2011 season, after promotion in the
2009/2008 season. ASV Dronten also has a separate futsal competition
consisting of three groups. Thirty teams participate in these three
competitions.
In addition to Asv Dronten, Dronten also has the
football club Reaal Dronten. Reaal plays its home games at De Munten
sports park in Dronten-West.
Besides football, hockey is also
played in Dronten at MHC Flevoland, Dronten also has a volleyball club
called Libero '99, Dronten also has a tennis club called ATC Dronten or
(Algemene Tennis Club Dronten), an athletics club, a riding school,
handball club, badminton club , a swimming club ZZZ (zuiderzee swimmers)
for water polo, and the korfball club ASVD, this club also plays at the
Burgemeester Dekker Sportpark, next to the football complex. There is an
association for gymnastics, jazz ballet, gym and free running called
Gyjatu. There are many other sports clubs in Dronten.
Squash is
played at the level of the premier league in the 2010-2011 season.
Since 1974, table tennis (TTC Dronten '74) has been represented in
the municipality of Dronten. In addition to table tennis, there is also
the possibility to play tennis at the club ATC Dronten.
Mind
sports are also actively present in Dronten, there is a billiards club,
a checkers and chess club and even a mind sports center.
You can
also play basketball in Dronten. The association BC VUAS (Verenigd Uit
Alle Streken) was founded in 1976 and today has teams of different ages
and levels.