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Winterswijk

Winterswijk
Municipality
Winterswijk seen from Venemansmolen windmill
Winterswijk seen from Venemansmolen windmill
Flag of Winterswijk
Flag
Coat of arms of Winterswijk
Coat of arms
Highlighted position of Winterswijk in a municipal map of Gelderland
Location in Gelderland
Coordinates: 51°58′N 6°43′E / 51.967°N 6.717°E / 51.967; 6.717Coordinates: 51°58′N 6°43′E / 51.967°N 6.717°E / 51.967; 6.717
Country Netherlands
Province Gelderland
Government
 • Body Municipal council
 • Mayor Thijs van Beem (PvdA)
Area
 • Total 138.81 km2 (53.59 sq mi)
 • Land 138.15 km2 (53.34 sq mi)
 • Water 0.66 km2 (0.25 sq mi)
Elevation 37 m (121 ft)
Population (May 2014)
 • Total 28,932
 • Density 209/km2 (540/sq mi)
Demonym(s) Winterswijker
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postcode 7100–7119
Area code 0543
Website www.winterswijk.nl

Winterswijk (About this sound pronunciation ) is a municipality and a town in the eastern Netherlands.

Winterswijk (Winterswiek, Wenters) is a town with a population of 28,932 in the Achterhoek, which lies in the most eastern part of the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. It was also known as Winethereswick, Winriswic or Wenterswic. Wic or the Anglo Saxon wich means the living place of a certain person. The person would likely have been called Wenether, Winitar or Winter.

Dutch Topographic map of the municipality of Winterswijk, 2013.

Founded around 1000 AD it remained an isolated farming community until 1830 when the road from Borken to Zutphen via Winterswijk and Groenlo was built. Around 1840 many emigrated to America — Michigan in particular. After 1870 the town became a centre for textiles, such as spinning and weaving and indeed the Tricot fabriek employed a large proportion of the local population in its heyday. In 1878 the railway line to Zutphen was built primarily for the textile industry, which was set up by Jan Willink. Some of the families such as the Willinks have lived there since 1284.


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