Zoeterwoude

Zoeterwoude
Municipality
Skyline of Zoeterwoude
Flag Coat of arms
Location in South Holland
Coordinates: 52°8′N 4°30′E / 52.133°N 4.500°E / 52.133; 4.500Coordinates: 52°8′N 4°30′E / 52.133°N 4.500°E / 52.133; 4.500
Country	Netherlands
Province	South Holland
Government
• Body	Municipal council
• Mayor	Liesbeth Bloemen (CDA)
Area
• Total	21.96 km2 (8.48 sq mi)
• Land	21.26 km2 (8.21 sq mi)
• Water	0.70 km2 (0.27 sq mi)
Elevation	−2 m (−7 ft)
Population (May 2014)
• Total	8,088
• Density	380/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postcode	2380–2382
Area code	071
Website	www.zoeterwoude.nl

Zoeterwoude ([ˌzutərˈʋʌudə]) is a municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The municipality covers 21.96 km² (8.48 sq mi) of which 0.70 km² (0.27 sq mi) is water. It had a population of 8,088 in 2014.

The municipality of Zoeterwoude consists of Zoeterwoude-Dorp, Zoeterwoude-Rijndijk, Gelderswoude, Weipoort, Westeinde, and Zuidbuurt. The main brewery of Heineken International is located there.

Dutch topographic map of Zoeterwoude, Sept. 2014. Click to enlarge.

The name Zoeterwoude is first mentioned in a document from 1205, which references a certain "Florentius van Sotrewold". It is uncertain if this is a reference to the village. The first confirmed existence is from 1276 when Dirk van Santhorst received the "Soetrewold" fiefdom from Floris V, Count of Holland.

Its municipal boundaries were set circa 1300. At that time it was one of the largest municipalities in the Netherlands, but later much land was annexed by surrounding cities, notably Leiden. In 1450, the first bridge between Leiderdorp and Zoeterwoude was built. In 1574, Zoeterwoude was burnt to the ground and its polders inundated by Leideners in order to increase the range of the city's cannons. Almost no inhabitants remained in Zoeterwoude.