Rijswijk

Rijswijk
Ryswick
Town and municipality
Gemeente Rijswijk
Towpath (Jaagpad)
Jaagpad street in Rijswijk
Flag of Ryswick
Flag
Coat of arms of Rijswijk
Coat of arms
Highlighted position of Rijswijk in a municipal map of South Holland
Location in South Holland
Coordinates: 52°2′N 4°19′E / 52.033°N 4.317°E / 52.033; 4.317
CountryNetherlands
ProvinceSouth Holland
Government
 • BodyMunicipal council
 • MayorHuri Sahin
Area
 • Total
14.49 km2 (5.59 sq mi)
 • Land13.96 km2 (5.39 sq mi)
 • Water0.53 km2 (0.20 sq mi)
Elevation
0 m (0 ft)
Population
 (January 2021)
 • Total
59,642
 • Density3,956/km2 (10,250/sq mi)
DemonymRijswijker
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode
2280–2289
Area code070
Websitewww.rijswijk.nl

Rijswijk (Dutch: [ˈrɛisʋɛik] ⓘ), formerly known as Ryswick (/ˈrɪzwɪk/ RIZ-wik) in English, is a town and municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. Its population was 59,642 in 2024, and it has an area of 14.49 km2 (5.59 sq mi), 0.53 km2 (0.20 sq mi) of which is water.

The municipality also includes the former hamlets of 't Haantje and Sion, currently also known as Rijswijk Buiten.

Demographics

62% Dutch background, 38% No Dutch background.

History

Rijswijk in 1867.
Topographic map of Rijswijk, June 2015

Archaeological excavations indicate that this area of the coastal dunes was already inhabited some 5500 years ago. The village of Rijswijk formed in the 13th century, and its history was dominated by the presence of mansions and estates of the nobility and affluent.

The Treaty of Ryswick was signed at the Huis ter Nieuwburg in 1697, ending the Nine Years' War. A monument, the Needle of Rijswijk (1792), was erected to commemorate the treaty in the Rijswijk Forest.

Rijswijk church (de Oude Kerk) in the street

Until 1900, Rijswijk remained a relatively small community but it became urbanised during the 20th century when it expanded rapidly. Today, Rijswijk's area has almost been completely built up. The last major development is the new Ypenburg neighbourhood, built on the lands of the former Ypenburg Airfield, but this part of Rijswijk was annexed by The Hague in 2002. Rijswijk is part of the Haaglanden conurbation. Over the years its built-up area has grown to the point where it has effectively merged with The Hague, and often regarded as its suburb, even though it is still a separate municipality.

Up until 2009, Rijswijk had a polytechnic college for applied sciences; TH Rijswijk (Technische Hogeschool Rijswijk). After a merger with the Haagse Hogeschool, this was moved to the campus of the TUDelft in Delft. The building still remains.

Istana Negara, one of the six presidential palaces of Indonesia, in the Jakarta neighbourhood of Harmoni (formerly Rijswijk-Molenvliet), was called Paleis te Rijswijk during Dutch colonial times.

Public transport

Economy

Rijswijk is home to:

In the past, Rijswijk also used to host the main research and technology centre of the oil and gas company Shell, with approximately 2000 employees. The company decided to close the centre and relocate the activities to Amsterdam and The Hague in 2017.

Recreation

The largest shopping centre is called 'In de Bogaard' and smaller shops are located in the old town centre (Herenstraat). There is the old Schaapweimolen (windmill). De Broodfabriek holds many fairs and events.

Notable people

Dionysius Koolen, 1925
Sigrid Kaag, 2018

Public service

Arts and learning

Piet van der Touw, 1963

Sport

References

  1. ↑ "Burgemeester Huri Sahin" (in Dutch). Gemeente Rijswijk. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  2. ↑ "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2020" [Key figures for neighbourhoods 2020]. StatLine (in Dutch). CBS. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  3. ↑ "Postcodetool for 2284DP". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 20 August 2013.
  4. ↑ "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  5. ↑ "Shell sluit hoofdkantoor onderzoek en opleiding in Rijswijk" [Shell closes research and training headquarters in Rijswijk]. NOS.nl (in Dutch). 2017-10-12. Retrieved 2025-11-24.