Introduction
This article is about the city and municipality in Overijssel. For the town in Gelderland, see Hengelo, Gelderland.
Municipality in Overijssel, NetherlandsHengelo
Hengel (Twents)MunicipalityTwentekanaal through Hengelo
FlagCoat of armsLocation in OverijsselHengeloLocation within the NetherlandsShow map of NetherlandsHengeloLocation within EuropeShow map of EuropeCoordinates: 52°15′55″N 6°47′35″E / 52.26528°N 6.79306°E / 52.26528; 6.79306CountryNetherlandsProvinceOverijsselGovernment • BodyMunicipal council • MayorSander Schelberg (VVD)Area • Total61.83 km2 (23.87 sq mi) • Land60.84 km2 (23.49 sq mi) • Water0.99 km2 (0.38 sq mi)Elevation18 m (59 ft)Population (2023) • Total82,311 • Density1,332/km2 (3,450/sq mi)DemonymHengolianTime zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)Postcode7550–7559Area code074ClimateCfbWebsitewww.hengelo.nl
Dutch Topographic map of Hengelo (city), June 2014
Two of the three large cities in East Overijssel: Almelo and Hengelo
Hengelo (Dutch: [ˈɦɛŋəloː] ⓘ; Tweants: Hengel) is a city in the eastern part of the Netherlands, in the Twente region, in the province of Overijssel. It is part of a larger urban area that also includes Enschede, Borne, Almelo and Oldenzaal.
Due to its geomorphology, being situated relatively low in the landscape, Hengelo is a place where streams converge. By consequence, it became a crossroad, inhabited early on in history, which has made it into an infrastructural hub and an industrial centre today. For the 19th century industry, water was needed for bleaching textile, while factories also needed water for their steam engines, and for cooling. Over time, Hengelo became known as metaalstad, for its machine factories and electrical engineering companies. In addition, salt mining developed into an important industry too, which also led to the production of chemical derivatives.
Due to its strategical importance, Hengelo was bombed during World War II. Afterwards, a reconstruction plan was developed that made it into a modern city, partly at the cost of still remaining historical structures. Well-known Dutch planners and architects have left their traces inside and outside the city. Among their most notable efforts are several residential areas, being inspired by the principles of the garden city movement. Due to the vicinity of University of Twente and ArtEZ University of Arts, in Enschede, many students and graduates have come to live and work in Hengelo. Besides economic growth, this has also contributed to the city's development in regard to arts and culture.
History
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In what is known as the historical centre of Hengelo, archaeologists have found a camp site for hunters and gatherers, indicating that the location was inhabited during the Mesolithic, between 12,000 and 5,000 years BP. The area has most likely been continuously inhabited ever since. On the same site, finds from the Iron Age and Roman times have been excavated too. Different settlements, moreover, existed within the current municipality. Recent archaeological research in the north of Hengelo has led to the discovery of a prehistoric grave field, as well as another settlement from Roman times, with pottery and other artefacts corresponding to the Weser–Rhine Germanic tradition.
In the mid 13th century, an estate was built, called Huys Hengelo, which existed till 1826, when it was demolished. A village grew around the estate, including a church and a cemetery. During the Spanish occupation of the Netherlands, Huys Hengelo was the centre of several fights and revolts.
The municipality of Hengelo was founded in 1802, which by then consisted of a few hundred farms and agricultural workers' houses.
Hengelo was never granted city rights, as it was a village until its expansion in the 19th century during the industrial revolution. In that period, however, various landmark buildings were erected, especially the Waterstaatskerk (1839), and the Lambertusbasiliek (1890), a Roman Catholic basilica built in 1890 devoted to Saint Lambert.
After the construction of its railway station, in 1866, industrial development accelerated, with a focus on technology: Stork B.V., Hazemeyer, N.V. Heemaf (now part of France's Alstom, Brush HMA, Brush-Barclay, Eaton Corporation, Essent, Heemaf BV, Vattenfall, and Wabtec), KHZ (now AkzoNobel), and Hollandse Signaal Apparaten (now part of the Thales Group). Especially Stork played an important role in the development of Hengelo, building garden village Tuindorp 't Lansink (1910s), with housing for its personnel, while also contributing to building public facilities in the city centre, such as a library.
Hengelo was also the home town of Hengelo Bier, a local brewery. Nowadays, the beer brand Twents is produced in Hengelo, brewed by De Twentse Bierbrouwerij. This brewery was founded in 2007 and was, until 2019, located in the monumental factory complex Hazemeijer.
During World War II, the city was bombed by the Allies because of the presence of the railways and the war industry activities of local factories that served the occupier. The heart of the town was accidentally destroyed during the bombing of Hengelo on 6 and 7 October 1944, killing several hundreds of people.
In addition, after World War II, the synagogue that had survived the war, an entire block called De Telgen, a monastery at the Thiemsbrug, the farm dating from the 17th century where Wolter ten Cate was born, and the 19th-century town hall, were all demolished. This has also left the city without much of an historical centre. However, the reconstruction plan of Hengelo, including its town hall (1958-1963, J. F. Berghoef), received critical acclaim and is nowadays considered as an important example of post-war city planning in the Netherlands. By extension, Hengelo also became a reference for modern architecture, with innovative housing designs, such as Klein Driene I & II (1945-1965, C. Pouderoyen & W.R. van Couwelaar), Housing Hengelose Es (1962-1968, Van den Broek & Bakema), and De Kasbah (1969-1973, Piet Blom).