700 years of Enschede and 25 years of the Fireworks Disaster
This year, Enschede is celebrating its 700th anniversary. Does that mean Enschede has existed for exactly 700 years? No, the history of Enschede dates back to the Middle Ages. We are celebrating the fact that Enschede was granted city rights in 1325, a huge milestone. A lot has happened in the past 700 years. From wars to a devastating city fire and the flourishing textile industry. Today, Enschede is a vibrant, multicultural city. How often have you been to Enschede for the culture, or for FC Twente, or for shopping, or for something else?
Enschede
Enschede is a city in Twente, in the east of the Dutch province of Overijssel, on the border with Germany. In addition to the city of Enschede, the municipality of Enschede includes the villages of Lonneker, Boekelo, Usselo, Glanerbrug, and the hamlet of Twekkelo, all of which fall under the town of Enschede for the purpose of addressing letters. The municipality has 161.738 inhabitants (November 22, 2024, source: CBS) representing approximately 160 nationalities. This makes Enschede the largest city in Overijssel and, by population, the sixteenth largest municipality in the Netherlands.
Armory
The coat of arms was officially granted on November 24, 1819, and again with a new description on August 25, 1936. Enschede obtained city rights in 1325 from Bishop Johan van Diest of Utrecht. The oldest known seal of the city displays the likeness of the parish saint, St. James the Elder. This seal remained in use until the Münster War (1666).
In 1666, the seal was replaced. The new seal displays a coat of arms with a barrier gate. The barrier gate is identical to the current coat of arms. The colors were already red on silver at that time.
The origin of the barrier gate is unknown; it may represent a toll gate, but it could also be a corruption of the coat of arms of the Van Beveren family, who bore a diagonal cross of red and three horizontal bars of blue on a silver field. However, the relationship of this family to the city is unclear. After the merger with Lonneker, the description of the coat of arms was adapted to the drawing. The coat of arms itself was not changed.
Enschede (continued)
From 1818 onwards, the original municipality of Enschede had a very systematic hexagonal shape (one of the most systematic in the Netherlands) and was entirely surrounded by the municipality of Lonneker. The border was marked in 1826 by six numbered stone posts of Bentheimer sandstone. In 1884, parts of Lonneker were annexed. In 1934, the rest of the municipality of Lonneker was annexed.
The Municipality of Enschede collaborates within the Twente Region and has been a founding participant in EUREGIO, the first regional cross-border cooperation association in Europe.
The municipal council is the highest governing body of our municipality. The municipal council dictates what needs to happen in the city and monitors the work of the mayor and aldermen. The clerk's office assists the municipal council. Together, the mayor and aldermen form the Municipal Executive (College of B&W). They handle day-to-day affairs. The Municipalities Act specifies what they are and are not permitted to do. As Director General, the municipal secretary leads the administrative organization. The administrative organization consists of four areas of focus:
- City Districts, Corporate Affairs and General
- Social
- Physical
- Operations
Enschede textile city
Enschede grew into the most important center of textile production in the Netherlands. The population of the textile city quintupled between 1870 and 1900. Textile families such as Van Heek, Ter Kuile, Jannink, Blijdenstein, Tattersall & Holdsworth, and Menko formed a powerful oligarchy that left a clear mark on urban society. The textile industry has left many traces, including in the form of residential areas that were very modern for their time. An important example of this is De Krim (1861), the first neighborhood built for workers, which was neglected around 1900 and subsequently demolished around 1935. The garden village of Pathmos (1924), the district of De Laares (1930), and a number of city parks are also examples of urban developments that were realized by, or at the initiative of, textile manufacturers.
In the 1960s, the textile industry completely collapsed, at the cost of approximately 30.000 jobs. Most of the large factory complexes were demolished in the 1970s and 1980s; a few were renovated and given a new purpose. For instance, housing was created in the former Jannink and Van Heek factories. In addition, part of the Jannink complex was converted into a museum. Subsequently, Enschede developed into a service city.
Royal Textile Group Twenthe
The Royal Textile Group Twenthe was an important part of the Dutch textile industry, but was declared bankrupt in 2002. The company and its subsidiaries, such as Wisselink Textiles, played an important role in the Twente region. The collapse of the group had a major impact on the local economy and the textile industry.
History and rise:
- The Textielgroep Twenthe, part of the Royal Textielgroep Twenthe, was a major player in the Dutch textile industry.
- Wisselink Textiles, part of the group, specialized in technical textiles, tent fabric, and flag fabric.
- The group was once a prominent part of the textile industry in Twente.
- In 2002, the Koninklijke Textielgroep Twenthe was declared bankrupt by the court in Almelo.
- This bankruptcy marked the end of an important period for the Twente textile industry.
- The group had a major influence on the textile industry in Twente and beyond.
- Companies such as Wisselink Textiles, which were part of the group, were important employers and boosted the local economy.
- The collapse of the group had a major impact on the region, with a decline in jobs and a shift in the economy.
Development E8 (road)
In 1814, the Amsterdam-Deventer-Oldenzaal road was designated a 'major road of the first class'. The road was then paved with bricks. In 1926, the section to Oldenzaal was completed, becoming the first paved road in Overijssel. To finance the road, tolls were levied. The surplus went to the State, which took responsibility for its maintenance.
At the beginning of the nineteenth century, only 70.000 people lived in the entire Twente region. A place like Enschede had fewer than 2.000 inhabitants at that time. After 1850, this changed rapidly. Due to the establishment of textile factories, the population grew quickly. Around 1900, Enschede alone already numbered 30.000 inhabitants. It is thanks to the good road, rail, and water connections that Twente was able to grow so much.
Traffic is increasing
After the First World War, car traffic increased. In 1926, the state introduced a road tax, and a year later, the first national road plan. Subsequently, the old cobblestone roads were replaced by concrete, and plans were made for a permanent bridge over the IJssel near Deventer. The road was named National Road 44. In 1934, a bypass was constructed around Goor for better connections towards Zutphen and Arnhem; later, in 1941, Oldenzaal also received a bypass. After the Second World War, the old road through the villages and towns had seen its best days. Policymakers had already envisioned in the 1930s that Hoevelaken would form an important hub between the Randstad and the east of the country. However, other variants were also conceived. One of these is a variant that runs via Muiden, passing between Harderwijk and Zwolle, to Raalte. From there, the road would then continue over the Sallandse Heuvelrug towards Twente.
That plan was scrapped after the war. Following a lobby from Twente, it states Rijkswaterstaat An investigation is underway into a new road that connects Twente not only to Amsterdam, but to the entire west. Rotterdam and The Hague are also mentioned as destinations. The plan is based on an entirely new alignment, which therefore does not follow the existing route. This is important because the road can then be constructed in phases, combined with sections of the existing road. In effect, this lays the foundation for the current A1.
E8
In 1951, the main international connecting routes were established. The route from Hoek van Holland towards Utrecht and on to Oldenzaal was also mentioned in these plans. From then on, the Deventer-Oldenzaal route became part of the E8. Briefly, consideration was given to constructing the new road to Twente via Amersfoort and Zutphen to Goor and Enschede. However, that plan was quickly rejected because it would entail too great a detour.
In 1954, the route of the A1 was broadly established. In 1960, the Minister of Transport and Public Works also gave the go-ahead. Except for the Overijssel section. For the final part towards Germany was not yet fixed and was still under development. They wanted to wait and see what Germany would do first. After a three-year study, they succeeded in doing so.
Hurry
A Twente lobby emerges that wants to push ahead with the construction of the motorway towards Twente starting in the late 1950s. In 1964, Mayor Thomassen of Enschede travels to The Hague every month to hand over a newsletter. To stand out, he does so in an old 1930 Ford. However, construction proceeds more slowly than hoped. In 1972, the section from Terschuur to Holten is completed. In the meantime, traffic chaos in the Twente villages and towns grows ever greater. In 1979, Hengelo is reached. The A35 from Almelo to Enschede is also already finished by then. Traffic wishing to continue to Oldenzaal and Germany still has to drive through Hengelo.
Slow
The final section receives very little priority. Due to protests, a lack of funds, and disagreement over the route, it all takes longer than hoped. It is not until 1988 that the A1 at Hengelo on the north side (Kardinaalshoed) is completed in the direction of Oldenzaal. After that, it takes until 1992 before the final section up to the German border is completed.
The fall of the Berlin Wall and reunification in Germany gave traffic flow a significant boost. Traffic has increased so drastically that bottlenecks have been developing at various points along the A1 for years. Last year, work began on converting the A1 into a motorway with 2x3 lanes. The work is expected to be completed in the autumn of 2021. Sources: Haverkate, Jan, De lange weg van oost naar west, Enschede 1988
FC Twente
FC Twente is a football club from Enschede. Since its founding on July 1, 1965, the club has played in the Eredivisie, with the exception of the 1983/84 and 2018/19 seasons. The Tukkers play their home matches at De Grolsch Veste. Until mid-1998, the club's home ground was Het Diekman stadium. FC Twente's traditional kit consists of an all-red kit. FC Twente became national champions for the first time in its history in the 2009/10 season. The team finished second in the Eredivisie four times and achieved a third-place finish nine times.
In addition to men's teams, FC Twente also has a women's team, which has been competing since the start of professional women's football in 2007. FC Twente has won the Women's Eredivisie ten times, most recently in the 2024/2025 season.
650 years of Enschede
Previously, Enschede's 650th anniversary was also celebrated with the residents. What did you do in 1975? Or were you too young for the memories?
In 1975, Enschede celebrates its 650th anniversary as a city. But it turns out to be a subdued celebration. Initially, the local government is completely unwilling to allocate funds for it, now that the textile industry has collapsed and the recession is looming. Eventually, however, a sum of 75.000 guilders is released, and the jubilee committee, led by former alderman Gönning, can get to work. By then it is already September 1974, three months before the jubilee year. Source: Tubantia. Are the citizens of Enschede happy with the 700th anniversary? And is there sufficient budget to celebrate the jubilee year?
25 years since the Fireworks Disaster
The Enschede fireworks disaster took place on Saturday, May 13, 2000, in the Dutch city of Enschede. A fireworks storage facility belonging to the company SE Fireworks caught fire and eventually exploded. There were 23 fatalities, including 4 firefighters, approximately 950 people were injured, and 200 homes were destroyed. The explosion was the largest explosion in the Netherlands since World War II.
SE Fireworks imported Chinese fireworks used at pop concerts. The fire started around three o'clock in the afternoon on the premises of an SE Fireworks warehouse. Approximately 900 kilograms of fireworks were stored in this warehouse. The fire spread to two containers that had been illegally stored outside the building. The fire crew that arrived on the scene could not prevent a third container from catching fire. This exploded a short time later. A chain reaction of further explosions ultimately resulted in the largest explosion: that of the central bunker. In this incident, 177 tons of fireworks went up in flames.
Video Eurovision Song Contest 2000, Linda Wagenmakers – No goodbyes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0y0zXPOggE
For the Netherlands, the Eurovision Song Contest 2000 was largely overshadowed by the fireworks disaster in Enschede, which took place on the same day. The NOS did start broadcasting the song contest at nine o'clock in the evening, but the program was halted around ten o'clock, just after the thirteenth participant, Spain. As a result, the Netherlands was still able to watch the performance of Linda Wagenmakers (No goodbyes) see, who performed second. The performance by the Olsen Brothers, the eventual winners, was fourteenth and was not broadcast until the following day, along with all the other songs and a summary of the scoring. Wagenmakers only learned what had happened in Enschede just before the scoring and agreed with the Dutch delegation that in the event of a Dutch victory, no further performance would be given in the hall. On June 12, 2000, the NOS broadcast a summary of the festival.
Beautiful Netherlands – Enschede (2011)
The characteristic features of Enschede, such as its spaciousness, the university, and the lively city center, took center stage on the "Beautiful Netherlands Enschede" stamp sheet. The issue also paid attention to Roombeek, the district that was rebuilt after the fireworks disaster in 2000. The FC Twente football stadium is also depicted on the stamp. As a result, this sheet also belongs in stamp collections with a sports or football theme. Source: Filahome. Before the fireworks disaster, no one knew the Roombeek district. Afterwards, the name of the district became known following the large-scale renewal of the area. This resulted in 23 deaths and approximately 950 injuries. Many homes were destroyed or severely damaged. Even before that disaster, there were already plans for a large-scale renewal of the district. The many old factory complexes give/gave a dilapidated impression. A number are now being renovated and made suitable for living, working, and culture. Other parts have already been demolished. In November 2007, the Municipality of Enschede won the Golden Pyramid award for the reconstruction of Roombeek. The Eekenhof (building) is prominent on the stamp.
The Eekenhof was commissioned by housing association Domijn and designed by the architectural firm Claus en Kaan, Amsterdam. At over thirty meters, the Eekenhof is the tallest building in Roombeek. Claus en Kaan Architects designed this literal high point of the district as a tapering volume, composed of spacious terraces and featuring striking protruding balconies that appear to cling to the facade. The building's facades and parapets are entirely clad in brick, creating an undulating skin. Behind the brickwork lies a diverse program, including a health center, apartments, single-family homes, and a residential group for people with disabilities. Because the program was distributed across different building sections, the Eekenhof is urbanistically embedded within the surrounding small-scale development. Moreover, this allowed for the creation of an inner courtyard around an existing oak tree. The central staircase is impressive, exuding a tremendous sense of expression. Source: Architectenweb.nl
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