Zeeburg (Dutch pronunciation:[ˈzeːˌbʏr(ə)x]) is a former
borough of
Amsterdam. It had 52,701 residents (January 2009) and an area of 19.31 km². The construction of new islands to the east called
IJburg made it the most rapidly growing borough of Amsterdam. On 1 May 2010 Zeeburg merged with the borough of
Amsterdam-Oost.
History
The borough, which was created in 1990, got its name from the Zeeburgerdijk (Zeeburg dike) and the Zeeburgereiland (Zeeburg island) which lie in the centre of the borough. The Zeeburgerdijk is named after the fort ‘Seeburg’ which in the 17th century was part of the
dike that protected land from the
Zuiderzee. This dike connected Amsterdam and
Muiden and was the only land route to
Naarden before the
Watergraafsmeer was drained. From the end of the 19th century, with the construction of the Oostelijk Havengebied (Eastern Harbour) and the residential Indische Buurt, the area has slowly become part of the city. For the
1928 Summer Olympics, its
shooting range was used for the
shooting part of the
modern pentathlon events.[1]
Character
Oostenlijk Havengebied seen from Central Station
These three areas (
IJburg,
Oostelijk Havengebied and the
Indische Buurt) have different characters. IJburg is still under construction and generally contains middle-class housing. IJburg is also far from the city center. The Oostelijk Havengebied is an upper class area and has an urban character with some of the highest densities in the country. The Indische Buurt, on the other hand, is more working-class and has a large immigrant population. Attempts are currently being made to upgrade the housing in this neighbourhood.
