Hardinxveld-Giessendam

Hardinxveld-Giessendam is a municipality in the western Netherlands, inside the province of South Holland. It is positioned approximately 10 km east of Dordrecht, at the river Beneden-Merwede. The municipality had a population of 17,952 in 2017 and covers a place of 19.35 km2 of which 2.43 km2 is water. The municipality of Hardinxveld-Giessendam includes the 2 population centres Giessendam Neder-Hardinxveld and Boven-Hardinxveld. Until they have been merged in 1957 Giessendam and Hardinxveld had been two municipalities, inclusive of only some streets and dykes and only a few thousand inhabitants.

The village Hardinxveld is one of the oldest settlements of the Alblasserwaard. It is thought that during 1105 a priest turned into present here, and therefore a church as properly. Since 1282, Hardinxveld have become a grand fiefdom. Through the centuries it suffered from warfare inclusive of the Gelder Wars and the Eighty Years' War.