Wormer

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Wormer is a town in The Netherlands. It lies in the Zaanstreek region, about 10 miles (16 km) northwest of Amsterdam; Zaanstreek is part of the Dutch province of Noord Holland. Wormer is on the east side of the river Zaan, opposite the town of Wormerveer. Since 1991 Wormer is no longer independent but forms a single municipality, called Wormerland, with the communities of Jisp, Neck, Oostknollendam, Spijkerboor, and Wijdewormer. In 2007 Wormer had 13 130 inhabitants and an area of 16 km2 of which more than 4 km2 is water. The town is surrounded by the nature preservation areas Wormer- and Jisperveld.

Wormer is one of the oldest villages in the Zaanstreek. It is mentioned as early as 1063 in a list of the Egmond Abbey, but in all likelihood the village is older. In 1280 the Wormer villagers resisted several attacks by the Frisians and for their courage they were rewarded by count Floris V of Holland with freedom of toll, an important privilege in those days.

During the eighty-year war there was a battle between the Spanish troops and the revolutionary calling themselves Gueux (beggars). On May 30, 1574, 1400 Spanish troops tried to conquer Wormer and Jisp, but they were defeated and suffered heavy losses. After that defeat, the Spanish lost control of that part of Holland for good.

Wormer was very prosperous during the 16th and 17th centuries because of their many rusk ("Tweeback", literally baked twice, a kind of biscuit) bakeries. Rusk from Wormer was an important food on board the ships of the Dutch East India Company. Other important industrial activities in the town during that period were the production of starch and the processing of whale blubber. At least 66 windmills were once present in Wormer, but only one windmill (de Koker) has been preserved.