Amsterdam's party is stealing the show, but Ter Aar is also turning 750 this year

Amsterdam is not the only Dutch place celebrating its 750th anniversary this year. Ter Aar is celebrating the same milestone, and the picturesque village is also celebrating all year. “What they have on a large scale, we have on a small scale,” one local told Omroep West.

Ter Aar has been celebrating its 750th anniversary for almost the entire year with parties, sporting events, and even a joint church service. A special exhibit about this milestone is also on display at the local museum.

Amsterdam was granted its city rights 750 years ago today, but Ter Aar’s birth date cannot be determined that precisely. “The village is older, but the first written mention of Ter Aar was in 1275,” Flip Vonk (81), chairman of the local Cultural History Society, told Omroep West. Ter Aar merged with Nieuwkoop and Liemeer in 2007 and now also includes the villages of Aardam, Korteraar, Langeraar, and Papenveer.

At the Heilige Adrianus church in Langeraar, Betsie Van Hameren (72) told Omroep West about her connection to the village. “My husband was born here, and so were our children. I was born in Aardam myself.” In this little area around the imposing church building, all stages of life converge, she said. “This is the heart of Langelaar. There’s a school here, but also apartments, a care facility for the elderly, and a cemetery.”

Martin Vermeulen (65) was born and raised in Papenveer. He has seen Ter Aar change considerably over his lifespan. “This was a market gardening village. In the past, vegetables were brought here from Langeraar by barge to be auctioned. Later, flowers took their place,” he told the regional broadcaster. “These days, nothing is grown in Ter Aar anymore. And there are hardly any cargo ships anymore. That’s all outdated. A shame? Well, times change.”

What hasn’t changed is the nature of the people. “People from Ter Aar are doers and hard workers,” Martin said. “People with opinions, but who enjoy each other’s company. We have a fair, markets, and neighborhood parties. So it’s certainly not a dull affair here.”

Flip agrees. "It's a quiet village with a thriving community life, although that has dwindled somewhat after the pandemic. A close-knit community, too, where everyone thinks of each other.”