Nieuw-Amsterdam

Nieuw-Amsterdam is a village in Drenthe, The Netherlands, bordering the village of Veenoord. Tweelingdorp (twin village), a common name for both village, reflects this topographical relationship. For example, the train station was located in Veenoord, while its exit was in Nieuw-Amsterdam. Nevertheless, up to the restructuring of the municipalities in Drenthe, in 1998, both villages were separated by administrative structures. Since then, both villages are part of the municipality of Emmen.

In 1850, a group of investors from Amsterdam bought a tract of peatland and named it after their own city: Amsterdamscheveld ("field of Amsterdam"). The settlement that was built near these lands several years later was naturally called Nieuw-Amsterdam.

The settlement developed itself quickly because of the peat trade. Drenthe therefore acquired the nickname Drents California. The only difference was that there was no gold in the ground, but peat. Important for the development of the village was that it is situated along the canal called the Verlengde Hoogeveensevaart.