Assen - capital of the province of Drenthe
Assen is a municipality and a city in the north eastern Netherlands, capital of the province of Drenthe.
Assen received city rights in 1809.
Assen's main claim to fame is the motorcycle racing circuit, where on the last Saturday in June the Dutch TT is run.
In November of each year Assen becomes the centre of international attention for the world of Ballroom and Latin American dancers when the city hosts the Assen Dance Festival which includes the "Dutch Open Championships". This is an Open event for dancers from all countries and all dance bodies and a magnet for those who are or aspire to be "the best"
The Assen Motorcycle Grand Prix is the most famous in the world and is the only circuit that has been in the MotoGP calendar since 1949. It is also regarded as the Cathedral of Motorcycle Racing.
The original Assen track was first used for the 1925 Dutch TT race, held on country roads through the villages of Borger, Schoonloo and Grolloo, and organized by the Motorclub Assen en Omstreken. The brick-paved track had a length of 17.75 miles (28.57 km). The winner was Piet van Wijngaarden on a 500 cc Norton with an average speed of 91.4 kilometers per hour (56.8 mph).
The current Assen race track was built in 1955, and initially had a length of 7,705 meters (4.788 mi). The current track has a length of 4,555 meters (2.83 mi). The longest straight is 560 meters (0.348 mi). The curves in Assen were traditionally banked and the surface is extremely grippy, so the riders were able to drive much faster on the course than other circuits. Today these sloped or curved bends have been modified due to safety issues.
Growth
After WWII, Assen didn't have more than 20.000 inhabitants. The Assen TT made the city more known, but only because of the indication as an industry core at the end of the 50's came the speed. The 'Nederlands Aardolie Maatschappij' (Dutch Oil Company) established itself in the city and with that, a trend was set, which has since continued. Now, Assen isn't only known because of its TT, Bartje en the 'Drentse Rijwielvierdaagse'. It also is the fastest growing city in the northern part of the Netherlands, has ample employment opportunities, particularly in the service industry.
An unprecedented growth of the city in terms of houses & inhabitants is taking place with environmental issues becoming more urgent.
