This is where the name Seghwaert comes from and this is how you spell it correctly

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We all know the Seghwaert district of Zoetermeer. But you also regularly see the names Zegwaart and Zegwaard. Is this the same thing or are we all spelling the name wrong? Time to unravel this mystery.

Zegwaart is the name of the village that was a twin village with Zoetermeer before 1935. Stand at the intersection of Dorpsstraat with the Delftse- and Leidsewallen and look in the direction of Vlamingstraat and Voorweg. This part used to form Zoetermeer. Now turn around and look via the Dorpsstraat towards the Schinkelweg and Zegwaardeweg. This used to be the village of Zegwaart. In 1935, both villages were merged into one village under the name Zoetermeer.

Soetermeer

Where does the spelling Zegwaard come from? The Soetermeer – Zegwaard train station was built in 1870. The spelling of the village of Zoetermeer at the time was Soetermeer. The village of Zegwaart was spelled with a t and not with a d. The name was probably taken from an old map because we see this name on a map from 1750. The station was closed to passenger traffic in 1938.

When the train station was opened again in 1965 it was called Zoetermeer and since 1973 the station has been called Zoetermeer-Oost.

Cards

Photo: Rijnland Water Board, map from 1687 with Zegwaard

Photo: Schieland Water Board, 1750

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Seghwaert Zoetermeer
Seghwaert Zoetermeer

And that’s how you write it

And now back to the spelling of the Seghwaert district. This spelling, as we use it now, is seen on old maps as the name for the former village of Zegwaart. As Zoetermeer grew more and more, names had to be given for the new neighborhoods. Since the twin village of Zegwaart no longer existed, the municipality thought this name, but written in the old way, was appropriate for a Zoetermeer neighborhood. So it’s SEGHWAERT (and don’t forget that ‘h’ in between!)

Source: Wilco Pot / Historical Society Soetermeer

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