Alphen aan den Rijn (Alphen upon Rhine) is a city of just over 110 000 people on the banks of the Oude Rijn (Old Rhine). The area around Alphen aan den Rijn has had people here since Roman times. The area formed the north border of the Roman Empire. Germanic raids ended Roman rule in 240.  Alphen aan den Rijn was created in 1918 with the amalgamation of the smaller municipalities of Alphen, Aarlanderveen, and Oudshoorn. In 1964, Zwammerdam was added, and in 2014, Boskoop and Rijnwoude were amalgamated in Alphen aan den Rijn.  The city centre is undergoing an urban renewal with many buildings from the 1950s being demolished for new buildings with modern architecture. New public squares, the construction of performing arts areas, and the creation of pedestrian streets are all making the city centre more user friendly.