For a long time Bussum was a hamlet situated in the heathlands of the
Gooi and was first mentioned in 1306. At this time, Bussum was shown on maps as a large heathland with many small farms, sheep pens and forests. Since Bussum was situated near the fortified town of
Naarden it was governed by Naarden from 1369. In 1470 Bussum had about 250 inhabitants, which made it the smallest village in the Gooi. Bussum became independent from Naarden in 1817, yet it was not until the arrival of a railway line in 1874 that Bussum began to flourish. Two train stations were built in the town, that still exist today: Naarden-Bussum and Bussum Zuid (
Dutch for Bussum South), both on the connection between Amsterdam and Hilversum. The stations and the road network fostered the town's status as a satellite town of Amsterdam, allowing for
reverse commute also to
Hilversum. From 1898 until 1907, Bussum housed the first Dutch
socialist colony after the example of
Thoreau's
Walden, set up by the writer and psychiatrist
Frederik van Eeden. In 1951, Bussum hosted the first Dutch national TV broadcast and the national TV studios were located there until 1964. Bussum merged with the local municipalities of Naarden,
Muiden and
Muiderberg on 1 January 2016. In October 2014, the combined town councils chose the name
Gooise Meren for the new municipality, the other options being Naarden-Bussum and Naardingerland. == Local government ==