Smallingerland
Smallingerland
Smellingerlân | |
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Municipality | |
UTC+2 (CEST) | |
Postcode | 8497, 9200–9223 |
Area code | 0512, 0566 |
Website | www |
Smallingerland (Dutch:
Population centres
History
The name "Smallingerland" is derived from the former hamlet Smalle Ee, which used to have a major monastery. In the 14th century the annual fair of Smalle Ee became equally important as the ones of Leeuwarden and Dokkum. The name Drachten is possibly a derivative from the old Frisian word Darch, meaning "peaty soil".
The central function of Drachten in the district goes back to 1641. A Holland businessman thought it would pay to exploit the peat. 800 workers were employed to dig the Drachtstervaart canal. The peat exploitation was a disappointment, but the construction of the Drachtstervaart canal triggered other activities, such as shipbuilding. The typical peat bog landscape can still be seen, particularly near Drachtstercompagnie. Since the 1950s Drachten developed rapidly. Right now, Drachten has an important function in the region. Smallingerland has thirteen smaller villages besides Drachten, the largest being Opeinde, with 1,731 residents, the smallest being Smalle Ee, with 57 villagers.
The 1998 publication Het Gezicht van Smallingerland ("The Face of Smallingerland") gives a clear and easy to read overview of the district's history. A few passages from this publication:
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Notary Public J. G. van Blom wrote those words of praise about his hometown in 1840. Most of the 3,000 residents from those days would have had no chance to enjoy the umbrageous scenery; people had to make a living and after work little spare time was left. Some 200 years earlier, in 1640, the hamlets of Drachten North and Drachten South were little more than a small church and some farm houses. Other villages in the region were older, bigger and more important, for example
In 1641 farmers in Drachten North and Drachten South entered into an agreement with financers from the province of Holland, the Drachten Associates. One of these moneylenders was businessman
In the 17th century, the governor of Smallingerland—the predecessor of today's mayor—was located in Oudega, which had taken over the annual fairs from Smalle Ee. After completion of the Drachtstervaart, the economic activities, and therefore also the annual fairs, had moved to Drachten; it would only be a matter of time for the District Council to follow. This was the basis for the current structure of Smallingerland: Drachten with more than 44,000 residents and the thirteen surrounding villages totalling more than 10,000 residents. Along the "lush road-sides" from the notary public Van Blom-era residential areas have mushroomed and businesses, big and small, opened their doors. As far as employment opportunities are concerned, Smallingerland is the fourth-best district in the north of the Netherlands and ranks number two within the province of Friesland. Shopping centre, nightlife, education, and health care are focused on a
Notable people
- Professor Pieter Klazes Pel (1852 in Smallingerland – 1919) a Dutch physician and professor of internal medicine
- Pier Pander (1864 in Drachten – 1919) a Dutch sculptor and designer of medals
- Herman Theodoor Colenbrander (1871 in Drachten – 1945) a Dutch historian and academic
- S.H. de Roos (1877 in Drachten - 1962) a Dutch type designer, book cover designer and artist.
- Fedde Schurer (1898 in Drachten – 1968) a Dutch schoolteacher, journalist, language activist and politician
- Hendrik Kloosterman (1900 in Rottevalle – 1968) a Dutch mathematician, worked on number theory
- Cisca Wijmenga (born 1964 in Drachten) a Dutch professor of Human Genetics
- Zanger Rinus (born 1969 in Drachten) a Dutch singer
- Erik Bosgraaf (born 1980 in Drachten) a Dutch recorder player and musicologist
- Tim Douwsma (born 1987 in Drachten) a Dutch singer [5]
- Iris Kroes (born 1992 in Drachten) a Dutch singer-songwriter and harpist
- Maurice de Jong (born 1973) a Dutch composer and musician
Sport
- Jan Lammers (1926 in Drachten – 2011) a Dutch sprinter, competed at the 1948 Summer Olympics
- Jeen van den Berg (1928 in De Veenhoop – 2014) a Dutch long track speed skater, competed at the 1956 and 1960 Winter Olympics
- Alie Boorsma (born 1959 in Drachten) a retired speed skater, competed at the 1984 Winter Olympics
Partner cities
References
- ^ "Jan Rijpstra" (in Dutch). Gemeente Smallingerland. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
- ^ "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2020" [Key figures for neighbourhoods 2020]. StatLine (in Dutch). CBS. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
- ^ "Postcodetool for 9203RM". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Retrieved 25 September 2013.
- ^ "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
- ^ IMDb Database retrieved 10 September 2019
- ^ a b "Smallingerland steekt geen energie meer in zusterstad Kiryat Ono | Drachtster Courant".
- ^ https://www.namibianederland.net/img/pdf/smallingerland-and-gobabis.pdf [bare URL PDF]
External links
- Media related to Smallingerland at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website
- Website with a lot of old pictures of Drachten (Dragten.NL)