De Marne
Encyclopedia
De Marne is a municipality
in the northeast of the Netherlands
.
, Hornhuizen, Houwerzijl
, Kleine Huisjes, Kloosterburen
, Kruisweg, Lauwersoog, Leens
, Mensingeweer, Molenrij, Niekerk, Pieterburen
, Schouwerzijl, Ulrum
, Vierhuizen, Warfhuizen
, Wehe-den Hoorn, Westernieland, Zoutkamp
, Zuurdijk.
, adjoining the Wadden Sea
. It has about 11,000 inhabitants, covers an area of 240 square kilometres and encompasses 21 villages.
De Marne is mainly an agricultural area, focussing on crop
growing and cattle
farming. The fishing
industry also plays an important role. Bulb
cultivation is also an up-and-coming commercial endeavour.
s, cyclepaths, and sailing
/canoe
ing routes. Of particular interest are the so-called 'maren': narrow waterways twisting and turning their way throughout the countryside. They are particularly suitable for recreational sailing and canoeing. The many marked walks, cycle routes and sail and drive routes connect all of the various villages.
crèche in Pieterburen
, the centre for mud flat walking and the Lauwersmeer
area, there are also some other attractions. For instance, there is the Borg Verhildersum in Leens, Abraham's Mustard
Museum in Eenrum and many churches, tower
s, listed heritage farms, terps and protected village settings. There are also famous church organs built by Arp Schnitger
, Lohman (family) and Hinsz.
of Our Lady the Garden Enclosed
in Warfhuizen
is a popular Marian shrine. Processions go from Wehe-den Hoorn to Warfhuizen four or five times a year. A unique devotional practice is the 'swapping of the handkerchief'. According to Spanish tradition the statue of the crying Virgin
usually holds a white handkerchief. The faithfull bring a new white handkerchief and give it to the hermit to swap it with the one the Virgin has been holding which, in turn, is then given to someone sick or lonely. Students take it to their exams to calm their nerves.
s, bakers
, upholsterers and distillers work together to produce old-fashioned spelt grain, flour, bread, gin and cushions filled with spelt husks.
, Leens and Ulrum were joined together. The local government employs about 115 people.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the northeast of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Population centres
Broek, EenrumEenrum
Eenrum is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of De Marne, 17 km northwest of the city of Groningen.Eenrum was a separate municipality until 1990, when it was merged with Ulrum, Kloosterburen and Leens....
, Hornhuizen, Houwerzijl
Houwerzijl
Houwerzijl is a small village in the Netherlands; it is located in the municipality of De Marne, Groningen. The village took its name from the nearby lock on the Houwerzijlstervaart...
, Kleine Huisjes, Kloosterburen
Kloosterburen
Kloosterburen is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of De Marne.Kloosterburen was a separate municipality until 1990, when it was merged with Leens, Ulrum and Eenrum. During the combining of the four municipalities they were called 'de LEUK...
, Kruisweg, Lauwersoog, Leens
Leens
Leens is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of De Marne.Leens was a separate municipality until 1990, when it was merged with Ulrum, Eenrum and Kloosterburen....
, Mensingeweer, Molenrij, Niekerk, Pieterburen
Pieterburen
The small village of Pieterburen is situated in the northern part of the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. Pieterburen is part of the municipality of De Marne.Pieterburen is situated on the ‘Hogeland’ of Groningen...
, Schouwerzijl, Ulrum
Ulrum
Ulrum is a small village/town in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of De Marne.Ulrum was a separate municipality until 1990, when it merged with Eenrum, Kloosterburen, and Leens. The new municipality was called Ulrum at first, but was renamed to De Marne in...
, Vierhuizen, Warfhuizen
Warfhuizen
Warfhuizen is a village in Groningen, a province in the extreme North of the Netherlands. It is situated in the municipality of the Marne....
, Wehe-den Hoorn, Westernieland, Zoutkamp
Zoutkamp
Zoutkamp is a town in De Marne, Groningen in the Netherlands.Until 2008 it was the site of a ground station of the Dutch Nationale SIGINT Organisatie , which intercepted satellite communications much like the U.S. National Security Agency.-External links:*...
, Zuurdijk.
A brief description
The municipality of De Marne lies in the north-western part of the province of GroningenGroningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
, adjoining the Wadden Sea
Wadden Sea
The Wadden Sea is an intertidal zone in the southeastern part of the North Sea. It lies between the coast of northwestern continental Europe and the range of Frisian Islands, forming a shallow body of water with tidal flats and wetlands. It is rich in biological diversity...
. It has about 11,000 inhabitants, covers an area of 240 square kilometres and encompasses 21 villages.
De Marne is mainly an agricultural area, focussing on crop
Crop
Crop may refer to:* Crop, a plant grown and harvested for agricultural use* Crop , part of the alimentary tract of some animals* Crop , a modified whip used in horseback riding or disciplining humans...
growing and cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
farming. The fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
industry also plays an important role. Bulb
Bulb
A bulb is a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf bases. The leaves often function as food storage organs during dormancy.A bulb's leaf bases, known as scales, generally do not support leaves, but contain food reserves to enable the plant to survive adverse conditions. At the center of the bulb is...
cultivation is also an up-and-coming commercial endeavour.
Maren
De Marne has a large network of footpathLong-distance trail
Long-distance trails are the longer recreational trails mainly through rural areas, used for non-motorised recreational travelling ....
s, cyclepaths, and sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
/canoe
Canoe
A canoe or Canadian canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes are usually pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be decked over A canoe (North American English) or Canadian...
ing routes. Of particular interest are the so-called 'maren': narrow waterways twisting and turning their way throughout the countryside. They are particularly suitable for recreational sailing and canoeing. The many marked walks, cycle routes and sail and drive routes connect all of the various villages.
Special attractions
Besides the well-known attractions such as the sealPinniped
Pinnipeds or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semiaquatic marine mammals comprising the families Odobenidae , Otariidae , and Phocidae .-Overview: Pinnipeds are typically sleek-bodied and barrel-shaped...
crèche in Pieterburen
Pieterburen
The small village of Pieterburen is situated in the northern part of the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. Pieterburen is part of the municipality of De Marne.Pieterburen is situated on the ‘Hogeland’ of Groningen...
, the centre for mud flat walking and the Lauwersmeer
Lauwersmeer
Lauwersmeer is a man-made lake in the north of the Netherlands, on the border of the provinces of Groningen and Friesland. The lake was formed on 1969-05-23, when the dike between the bay called "Lauwers Sea" and the Wadden Sea was closed....
area, there are also some other attractions. For instance, there is the Borg Verhildersum in Leens, Abraham's Mustard
Mustard (condiment)
Mustard is a condiment made from the seeds of a mustard plant...
Museum in Eenrum and many churches, tower
Tower
A tower is a tall structure, usually taller than it is wide, often by a significant margin. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires....
s, listed heritage farms, terps and protected village settings. There are also famous church organs built by Arp Schnitger
Arp Schnitger
Arp Schnitger was a highly influential German organ builder. He was primarily active in Northern Europe, especially the Netherlands and Germany, where a number of his instruments survive to the present day; his organs can also be found as far away as Portugal and Brazil.Notable examples still in...
, Lohman (family) and Hinsz.
Pilgrimage
The hermitageHermitage (religious retreat)
Although today's meaning is usually a place where a hermit lives in seclusion from the world, hermitage was more commonly used to mean a settlement where a person or a group of people lived religiously, in seclusion.-Western Christian Tradition:...
of Our Lady the Garden Enclosed
Our Lady the Garden Enclosed
The Hermitage of Our Lady, the Garden Enclosed is situated in the former parish church of Warfhuizen, a village in the extreme north of the Netherlands. The name draws upon the traditional epithet for the Virgin Mary of hortus conclusus or enclosed garden.The hermitage was founded in 2001 as the...
in Warfhuizen
Warfhuizen
Warfhuizen is a village in Groningen, a province in the extreme North of the Netherlands. It is situated in the municipality of the Marne....
is a popular Marian shrine. Processions go from Wehe-den Hoorn to Warfhuizen four or five times a year. A unique devotional practice is the 'swapping of the handkerchief'. According to Spanish tradition the statue of the crying Virgin
Blessed Virgin Mary (Roman Catholic)
Roman Catholic veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary is based on Holy Scripture: In the fullness of time, God sent his son, born of a virgin. The mystery of the incarnation of the Son of God through Mary thus signifies her honour as Mother of God...
usually holds a white handkerchief. The faithfull bring a new white handkerchief and give it to the hermit to swap it with the one the Virgin has been holding which, in turn, is then given to someone sick or lonely. Students take it to their exams to calm their nerves.
The Lauwersmeer area
The Lauwersmeer area is a nature area suitable for fishing, bird watching, walking, and cycling. It features a few waters ports. The area covers about 90 square kilometres. The Lauwersmeer area came into existence when the Lauwerszee was closed off in 1969. Over the years the salt has slowly retreated from the water and new countryside has emerged.Local products
There are a number of typical products of the area. An example of this is the 'Spelt Project'. This project ensures the production of pure local products. Farmers, millerMiller
A miller usually refers to a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a cereal crop to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents in other languages around the world...
s, bakers
Bakers
Baker's is a supermarket chain operating primarily in the metro area of Omaha, Nebraska. It is owned by Kroger.-History:Abraham Baker opened his first grocery store in Walnut, Iowa in 1927. His first Omaha-area store opened in Bellevue, Nebraska in 1947, and his first in Omaha itself opened in 1957...
, upholsterers and distillers work together to produce old-fashioned spelt grain, flour, bread, gin and cushions filled with spelt husks.
Municipal reorganisation
The municipality came into being in 1990 when the smaller municipalities of Eenrum, KloosterburenKloosterburen
Kloosterburen is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of De Marne.Kloosterburen was a separate municipality until 1990, when it was merged with Leens, Ulrum and Eenrum. During the combining of the four municipalities they were called 'de LEUK...
, Leens and Ulrum were joined together. The local government employs about 115 people.