Groningen (province)
Encyclopedia
Groningen ['ɣroːnɪŋə] (Gronings
: Grönnen; ) is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands
. In the east it borders the German
state of Niedersachsen
(districts of Leer
and Emsland
), in the south Drenthe
, in the west Friesland
and in the north the Wadden Sea
. The capital of the province is the city of Groningen.
near Slochteren
.
but, Groningen has many historical monuments and many old buildings in almost every villages
, Groningen became a part of the Frankish Empire
around 785. Charlemagne
assigned the Christianization of this new possession to Ludger
. In the 11th century, the city of Groningen was a village in Drenthe
that belonged to the Bishopric of Utrecht, while most of the province was in the diocese of Münster. During the Middle Ages, central control was remote, and the city of Groningen acted as a city state, exerting a dominating influence on the surrounding Ommelanden
. Around 1500, Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
gave Groningen and Friesland to Albert, Duke of Saxony
, who could however not establish permanent control. In 1514/15 Groningen came to the Duchy of Guelders
, and in 1536 to the Habsburg Netherlands
. In 1594, Groningen was conquered by the United Netherlands
, to which it belonged henceforth.
in the 19th and 20th centuries. Perhaps not coincidentally, Groningen boasts the only municipality (Beerta) where the Communist Party of the Netherlands
has ever had a mayor
(Hanneke Jagersma).
dialect
called Gronings
(Grönnegs / Grunnegs in Gronings regional language), with local nuances. Nowadays, many inhabitants of the province do not speak the dialect, especially in the city of Groningen where many outsiders have moved.
Gronings
Gronings, in the dialect itself called Grunnegs or Grönnegs, is a collective name for some Friso-Saxon dialects spoken in the province of Groningen and around the Groningen border in Drenthe and Friesland. Gronings and the strongly related varieties in East-Frisia have a strong Frisian influence...
: Grönnen; ) is the northeasternmost province 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...
. In the east it borders the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
state of Niedersachsen
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
(districts of Leer
Leer (district)
Leer is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the city of Emden, the districts of Aurich, Wittmund, Friesland, Ammerland, Cloppenburg and Emsland, and by the Netherlands ....
and Emsland
Emsland
Landkreis Emsland is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany named after the river Ems. It is bounded by the districts of Leer, Cloppenburg and Osnabrück, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia , the district of Bentheim and the Netherlands .- History :For a long time the region of the Emsland was...
), in the south Drenthe
Drenthe
Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east.-History:Drenthe, unlike many other parts of the Netherlands, has been a...
, in the west Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
and in the north 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...
. The capital of the province is the city of Groningen.
Geography
Land use in Groningen is mainly agricultural; it has a large natural gas fieldNatural gas field
Oil and natural gas are produced by the same geological process according fossil fuel suggestion: anaerobic decay of organic matter deep under the Earth's surface. As a consequence, oil and natural gas are often found together...
near Slochteren
Slochteren
Slochteren is a municipality in the northeastern Netherlands.The municipality can be characterized as a chain of small villages dividing a mostly agricultural landscape. Having an agricultural background for at least a thousand years, the community houses for the most part commuters to nearby...
.
but, Groningen has many historical monuments and many old buildings in almost every villages
History
Originally a part of FrisiaFrisia
Frisia is a coastal region along the southeastern corner of the North Sea, i.e. the German Bight. Frisia is the traditional homeland of the Frisians, a Germanic people who speak Frisian, a language group closely related to the English language...
, Groningen became a part of the Frankish Empire
Frankish Empire
Francia or Frankia, later also called the Frankish Empire , Frankish Kingdom , Frankish Realm or occasionally Frankland, was the territory inhabited and ruled by the Franks from the 3rd to the 10th century...
around 785. Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
assigned the Christianization of this new possession to Ludger
Ludger
Saint Ludger was a missionary among the Frisians and Saxons, founder of Werden Abbey and first Bishop of Münster in Westphalia....
. In the 11th century, the city of Groningen was a village in Drenthe
Drenthe
Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east.-History:Drenthe, unlike many other parts of the Netherlands, has been a...
that belonged to the Bishopric of Utrecht, while most of the province was in the diocese of Münster. During the Middle Ages, central control was remote, and the city of Groningen acted as a city state, exerting a dominating influence on the surrounding Ommelanden
Ommelanden
The Ommelanden are the parts of Groningen province that surround Groningen city. Usually mentioned as synonym for the province in the expression Stad en Ommeland ....
. Around 1500, Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...
gave Groningen and Friesland to Albert, Duke of Saxony
Albert, Duke of Saxony
Albert III was a Duke of Saxony. He was nicknamed Albert the Bold or Albert the Courageous and founded the Albertine line of the House of Wettin....
, who could however not establish permanent control. In 1514/15 Groningen came to the Duchy of Guelders
Guelders
Guelders or Gueldres is the name of a historical county, later duchy of the Holy Roman Empire, located in the Low Countries.-Geography:...
, and in 1536 to the Habsburg Netherlands
Habsburg Netherlands
The Habsburg Netherlands was a geo-political entity covering the whole of the Low Countries from 1482 to 1556/1581 and solely the Southern Netherlands from 1581 to 1794...
. In 1594, Groningen was conquered by the United Netherlands
United Netherlands
United Netherlands is an educational student-led organization that focuses on the theory and practice of international relations and diplomacy...
, to which it belonged henceforth.
Political history
East Groningen was the scene of a particularly fierce class struggleClass struggle
Class struggle is the active expression of a class conflict looked at from any kind of socialist perspective. Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels wrote "The [written] history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggle"....
in the 19th and 20th centuries. Perhaps not coincidentally, Groningen boasts the only municipality (Beerta) where the Communist Party of the Netherlands
Communist Party of the Netherlands
The Communist Party of the Netherlands was a Dutch communist political party. The CPN is one of the predecessors of the GreenLeft.- Foundation :...
has ever had a mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
(Hanneke Jagersma).
Culture
Dialect
Groningen is home to a typical Low SaxonDutch Low Saxon
Dutch Low Saxon is a group of Low Saxon, i.e. West Low German dialects spoken in the northeastern Netherlands. In comparison, the remainder of the Netherlands speak a collection of Low Franconian dialects.The class "Dutch Low Saxon" is not unanimous...
dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
called Gronings
Gronings
Gronings, in the dialect itself called Grunnegs or Grönnegs, is a collective name for some Friso-Saxon dialects spoken in the province of Groningen and around the Groningen border in Drenthe and Friesland. Gronings and the strongly related varieties in East-Frisia have a strong Frisian influence...
(Grönnegs / Grunnegs in Gronings regional language), with local nuances. Nowadays, many inhabitants of the province do not speak the dialect, especially in the city of Groningen where many outsiders have moved.
Municipalities
- AppingedamAppingedam- Population centres :Appingedam, Garreweer, Jukwerd, Laskwerd, Marsum, Oling, Opwierde, Solwerd, Tjamsweer.- Appingedam :Little is known about the exact age and origin of the name of Appingedam. It came into existence on the banks of the Delf, the present Damsterdiep, around 1200...
- BedumBedumBedum is a municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands. Populated by around 10,000 inhabitants, Bedum is one of the larger of Groningen's several satellite towns....
- BellingweddeBellingwedde- Population centres :Bellingwolde, Blijham, Klein-Ulsda, Oudeschans, Rhederbrug, Veelerveen, Vriescheloo, Wedde and Wedderveer.-External links:*...
- De MarneDe MarneDe Marne is a municipality in the northeast of the Netherlands.- Population centres :Broek, Eenrum, Hornhuizen, Houwerzijl, Kleine Huisjes, Kloosterburen, Kruisweg, Lauwersoog, Leens, Mensingeweer, Molenrij, Niekerk, Pieterburen, Schouwerzijl, Ulrum, Vierhuizen, Warfhuizen, Wehe-den Hoorn,...
- DelfzijlDelfzijlDelfzijl is a municipality and city in the northeast of the Netherlands. It is situated on the left bank of the river Ems estuary, which forms the border with Germany.-Population centres:...
- EemsmondEemsmondEemsmond is a municipality in the northeastern Netherlands.- Population centers :Eemshaven, Eppenhuizen, Kantens, Oldenzijl, Oosteinde, Oosternieland, Oudeschip, Roodeschool, Rottum, Startenhuizen, Stitswerd, Uithuizen, Uithuizermeeden, Usquert, Warffum, Zandeweer.It also includes the uninhabited...
- Groningen
- GrootegastGrootegastGrootegast is a municipality and a village in the northeastern Netherlands. It is the sister city of Kingston, Tasmania.- Population centres :Doezum, Enumatil, Faan, Grootegast, Kornhorn, Lutjegast, Niekerk, Oldekerk, Opende, Sebaldeburen....
- HarenHaren (Groningen)Haren is a municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands located in the direct urban area of the City of Groningen.- Population centres :*Essen*Glimmen*Haren*Noordlaren*Onnen-External links:*...
- Hoogezand-SappemeerHoogezand-SappemeerHoogezand-Sappemeer is a municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. It is the second largest municipality in the province of Groningen, after the city of Groningen. It is well known for its ship building industry....
- LeekLeek, NetherlandsLeek is a municipality and a village in the Groningen province in the northeastern Netherlands, bordering on the Drenthe and Fryslân provinces.The village is approximately 20 km west of Groningen on the A7 highway....
- LoppersumLoppersumLoppersum is a municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands in the province of Groningen.- Population centres :Eekwerd, Eekwerderdraai, Eenum, Fraamklap, Garrelsweer, Garsthuizen, Hoeksmeer, Honderd, Huizinge, Kolhol, Leermens, Loppersum, Lutjerijp, Lutjewijtwerd, Merum, Middelstum,...
- MarumMarumMarum is a municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands.- Population centres :Boerakker, Jonkersvaart, Lucaswolde, Marum, Niebert, Noordwijk, Nuis, De Wilp....
- MenterwoldeMenterwolde- Population centres :* Borgercompagnie* Meeden* Muntendam* Noordbroek* Tripscompagnie* Zuidbroek...
- OldambtOldambtOldambt is a municipality in the Dutch province of Groningen formed on January 1, 2010, by a fusion of the municipalities Reiderland, Scheemda and Winschoten....
- PekelaPekela- Local government :The municipal government of Pekela consists of 15 seats, which are divided as follows:...
- SlochterenSlochterenSlochteren is a municipality in the northeastern Netherlands.The municipality can be characterized as a chain of small villages dividing a mostly agricultural landscape. Having an agricultural background for at least a thousand years, the community houses for the most part commuters to nearby...
- StadskanaalStadskanaalStadskanaal is a Canal, municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands.The area is known for its peat mining.- Population centres :...
- Ten BoerTen Boer- Population centres :Garmerwolde, Lellens, Sint Annen, Ten Post, Thesinge, Winneweer, Wittewierum and Woltersum.-External links:*...
- VeendamVeendamVeendam is a municipality and a town in the northeastern Dutch province of Groningen.A Holland America Line cruise ship, the MS Veendam, is named after the city.- Population centres :...
- VlagtweddeVlagtweddeVlagtwedde is a municipality in the very southeast of Groningen province in the northeastern Netherlands with seat of local government in the community of Sellingen...
- WinsumWinsumWinsum is a municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands.The town of Winsum was officially established in 1057 as the fusion of three historic villages: Obergum , Winsum and Bellingeweer...
- ZuidhornZuidhornZuidhorn is a municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands. Due to a municipal reoganisation in 1990, Zuidhorn was extended when it merged with, though not physically connected to Oldehove, Grijpskerk and Aduard. It is a pleasant town, which depends largely on the city of Groningen...
People from Groningen Province
- Abel TasmanAbel TasmanAbel Janszoon Tasman was a Dutch seafarer, explorer, and merchant, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the VOC . His was the first known European expedition to reach the islands of Van Diemen's Land and New Zealand and to sight the Fiji islands...
, Explorer - Cornelis DopperCornelis DopperCornelis 'Kees' Dopper was a Dutch composer, conductor and teacher.-Reputation:Dopper's reputation as a composer has suffered from the accusation of being 'too German' for much of his career, and still haunts him to this day...
, conductor and composer - Albert EckhoutAlbert EckhoutAlbert Eckhout was a Dutch portrait and still life painter.Eckhout was among the first European artists to paint scenes from the New World. In 1636, he traveled to Dutch Brazil, invited by count John Maurice, Prince of Nassau-Siegen. There, he painted portraits of natives, slaves and mulattos...
, painter - Ede StaalEde StaalEde Ulfert Staal was a Dutch singer-songwriter from the Northern province of Groningen who sang mainly in the Groninger dialect of Dutch.-Early life:...
, singer-songwriter - Wiebbe HayesWiebbe HayesWiebbe Hayes was a colonial soldier from Winschoten, Netherlands. Hayes became a national hero after he led a group of soldiers, sailors and other survivors of the shipwreck of the Batavia against the murderous mutineers led by Jeronimus Cornelisz at the Houtman Abrolhos Islands , off the Western...
, a Dutch soldier and national hero in the 17th century - Lenie 't HartLenie 't HartLenie 't Hart is a Dutch animal rights activist. In 1971, she foundedseal rehabilitation centre Zeehondencrèche in Pieterburen, Groningen. She treats ill and weak seals for a certain period and then releases them back into the wild.-Notes:See also: Anonymous 1983...
, animal rightsAnimal rightsAnimal rights, also known as animal liberation, is the idea that the most basic interests of non-human animals should be afforded the same consideration as the similar interests of human beings...
activist - Jozef IsraëlsJozef IsraëlsJozef Israëls was a Dutch painter, and "the most respected Dutch artist of the second half of the nineteenth century".-Youth:...
, painter - Aletta JacobsAletta JacobsAletta Henriëtte Jacobs, better known as Aletta Jacobs was the first woman to complete a university course in the Netherlands and the first female physician. She was born to a Jewish doctor's family in Sappemeer...
, first woman to study medicineMedicineMedicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
in the Netherlands - Freek de JongeFreek de JongeFrederik "Freek" Jan Georg de Jonge is a Dutch cabaret performer, singer, comedian and blogger.-Early life and career:...
, cabaretCabaretCabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
artist - Jurrie KoolhofJurrie KoolhofJurjen Jacob Koolhof is a former Dutch international football striker and manager.As a player, Koolhof had a long and productive career, with 190 league goals. He played for a number of clubs in the Netherlands including Vitesse Arnhem, F.C. Groningen and PSV Eindhoven...
, former football striker. Played 106 matches for PSV Eindhoven - Gerrit KrolGerrit KrolGerrit Krol is a Dutch author, essayist and writer.Krol studied mathematics and worked with Royal Dutch Shell and some of its operating units as computer programmer and system designer. Krol's debut consisted of poems published in 1961 in various Dutch literary magazins. In 1962 his first book De...
, writer - Jan MulderJan Mulder (footballer)For other Jan Mulders see Jan MulderJohan Mulder is a former Dutch football striker who played for R.S.C. Anderlecht and AFC Ajax. He also played five matches for the Netherlands, scoring once. Mulder was topscorer of the 1966-67 season in the Belgian Jupiler League...
, former football player. Played for Ajax AmsterdamAjax AmsterdamAmsterdamsche Football Club Ajax , also referred to as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam or simply Ajax , is a professional football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands... - Arjen RobbenArjen RobbenArjen Robben is a Dutch footballer who plays for the German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Though often classified as a forward, he usually plays behind the forwards as a winger, and he is also known for his dribbling skills...
, footballer - Autumn, Band
- NoisiaNoisiaNoisia, stylized as NOISIΛ , is a Dutch Electronic music trio consisting of members Nik Roos, Martijn van Sonderen and Thijs de Vlieger from Groningen, The Netherlands. They now produce a wide variety of music including drum and bass, dubstep, breakbeat and house music...
, Band
External links
- Website of the Province
- Flag
- Website of the Capital City
- Alternative Website of the Capital City (Local Shops and Small Businesses)
- Map of Groningen
- Website of the University
- Website of the Polytechnic
- Map of Province
