Holten
Encyclopedia
Holten is a small village in the municipality of Rijssen-Holten
in the Dutch
province of Overijssel
, with approximately 10,000 inhabitants. Holten is located in an ample-forested area, just south of the Holterberg. This hill, which is about 65m high, is part of the "Sallandse Heuvelrug" National Park
. The National Park is the only area in the Netherlands in which the black grouse
(in Dutch
: korhoen) can be found. This grouse population is on the brink of extinction. Therefore, parts of the National Park are closed to the public during breeding season, as a protective measure.
Holten hosts the Netherlands' second-largest World War II
cemetery, where the remains of mostly Canadian casualties of war lie buried. This cemetery is located about 3 km north-east of the Holten railroad station, in the woods. The cemetery is accessible by car through a number of sand roads.
The scenic location of Holten has stimulated considerable tourism in the village, which is accommodated by a number of commendable hotels and camp sites. During the summer, the number of tourists exceeds the number of locals.
Holten has a railway station on the Deventer
-Almelo
railway line (Holten railway station
), which is served twice per hour.
Holten is the home village of Olympic 1500m speed skating gold medalist Mark Tuitert
, jazz
trombonist Wolter Wierbos
, and film and documentary
director
and Academy Award winner Bert Haanstra
.
. The local variety is considered a member of the Sallaands sub-dialect, with a few Tweants traits that are a natural result of the village's proximity to Tweante. While in surrounding communities dialect use is relatively widespread, Holten has seen a decline over the past few decades.
Rijssen-Holten
Rijssen-Holten is a municipality in the eastern Netherlands, in the province of Overijssel.The municipality was formed in 2001 by the joining of the municipalities of Holten and Rijssen...
in the Dutch
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...
province of Overijssel
Overijssel
Overijssel is a province of the Netherlands in the central eastern part of the country. The region has a NUTS classification of NL21. The province's name means "Lands across river IJssel". The capital city of Overijssel is Zwolle and the largest city is Enschede...
, with approximately 10,000 inhabitants. Holten is located in an ample-forested area, just south of the Holterberg. This hill, which is about 65m high, is part of the "Sallandse Heuvelrug" National Park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
. The National Park is the only area in the Netherlands in which the black grouse
Grouse
Grouse are a group of birds from the order Galliformes. They are sometimes considered a family Tetraonidae, though the American Ornithologists' Union and many others include grouse as a subfamily Tetraoninae in the family Phasianidae...
(in Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
: korhoen) can be found. This grouse population is on the brink of extinction. Therefore, parts of the National Park are closed to the public during breeding season, as a protective measure.
Holten hosts the Netherlands' second-largest World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
cemetery, where the remains of mostly Canadian casualties of war lie buried. This cemetery is located about 3 km north-east of the Holten railroad station, in the woods. The cemetery is accessible by car through a number of sand roads.
The scenic location of Holten has stimulated considerable tourism in the village, which is accommodated by a number of commendable hotels and camp sites. During the summer, the number of tourists exceeds the number of locals.
Holten has a railway station on the Deventer
Deventer
Deventer is a municipality and city in the Salland region of the Dutch province of Overijssel. Deventer is largely situated on the east bank of the river IJssel, but also has a small part of its territory on the west bank. In 2005 the municipality of Bathmen Deventer is a municipality and city in...
-Almelo
Almelo
Almelo is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands. The main population centres in the town are Aadorp, Almelo, Mariaparochie and Bornerbroek....
railway line (Holten railway station
Holten railway station
Holten is a railway station located in Holten, The Netherlands. The station was opened on 1 September 1886 and is located on the Deventer–Almelo railway...
), which is served twice per hour.
Holten is the home village of Olympic 1500m speed skating gold medalist Mark Tuitert
Mark Tuitert
Mark Tuitert ; born April 4, 1980 in Holten, Overijssel) is a Dutch speed skater. He won gold at the 1500m sprint at the 2010 Winter Olympics.-Personal life:Tuitert married fellow Dutch speed skater Helen van Goozen in 2009...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
trombonist Wolter Wierbos
Wolter Wierbos
Wolter Wierbos is a Dutch jazz trombonist.Wierbos has played throughout Europe, Canada, USA and Asia...
, and film and documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and Academy Award winner Bert Haanstra
Bert Haanstra
Bert Haanstra was a Dutch film and documentary director.Haanstra was born in the town of Holten and became a professional filmmaker in 1947. He won international acclaim with his short documentary Spiegel van Holland / Mirror of Holland, for which he received the Grand Prix du court métrage at the...
.
Dialect
Next to Standard Dutch, the local inhabitants speak a variety of Dutch 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...
. The local variety is considered a member of the Sallaands sub-dialect, with a few Tweants traits that are a natural result of the village's proximity to Tweante. While in surrounding communities dialect use is relatively widespread, Holten has seen a decline over the past few decades.