Usselo
Encyclopedia
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...
of Enschede
Enschede
Enschede , also known as Eanske in the local dialect of Twents, is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands in the province of Overijssel and in the Twente region...
in the eastern 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 region of Twente. It is located just west of Enschede
Enschede
Enschede , also known as Eanske in the local dialect of Twents, is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands in the province of Overijssel and in the Twente region...
and east of Boekelo
Boekelo
Boekelo is a Dutch village in the municipality of Enschede in the Eastern Netherlands, the population is estimated at approximately 2500. It is located just west of Usselo. The village is known for the Military Boekelo Enschede, an international equestrian event.It is also known for the salt...
. It has existed for over 800 years. Archeology shows that the region was inhabited more or less continuously since the last ice-age. The region is very fertile and will support agriculture and cattle. The countryside is marked by artificial hills, called es or esch, which were formed by depositing dung mixed with dirt. A prime example is the Fleringer Esch, near Fleringen
Fleringen
Fleringen is a village in the Dutch province of Overijssel. It is a part of the municipality of Tubbergen, and lies about 10 km east of Almelo.In 2001, the village of Fleringen had 392 inhabitants...
.
The village was one of the earliest settlements in the area. This was confirmed by finds of the remains of a prehistoric village (on the Usseler Es). During World War II the village was bombed by Allied fighters strafing the retreating German forces. This unfortunately led to casualties in the village bakery.
The village has a Dutch Reformed church, a Church of the Christelijke Gemeente Nederland, a primary school and some shops. Of interest are the windmill (of the rare Stenderkast model), called Wissinks Möl ("Wissink's Mill"), and the Usseler Es, the man-made elevation forming the heart of the village farmlands. The village has a primary school, dating back to 1766 but now housed in a new building behind the Church. The newly-built Grolsch Brewery
Grolsch Brewery
Grolsch Brewery , known simply as Grolsch , is a Dutch brewery founded in 1615 by Willem Neerfeldt in Groenlo. In 1895 the De Groen family bought the brewery. They had started their own brewery in Cuijk the Netherlands in early 1800. It held a significant stake until November 2007...
is located on the road to Boekelo. Usselo's rural landscape, notably its Es, has been transformed by encroaching housing and industry.
Usselo, together with neighbouring Boekelo and Enschede, hosts the annual Military Boekelo Enschede, an international equestrian
Cross-country equestrianism
Cross country equestrian jumping is an endurance test, and is one of the three phases of the sport of eventing; it may also be a competition in its own right, known as hunter trials or simply "cross-country" - these tend to be lower level, local competitions.The object of the endurance test is to...
event usually held in October.
The village is also notable for being the location of the novel, The Upstairs Room
The Upstairs Room
The Upstairs Room is a Holocaust survivor autobiography by the author Johanna Reiss documenting her childhood in occupied Holland during the Nazi invasion...
by Johanna Reiss
Johanna Reiss
Johanna Reiss is a Dutch-born American writer and longtime resident of New York City. Her most recent work, A Hidden Life, was published by Melville House Publishing in January 2009...
. She was a Jewish girl taken into a family in Usselo while hiding from the German occupation during 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...
.
Further literary links consist of the poets H.H. ter Balkt
H.H. ter Balkt
H.H. ter Balkt is a Dutch poet. He has won numerous awards throughout his career, among them the 1998 Constantijn Huygens Prize.-Reference:* at the Digital library for Dutch literature...
, who was born in Usselo, and Willem Wilmink
Willem Wilmink
Willem Wilmink was a Dutch poet and writer. He was best known for his the large number of songs he wrote for popular children programs....
, who spent part of his youth in Usselo.
Usselo observes the tradition of Noaberschop, which is the social framework governing relations in Twenthe.