Wolvega (Weststellingwerf)
Encyclopedia
Wolvega is the main town in the municipality
of Weststellingwerf
in the province
of Friesland
(Fryslan), in the Netherlands
. It has around 12,581 citizens (2009). It is by far the largest town of the Stellingwerven.
but then around the year 1500 the area was conquered during a war with Friesland. From then on it belonged to Friesland
. This is why the people from Wolvega do not speak the West Frisian language
like the rest of Friesland
. The area did not know nobility
, but when the area became part of Friesland
, there came a grietman
who was a forerunner of the current rural mayor
. Those men often were rich and sometimes noble
. They built big houses like Lindenoord. This building was built by Willem van Haren
who was a grietman
of Weststellingwerf
between 1688 and 1711. His grandson Onno Zwier van Haren was grietman
between 1742 and 1779 and was also a consultant
of Governor
William IV
. After a fire
in 1776 he left the house
. Between 1776 and 1779 it was rebuilt in Louis XVI style. Another famous stins
of Wolvega was Lycklama state. This was built by grietman
Lycklama à Nijeholt. However in 1736 it became so dilapidated that it was demolished. In the 19th century the village developed into a major centre. This was because of the construction of the Rijksstraatweg, a main road between Leeuwarden and Zwolle
in the 2nd decade of the 19th century.
in the town. The nearest hospital is located at Heerenveen
about 10 minutes drive away. Wolvega has nine primary schools and two secondary schools. For higher education, Wolvega relies on places like Leeuwarden, Zwolle
and Groningen. These cities can be easily accessed by public transport.
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 Weststellingwerf
Weststellingwerf
Weststellingwerf is a municipality in the province of Friesland in the northern Netherlands.It is one of the municipalities of Friesland, where the spoken language is not West Frisian; instead, Stellingwerfs, a dialect of Dutch Low Saxon, is spoken here....
in the province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
of 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...
(Fryslan), in 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...
. It has around 12,581 citizens (2009). It is by far the largest town of the Stellingwerven.
History
It is unknown when exactly Wolvega arose. It is in any case before the year 1218. At first the area belonged to the gau DrentheDrenthe
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...
but then around the year 1500 the area was conquered during a war with Friesland. From then on it belonged to 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...
. This is why the people from Wolvega do not speak the West Frisian language
West Frisian language
West Frisian is a language spoken mostly in the province of Friesland in the north of the Netherlands. West Frisian is the name by which this language is usually known outside the Netherlands, to distinguish it from the closely related Frisian languages of Saterland Frisian and North Frisian,...
like the rest of 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...
. The area did not know nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
, but when the area became part of 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...
, there came a grietman
Grietman
A grietman is partly a forerunner of the current rural mayor in the province of Friesland, and partly the forerunner of a judge. The area of jurisdiction was the municipality or gemeente...
who was a forerunner of the current rural mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
. Those men often were rich and sometimes noble
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
. They built big houses like Lindenoord. This building was built by Willem van Haren
Willem van Haren
Jonkheer Willem van Haren was a Dutch nobleman and poet.Van Haren was born in Leeuwarden. His best known work was an epic poem, Friso, created in 1741. His brother, jhr. Onno Zwier van Haren, was also a poet and wrote patriotic verses. Willem van Haren died in Sint-Oedenrode....
who was a grietman
Grietman
A grietman is partly a forerunner of the current rural mayor in the province of Friesland, and partly the forerunner of a judge. The area of jurisdiction was the municipality or gemeente...
of Weststellingwerf
Weststellingwerf
Weststellingwerf is a municipality in the province of Friesland in the northern Netherlands.It is one of the municipalities of Friesland, where the spoken language is not West Frisian; instead, Stellingwerfs, a dialect of Dutch Low Saxon, is spoken here....
between 1688 and 1711. His grandson Onno Zwier van Haren was grietman
Grietman
A grietman is partly a forerunner of the current rural mayor in the province of Friesland, and partly the forerunner of a judge. The area of jurisdiction was the municipality or gemeente...
between 1742 and 1779 and was also a consultant
Consultant
A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...
of Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
William IV
William IV
William IV may refer to:* William IV of the United Kingdom * William IV, Duke of Aquitaine * William IV of Provence * William, Margrave of Meissen , also William IV of Weimar* William IV, Count of Toulouse William IV may refer to:* William IV of the United Kingdom (1765–1837)* William IV, Duke of...
. After a fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
in 1776 he left the house
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
. Between 1776 and 1779 it was rebuilt in Louis XVI style. Another famous stins
Stins
A stins is a former stronghold or villa in the province of Friesland, the Netherlands. Many stinsen carry the name "state."...
of Wolvega was Lycklama state. This was built by grietman
Grietman
A grietman is partly a forerunner of the current rural mayor in the province of Friesland, and partly the forerunner of a judge. The area of jurisdiction was the municipality or gemeente...
Lycklama à Nijeholt. However in 1736 it became so dilapidated that it was demolished. In the 19th century the village developed into a major centre. This was because of the construction of the Rijksstraatweg, a main road between Leeuwarden and Zwolle
Zwolle
Zwolle is a municipality and the capital city of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands, 120 kilometers northeast of Amsterdam. Zwolle has about 120,000 citizens.-History:...
in the 2nd decade of the 19th century.
The town of Wolvega
There is an established public libraryLibrary
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
in the town. The nearest hospital is located at Heerenveen
Heerenveen
Heerenveen is a town in the Heerenveen municipality of the province of Friesland , in the north of the Netherlands.- History :The town was established in 1551 by three lords as a location for the purpose of digging peat which was used for fuel, hence the name...
about 10 minutes drive away. Wolvega has nine primary schools and two secondary schools. For higher education, Wolvega relies on places like Leeuwarden, Zwolle
Zwolle
Zwolle is a municipality and the capital city of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands, 120 kilometers northeast of Amsterdam. Zwolle has about 120,000 citizens.-History:...
and Groningen. These cities can be easily accessed by public transport.
Primary education
- PublicPublicIn public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individuals, and the public is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociological concept of the Öffentlichkeit or public sphere. The concept of a public has also been defined in political science,...
: Dorpsschool, Heidepolle, OBS Zuid, Tuindorpschool. - Roman Catholic: Mgr. J Scholtensschool (jenaplan), St. Franciscusschool (jenaplan)
- Protestant: PCB De Adelaar, PCB De Wegwijzer
Secondary education
- AOC Terra Wolvega - VMBO-Groen
- Linde College. School voor lwoo, vmbo, havo en vwo