Smallingerland Smellingerlân | |
|---|---|
 Street inDrachten | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
 Location in Friesland | |
| Coordinates:53°6′N6°6′E / 53.100°N 6.100°E /53.100; 6.100 | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Province | Friesland |
| Government | |
| • Body | Municipal council |
| • Mayor | Fred Veenstra (CDA) |
| Area | |
• Total | 126.17 km2 (48.71 sq mi) |
| • Land | 117.31 km2 (45.29 sq mi) |
| • Water | 8.86 km2 (3.42 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1 m (3 ft) |
| Population (January 2021)[4] | |
• Total | 56,040 |
| • Density | 478/km2 (1,240/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postcode | 8497, 9200–9223 |
| Area code | 0512, 0566 |
| Website | smallingerland |
Smallingerland (Dutch:[ˈsmɑlɪŋərˌlɑnt]ⓘ;West Frisian:Smellingerlân[ˈsmɛlɪŋəˌlɔ̃ːn]ⓘ) is amunicipality in the province ofFriesland in theNetherlands.
Boornbergum,De Tike,De Veenhoop,De Wilgen,Drachten (main town),Drachtstercompagnie,Goëngahuizen,Houtigehage,Kortehemmen,Nijega,Opeinde,Oudega,Rottevalle andSmalle Ee.
The name "Smallingerland" is derived from the former hamletSmalle Ee, which used to have a majormonastery. In the 14th century the annual fair of Smalle Ee became equally important as the ones ofLeeuwarden andDokkum. The nameDrachten is possibly a derivative from the oldFrisian wordDarch, meaning "peatysoil".
The central function of Drachten in the district goes back to 1641. AHolland businessman thought it would pay to exploit the peat. 800 workers were employed to dig theDrachtstervaartcanal. The peat exploitation was a disappointment, but the construction of the Drachtstervaart canal triggered other activities, such asshipbuilding. The typicalpeat bog landscape can still be seen, particularly nearDrachtstercompagnie. Since the 1950s Drachten developed rapidly. Right now, Drachten has an important function in the region. Smallingerland has thirteen smaller villages besides Drachten, the largest beingOpeinde, with 1,731 residents, the smallest being Smalle Ee, with 57 villagers.
The 1998 publicationHet Gezicht van Smallingerland ("The Face of Smallingerland") gives a clear and easy to read overview of the district's history. A few passages from this publication:
|
Notary Public J. G. van Blom wrote those words of praise about his hometown in 1840. Most of the 3,000 residents from those days would have had no chance to enjoy the umbrageous scenery; people had to make a living and after work little spare time was left. Some 200 years earlier, in 1640, the hamlets of Drachten North and Drachten South were little more than a small church and some farm houses. Other villages in the region were older, bigger and more important, for exampleSmalle Ee with its monastery and subsequent activities such as an annual fair, which was always bracketed together with those ofLeeuwarden enDokkum. OrOudega, where a stone church had been erected even before 1100. Peat exploitation brought a turnaround. Peat had become an important source of energy, not only for private households but also for the industry. The need in the rapidly growing province of Holland during the 17th century was higher than Friesland could supply. Most of the transport was over water, therefore often by track boat. Peat exploitation meant a welcome activity for many villages, although most of the income did not flow into the pockets of the struggling peat cutters.
In 1641 farmers in Drachten North and Drachten South entered into an agreement with financers from the province of Holland, theDrachten Associates. One of these moneylenders was businessmanPasschier Hendriks Bolleman fromThe Hague. The agreement stipulated that thepeat in Smallingerland was designated for the Holland industry. For transport by boat the Drachtster Compagnonsvaart canal and two side channels had to be constructed. During one year 800 workers had been digging every day. And where people spent their days, other developments followed, such as dwellings, places for storage, hostels, and businesses. Although the economic success of cutting peat was short-lived (it even led to Passchier Bolleman's financial ruin), it led to the foundation of Drachten. The Drachtstervaart brought in ships and the ships brought in not only returnfreight, but also their own service industry: rope-yards, carpenter's yards, andforges. In 1746 the first realshipyard was established on the Langewijk, initially only for the construction of timberflatboats, but after 1895 also forironhull ships. In 1902 a second shipyard followed on the Drachtstervaart. Even today,skûtsjes from these shipyards take part in the major Frisiansailing event, theskûtsjesilen.
In the 17th century, the governor of Smallingerland—the predecessor of today's mayor—was located in Oudega, which had taken over the annual fairs from Smalle Ee. After completion of theDrachtstervaart, the economic activities, and therefore also the annual fairs, had moved to Drachten; it would only be a matter of time for the District Council to follow.This was the basis for the current structure of Smallingerland: Drachten with more than 44,000 residents and the thirteen surrounding villages totalling more than 10,000 residents. Along the "lush road-sides" from the notary public Van Blom-era residential areas have mushroomed and businesses, big and small, opened their doors. As far as employment opportunities are concerned, Smallingerland is the fourth-best district in the north of the Netherlands and ranks number two within the province of Friesland. Shopping centre, nightlife, education, and health care are focused on acatchment area of more than 150,000 people.
Smallingerland istwinned with:[6]
Gobabis, NamibiaSmallingerland also used to be twinned withKiryat Ono, Israel.[6]
Media related toSmallingerland at Wikimedia CommonsPlaces adjacent to Smallingerland | |
|---|---|
Municipalities ofFriesland | ||
|---|---|---|
 | ||
Authority control databases: Geographic |
|---|
