Barger-Compascuum is a village in the

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

municipality of Emmen. It is in a

peat Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficien ...

-producing region of Drenthe. , an open-air museum, is dedicated to the peat history of the region. Borger-Compascuum is located in the

Bourtange moor The Bourtanger Moor (Dutch: ''Bourtangerveen/Bourtangermoeras'', German: ''Bourtanger Moor'', Low Saxon: ''Boertanger Moor'') was a bog in eastern parts in the Dutch provinces of Drenthe and Groningen and the bordering German districts of Benth ...

between Germany and the Netherlands. It was originally a ''

compascuum ''Compascuus'' is Latin for commonly grazed, and hence often used in the forms ''ager compascuus'' (common pasture land) and ''compascuum'' (the common pasture). In the early Roman Republic, there were three kinds of land: private, public and common ...

'' (common pasture). In 1866, Barger-Compascuum was established, and the area was permanently inhabited.

Background

The

, a large

raised bog Raised bogs, also called ombrotrophic bogs, are acidic, wet habitats that are poor in mineral salts and are home to flora and fauna that can cope with such extreme conditions. Raised bogs, unlike fens, are exclusively fed by precipitation ( ombro ...

, formed the border between the Netherlands and Germany. It was an inhospitable uninhabited area which was dissected by the . The shepherds from both Ober- and Niederlangen in Germany and

Noord Noord () is a town and region in Aruba (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands). This town is known for its low rise and high rise hotels, restaurants, beaches, malls, the California Lighthouse, and other places of attraction. Places of interest ...

- and

Zuidbarge Zuidbarge is a neighbourhood and former village of Emmen in the Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, ...

in the Netherlands used the

heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler ...

for their sheep. There was disagreement about the ownership, and a ''

'' (common pasture) was agreed. The shepherds from both sides could use the land, but no permanent settlement was allowed. The ''compascuum'' did not solve the problem, and there were several large-scale fights between the Dutch and German farmers. In the 1824 Treaty of Meppen, the border was set, however the ''compascuum'' remained in effect until 1866 when permanent settlement was allowed in the moorland.

History

On 23 July 1866, the village of Barger-Compascuum was founded. The first settlers were mainly farmers from

Hannover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German States of Germany, state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the List of cities in Germany by population, 13th-largest city in Germa ...

who started to dig the canals, excavate the

, and plant

buckwheat Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum''), or common buckwheat, is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. The name "buckwheat" is used for several other species, such as '' Fago ...

. A

linear settlement A linear settlement is a (normally small to medium-sized) settlement or group of buildings that is formed in a long line. Many of these settlements are formed along a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Others form due to physical re ...

was built along the canals, and many people lived in

sod house The sod house or soddy was an often used alternative to the log cabin during frontier settlement of the Great Plains of Canada and the United States in the 1800s and early 1900s. Primarily used at first for animal shelters, corrals, and fences, ...

s. In 1872, a Catholic church was built, and a parish was established. Between 1923 and 1925, it was replaced with the current church. The systematic cultivation of the area started in the 1910s.

Sights

In 1966, , an open-air museum dedicated to the peat history of the region, was opened. It contains a

village, a windmill and a

clog Clogs are a type of footwear made in part or completely from wood. Used in many parts of the world, their forms can vary by culture, but often remained unchanged for centuries within a culture. Traditional clogs remain in use as protective f ...

factory. In 1983, the

smock mill The smock mill is a type of windmill that consists of a sloping, horizontally weatherboarded, thatched, or shingled tower, usually with six or eight sides. It is topped with a roof or cap that rotates to bring the sails into the wind. This type ...

'' De Berk'' was moved to Barger-Compascuum. The mill was originally located in . In 2001, a

pump organ The pump organ is a type of free-reed organ that generates sound as air flows past a vibrating piece of thin metal in a frame. The piece of metal is called a reed. Specific types of pump organ include the reed organ, harmonium, and melodeon. T ...

museum opened in the Veenpark, and contains a collection of 250 pump organs.

Notable people

Ben Feringa Bernard Lucas Feringa (, born 18 May 1951) is a Dutch synthetic organic chemist, specializing in molecular nanotechnology and homogeneous catalysis. He is the Jacobus van 't Hoff Distinguished Professor of Molecular Sciences, at the Stratingh ...

(born 1951), synthetic organic chemist, 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry *

Albert Hermelink Gentiaras Albert Hermelink Gentiaras (5 August 1898 – 25 February 1983) was a Dutch clergyman and bishop for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tanjungkarang. Gentiaras was born on 5 August 1898 in Barger-Compascuum, Netherlands. He joined the Dehonians and was ...

(1898–1983), clergyman and bishop of Tanjungkarang

Gallery

File:Aardappelmeelfabriek, Veenmuseum Barger-compascuum (11607250905).jpg, Potato starch factory File:De Klompwoning van Alfred J Kwak in het Veenpark.JPG, The clog house in Veenpark File:Harmonium Museum Barger Compascuum - ingang 1 (cropped).JPG, Pump organ museum File:Schapenhutten in de Maatschappij - Barger Compascuum - 20514062 - RCE.jpg, Children in the heath with sod houses

References

External links

*
Official website
(in Dutch) {{Authority control Populated places in Drenthe Emmen, Netherlands 1866 establishments in the Netherlands