Emmen () is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
and town of the
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Drenthe in the northeastern
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
.
History
A
planned city
A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...
, Emmen arose from several small farming and peat-harvesting communities which have dotted the
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Drenthe since the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
. Traces of these communities can still be seen in the form of the villages of
Westenesch,
Noordbarge 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, ...
: they have a separate history and layout but are surrounded by the suburbs and the center of Emmen.
The expansion of the town did not happen until after the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
. Suburbs were built around the old center of Emmen, starting with
Emmermeer directly to the north, and followed to the south-east by
Angelslo (for which an old village of the same name was demolished),
Emmerhout (famed at the time for being separated from the town by an existing forest) to the east,
Bargeres, the
Rietlanden and
Parc Sandur to the south and south-west. Construction of the last suburb, called
Delftlanden, is well underway with many homes already built and people living in the area.
There are few historic landmarks left within the town, but those few include the church on the market square, where a church has been standing since the Middle Ages, the court of law building, dating from the beginning of the twentieth century, and the post office from the same time. In the town's environs, an earthwork by
Robert Smithson
Robert Smithson (January 2, 1938 – July 20, 1973) was an American artist known for sculpture and land art who often used drawing and photography in relation to the spatial arts. His work has been internationally exhibited in galleries and mu ...
, "Broken Circle/Spiral Hill", may be found.
In 1957 it hosted the
1st Women's Chess Olympiad.
The prime economic booster since the 1980s has been the zoo, the
Dierenpark Emmen. Begun in the 1930s, it was almost completely redesigned in the 1970s and is now co-owned by the municipality of Emmen. It attracts over 1.5 million visitors per year. It was replaced by
Wildlands in 2016, when the old zoo closed. Important industries include
Teijin Aramid
Teijin Aramid, formerly known as Teijin Twaron, is a company in The Netherlands that produces various high-strength fibers for industrial purposes, most notably their para-aramid, Twaron. Twaron finds applications in numerous markets, such as au ...
,
DSM Engineering Plastics
DSM or dsm may refer to:
Science and technology
* Deep space maneuver
* Design structure matrix or dependency structure matrix, a representation of a system or project
* Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
** DSM-5, the fifth ...
,
Wellman and
Diolen Industrial Fibers (currently
Senbis Polymer Innovations). There are extensive glasshouse complexes for horticulture, especially in the
Klazienaveen
Klazienaveen is a town to the southeast of Emmen, Netherlands, Emmen in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Drenthe. It is located approx from the German border. Klazienaveen started as a peat colony owned by Willem Albert Scholten. It has been na ...
-
Erica
Erica or ERICA may refer to:
* Erica (given name)
* ''Erica'' (plant), a flowering plant genus
* Erica (chatbot), a service of Bank of America
* ''Erica'' (video game), a 2019 FMV video game
* ''Erica'' (spider), a jumping spider genus
* E ...
area. The municipality offers some 38,000 jobs.
Emmen is the most populous urban area of Drenthe. The municipality of Emmen is one of the largest in the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
, although the area outside the town borders of Emmen is rather rural. The other villages of importance are
Emmer-Compascuum
Emmer-Compascuum is a village in the Netherlands and is part of the Emmen municipality in Drenthe.
Emmer-Compascuum is located in the Bourtange moor between Germany and the Netherlands. It was originally a '' compascuum'' (common pasture). In 18 ...
,
Klazienaveen
Klazienaveen is a town to the southeast of Emmen, Netherlands, Emmen in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Drenthe. It is located approx from the German border. Klazienaveen started as a peat colony owned by Willem Albert Scholten. It has been na ...
,
Nieuw-Amsterdam and
Schoonebeek
Schoonebeek is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is located in the municipality of Emmen, about 12 km (7 mi) south of that city. Schoonebeek was a separate municipality from 1884 to 1997, when it merged with Emmen. The are ...
.
Geography
The population centres:
*
Barger-Compascuum
Barger-Compascuum is a village in the Dutch municipality of Emmen. It is in a peat-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 between Ger ...
* Emmen
*
Emmer-Compascuum
Emmer-Compascuum is a village in the Netherlands and is part of the Emmen municipality in Drenthe.
Emmer-Compascuum is located in the Bourtange moor between Germany and the Netherlands. It was originally a '' compascuum'' (common pasture). In 18 ...
*
Erica
Erica or ERICA may refer to:
* Erica (given name)
* ''Erica'' (plant), a flowering plant genus
* Erica (chatbot), a service of Bank of America
* ''Erica'' (video game), a 2019 FMV video game
* ''Erica'' (spider), a jumping spider genus
* E ...
*
Klazienaveen
Klazienaveen is a town to the southeast of Emmen, Netherlands, Emmen in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Drenthe. It is located approx from the German border. Klazienaveen started as a peat colony owned by Willem Albert Scholten. It has been na ...
*
Nieuw-Amsterdam
*
Nieuw-Dordrecht
*
Nieuw-Schoonebeek
Nieuw-Schoonebeek is a village in the Netherlands and is part of the Emmen municipality in Drenthe.
History
Nieuw-Schoonebeek started as a peat exploitation settlement along the road from Schoonebeek to Meppen. Around 1805, settlers from neig ...
*
Nieuw-Weerdinge
Nieuw-Weerdinge is a village in the Netherlands and is part of the Emmen municipality in Drenthe.
History
Nieuw-Weerdinge started as a peat
Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organi ...
*
Roswinkel
*
Schoonebeek
Schoonebeek is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is located in the municipality of Emmen, about 12 km (7 mi) south of that city. Schoonebeek was a separate municipality from 1884 to 1997, when it merged with Emmen. The are ...
*
Veenoord
Veenoord is a village in the Netherlands and it is part of the Emmen municipality in Drenthe. It forms a single urban area with Nieuw-Amsterdam. Vincent van Gogh stayed in the Scholte Inn during his Drenthe period.
History
Veenoord translate ...
*
Weiteveen
*
Zwartemeer
Zwartemeer () is a village in the Netherlands and it is part of the Emmen municipality in Drenthe. It is located on the border with Germany.
History
Zwartemeer is a linear settlement along a canal which was established in 1871 as a buckwheat ...
Demography
The municipality of Emmen has some 107,000 inhabitants, with 56,000 living in the city of Emmen. Compared to some 3,000 inhabitants in the nineteenth century, this illustrates Emmen's rapid growth in the past 150 years.
Sports
The town's
football club
FC Emmen plays their home games in
De Oude Meerdijk
De Oude Meerdijk is a football stadium in Emmen, Netherlands. It is the home ground of FC Emmen. It has a capacity of 8,600.
History
De Oude Meerdijk, previously known as ''Meerdijk Stadion'' (1977–2001) ''Univé Stadion'' (2001–2013) an ...
. They play in the
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie (; ''"Honour Division"'' or ''"Premier Division"'') is the highest level of professional football in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is c ...
.
Every year a big cycle racing
criterium
A criterium, or crit, is a bike race consisting of several laps around a closed circuit, the length of each lap or circuit ranging from about 400 m to 10,000 m.
Overview
Race length can be determined by a number of laps or total time, ...
called
Gouden Pijl
Gouden Pijl ( en, Golden Arrow), is an elite men's and women's professional road bicycle racing criterium held annually in Emmen, Netherlands, Emmen, the Netherlands. The first edition was in 1976 and since 2003 the event also includes a women's ra ...
, where all the big names in bicycle sport come to Emmen for this event. Besides the bicycle race itself, the Gouden Pijl also includes cultural events like pop-concerts, etc. In 2008, the comeback concert of
The Schizo's, the infamous local punk-band from the 1980s, was organized during the Gouden Pijl.
Hondsrugtunnel with light art: 'Dolmen Light' by ">Titia Ex
Speedway Emmen hosts regular Stock Car and Banger Racing.
Attractions
Attractions in Emmen are
Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen
Wildlands, also known as Wildlands Adventure Zoo Emmen, is a zoo in Emmen, Netherlands, Emmen, the Netherlands. It opened in March 2016, replacing the Emmen Zoo. It was built at a cost of 200 million euros. Upon its reorganisation the zoo increas ...
, the inner city, the natural environment and the Rensenpark (with among others the
Museum of Contemporary Tibetan Art
The Museum of Contemporary Tibetan Art is located in the :nl:Rensenpark, Rensenpark in Emmen, Netherlands, Emmen, in the north-eastern part of the Netherlands, near the Germany, German border. It has permanent and temporary exhibitions of contempor ...
). There is also
Museum Collectie Brands in the adjacent village of
Nieuw-Dordrecht.
Transportation
Emmen is served by one train connection with
Zwolle
Zwolle () is a city and municipality in the Northeastern Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Overijssel and the province's second-largest municipality after Enschede with a population of 130,592 as of 1 December 2021. Zwolle is on ...
, which in turn leads to the rest of the country.
*
Emmen railway station
Emmen is a terminus railway station located in Emmen, Netherlands. The station was opened on 1 November 1905 and is located on the Zwolle–Emmen railway. Train services are operated by Arriva.
The line continues for a short distance to a headsh ...
*
Emmen Zuid railway station
*
Nieuw Amsterdam railway station
Nieuw Amsterdam is a railway station located in Nieuw Amsterdam, Netherlands. The station was opened on 1 November 1905 and is located on the Zwolle–Emmen railway. Train services are operated by Arriva under the name Blauwnet.
Train services
...
In addition, there are regular and frequent bus lines within Emmen and towards
Groningen,
Hoogeveen and
Assen
Assen () is a municipality and a city in the northeastern Netherlands, and is the capital (politics), capital of the province of Drenthe. It received City rights in the Netherlands, city rights in 1809. Assen is known for TT Circuit Assen, the ...
, as well as the surrounding countryside, and
Meppen
Meppen (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Möppen'') is a town in and the seat of the Emsland district of Lower Saxony, Germany, at the confluence of the Ems, Hase, and Nordradde rivers and the Dortmund–Ems Canal (DEK). The name stems from the word ''M ...
in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, departing from Emmen's two bus terminals.
By car, the town is accessible via the
N34 from
Ommen
Ommen () is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a Hanseatic League, Hanseatic city in the eastern Netherlands. It is located in the Vechte, Vecht valley of the Salland region in Overijssel. Historical records first name Ommen in ...
via
Hardenberg
Hardenberg (; nds-nl, Haddenbarreg or '' 'n Arnbarg'') is a city and municipality in the province of Overijssel, Eastern Netherlands. The municipality of Hardenberg has a population of about 60,000, with about 19,000 living in the city. It recei ...
and
Coevorden
Coevorden (; nds-nl, Koevern) is a city and municipality in the province of Drenthe, Netherlands. During the 1998 municipal reorganisation in the province, Coevorden merged with Dalen, Sleen, Oosterhesselen and Zweeloo, retaining its name. In ...
towards Emmen, ending at the
A28 motorway (Netherlands)
The A28 motorway is a motorway in the Netherlands. It is approximately 188 kilometers in length.
The A28 traverses the Dutch provinces of Utrecht, Gelderland, Overijssel, Drenthe and Groningen. The road connects the cities of Utrecht, Amersfoo ...
towards
Groningen near
de Punt
De Punt is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Tynaarlo, and lies about 11 km south of Groningen. The village closely cooperates with Yde and they are often referred to as Yde-De Punt, however bo ...
, the
N381 to
Drachten, the
N391 to
Veendam
Veendam () is a town and municipality with a population of 27,752 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. Veendam was established in 1648 as a peat colony by Adriaan Geerts Wildervanck.
A Holland America Line cruise ship ...
which goes through Emmen (with access to almost every district) and the
A37 from
Hoogeveen to
Meppen
Meppen (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Möppen'') is a town in and the seat of the Emsland district of Lower Saxony, Germany, at the confluence of the Ems, Hase, and Nordradde rivers and the Dortmund–Ems Canal (DEK). The name stems from the word ''M ...
in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, although this motorway is not directly next to Emmen. From the A37 to Emmen, there are three possibilities: at Junction Holsloot (A37 x N34), at Highway-exit Schoonebeek (A37 x N853), and Highway-exit Klazienaveen (A37 x N862). The A37 is also the quickest way towards the
Randstad
The Randstad (; "Rim" or "Edge" City) is a roughly crescent-shaped conurbation in the central-western Netherlands, consisting primarily of the four largest Dutch cities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, and Utrecht); their suburbs, and many tow ...
from Emmen. The A37 ends at the German border, where it continues as the
B402 or
European route E233
European route E 233 (E 233) is a west—east European Class-B road part of the International E-road network, running from Hoogeveen in the Netherlands to Cloppenburg in Germany, passing by the Dutch city of Emmen and the German city of Meppen. ...
.
The nearest airport is
Groningen Airport Eelde
Groningen Airport Eelde is a minor international airport in the northeastern Netherlands. It is located near Eelde in the Province of Drenthe, south of the city of Groningen in the province of Groningen. In 2015, the airport handled 220,710 ...
at a distance of 50 kilometers.
Furthermore, there are inland shipping connections via
Nieuw-Amsterdam to
Coevorden
Coevorden (; nds-nl, Koevern) is a city and municipality in the province of Drenthe, Netherlands. During the 1998 municipal reorganisation in the province, Coevorden merged with Dalen, Sleen, Oosterhesselen and Zweeloo, retaining its name. In ...
,
Hoogeveen and
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.
Almelo has about 72,000 inhabitants in the middle of the rolling countryside of Twente, ...
.
Notable people
*
Jaap Doek (born 1942), jurist specializing in family and juvenile law; chairperson of the UN
Committee on the Rights of the Child
The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is a body of experts that monitor and report on the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The Committee also monitors the Convention's three optional protoc ...
2001 to 2007
*
Hanja Maij-Weggen (born 1943), retired politician
*
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 specializing in
molecular nanotechnology
Molecular nanotechnology (MNT) is a technology based on the ability to build structures to complex, atomic specifications by means of mechanosynthesis. This is distinct from nanoscale materials. Based on Richard Feynman's vision of miniatur ...
and
homogenous catalysis
*
Jans Aasman (born 1958), psychologist and Cognitive Science expert
*
Maruschka Detmers
Maruschka Detmers (born 16 December 1962, Schoonebeek) is a Dutch actress. She moved to France as a teenager after finishing school, where she captured the attention of director Jean-Luc Godard. In 1983, she made her dramatic debut under Godard' ...
(born 1962), actress
[ IMDb Database]
retrieved 29 July 2019
*
Frank Westerman
Frank Martin Westerman (born 13 November 1964) is a Dutch writer and a former journalist. He studied tropical agricultural engineering at Wageningen University and worked as a news correspondent for '' de Volkskrant'' in Belgrade and '' NRC Han ...
(born 1964), writer and former journalist
*
Anne Vanschothorst (born 1974), harpist and composer
Sport
*
Dries van der Lof (1919–1990), racing driver
*
Jan de Jonge
Jan de Jonge (born 8 May 1963 in Emmen, Drenthe) is a retired football striker and is currently working as the manager of De Treffers. As a player, he served three clubs in the Netherlands: FC Groningen, SC Heerenveen and FC Emmen.
Manage ...
(born 1963), retired football striker, 410 caps
*
Erik Regtop (born 1968), retired footballer, 387 caps
*
Gerald Sibon
Gerald Sibon (born 19 April 1974) is a retired Dutch footballer who played as a forward. He is the current performance coach for A-League club Adelaide United.
Club career
Europe
He featured for FC Twente in the 1993–94 season as a substit ...
(born 1974), retired footballer, 437 caps
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
Municipalities of Drenthe