Emmer-Compascuum is a village 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 ...

and is part of the Emmen municipality in

Drenthe Drenthe () is a province of the Netherlands located in the northeastern part of the country. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and the German state of Lower Saxony to the east. As of Nov ...

. Emmer-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 1879, Emmer-Compascuum was established.

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 Niederlangen is a municipality in the Emsland district, in Lower Saxony, 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, a ...

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

In 1874, Emmen sold the ''

'' for

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 ...

excavation. Between 1878 and 1880, the

city of Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of the northern part of t ...

dug the Stads-Compascuumkanaal from

Ter Apel Ter Apel (; Gronings: ''Troapel'') is a village with a population of 8,866 residents in the municipality Westerwolde in the northern Netherlands, in the province Groningen in the region Westerwolde. The town lies on the stream Ruiten Aa, which ...

, and the village of Emmer-Compascuum was founded in 1879 at the meeting point of the canal and the Runde River. In 1907, the

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...

Grenszicht was moved from

Oude Pekela Oude Pekela ( Gronings: ''Olle Pekel''; ) is a town in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Pekela, about 5 km southwest of Winschoten. It was established to exploit the peat in the area. During the 19th centu ...

to Emmer-Compascuum. In 1932, it was home to 2,967 people. In 1947, opened a

nylon Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers composed of polyamides ( repeating units linked by amide links).The polyamides may be aliphatic or semi-aromatic. Nylon is a silk-like thermoplastic, generally made from petro ...

factory in Emmer-Compascuum. At the height of its success, it employed 5,000 people. Other factories like , a producer of sterile fluid for the pharmaceutical industry, followed.

Notable people

Annemarie Kremer Annemarie Kremer (born 2 June 1974) is a Dutch operatic soprano, known for her performances in the title roles of ''Norma'', ''Tosca'', and '' Salome'' and as Vitellia in ''La clemenza di Tito''. She has appeared at a variety of European opera ho ...

(born 1974), an operatic soprano

Gallery

File:Emmer Compascuum Jan de Baat.JPG, Sculpture in Emmer-Compascuum File:Repro Prentbriefkaart; plaggenhut - Emmer-Compascuum - 20525954 - RCE.jpg, Sod house on the heath (low res) File:Vrachtwagen met aanhanger, geladen met zeven ton bieten, door een brug gezakt te, Bestanddeelnr 918-4874.jpg, Collapsed bridge (1965)

References

External links

*
Official site
(in Dutch) {{Authority control Populated places in Drenthe Emmen, Netherlands 1879 establishments in the Netherlands