Onstwedde () is a village in the region of Westerwolde and part of Groningen 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 ...

. It is located in the municipality of

Stadskanaal Stadskanaal () is a town and municipality with a population of 32,715 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. It was named after the canal Stadskanaal. From 1800 until 1900 this area was ideal for its peat mining, and so ...

. Onstwedde was also the former name of the municipality of Stadskanaal, until 1969.

History

Onstwedde was first mentioned in 875 as Uneswido in documents of the

Werden Abbey Werden Abbey (german: Kloster Werden) was a Benedictine monastery in Essen-Werden (Germany), situated on the Ruhr. The foundation of the abbey Near Essen Saint Ludger founded a monastery in 799 and became its first abbot. The little church ...

. The name means the forest (-wido similar to the English wood) of Une (first name). The village is a double ''

esdorp __NOTOC__ An ''Angerdorf'' (plural: ''Angerdörfer'') is a type of village that is characterised by the houses and farmsteads being laid out around a central grassed area, the ''anger'' (from the Old High German ''angar'' =pasture or grassy place ...

'', a communal pasture surrounded by houses. The northern pasture was called Wold, and the southern pasture Loug. Onstwedde was a part of Westerwolde, a region dominated by

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 (ombrot ...

s which formed the natural border between Groningen, East Frisia and the

Prince-Bishopric of Münster The Prince-Bishopric of Münster (german: Fürstbistum Münster; Bistum Münster, Hochstift Münster) was a large ecclesiastical principality in the Holy Roman Empire, located in the northern part of today's North Rhine-Westphalia and western Lo ...

. Onstwedde is located in the valley of the river, and was a fertile island surrounded by bogs on all sides. A dominant feature of Onstwedde is the Nicolaas Church which was constructed around 1500. It has a tall tower. The walls are thick, and it used to be surrounded by a moat and could be accessed via a drawbridge. It is assumed that the church was also used as a fortification. Onstwedde used to be the main village of the region. In 1765, the city of Groningen started to dig the Stadskanaal to the south of Onstwedde in order to exploit the

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 efficient ...

. In 1840, the population of Onstwedde was 2,405 people, and

had 1,980 inhabitants. Stadskanaal soon surpassed Onstwedde, and in 1882, the town hall was moved to Stadskanaal. In 1969, the municipality was renamed Stadskanaal. On 20 April 1943, the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

bomber ''Mosquito II'' crashed and burnt in Smeerling near Onstwedde. The crew members are buried in a Commonwealth War Grave on the municipal cemetery.

Education

The two elementary schools of Onstwedde merged into a single entity. Since 2011, the kindergarten, elementary school and high school moved into MFA De Bast, a single building. Onstwedde is one of the few places in the Netherlands where all educational facilities are concentrated in a single building.

Smeerling

The hamlet of Smeerling is located on the road to Vlagtwedde. It contains about ten houses and is home to approximately 25 people, and is considered a part of Onstwedde for statistical and postal services. There are eight farms in the hamlet which are in similar condition to the 1830 situation. Five of the farms are monuments, the others are from a later date, but traditionally constructed and match the surroundings. In 1972, the entire hamlet was designated a protected monument. The protected area measures . A two kilometre path has been constructed through the hamlet, forests and meadows of Smeerling.

Notable people

* Henk Bleker (born 1953), Dutch politician * Izaak Reijnders (1879–1966), Dutch general

Gallery

File:Havenstraat4 Onstwedde.jpg, Former town hall File:Standerdmolen te Mussel - Onstwedde - 20173571 - RCE.jpg,

Post mill The post mill is the earliest type of European windmill. Its defining feature is that the whole body of the mill that houses the machinery is mounted on a single vertical post, around which it can be turned to bring the sails into the wind. All p ...

(1936) File:20191229 Pagebos en Pagediep.jpg, Pagediep, a remnant of the former bogs

References

External links

www.onstwedde.info
(in Dutch) {{Authority control Populated places in Groningen (province) Former municipalities of Groningen (province) Stadskanaal 875 establishments