Oudega ( fry, Aldegea ) is a village in

Smallingerland Smallingerland (; fy, ) is a municipality in the province of Friesland in the Netherlands. Population centres Boornbergum, De Tike, De Veenhoop, De Wilgen, Drachten (main town), Drachtstercompagnie, Goëngahuizen, Houtigehage, Kortehemmen ...

in the province of

Friesland Friesland (, ; official fry, Fryslân ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia, is a province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen, northwest of Drenthe and Overijssel, north of ...

, 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 had a population of around 1,701 in January 2017.

History

The village was first mentioned in 1439 as Aldga, and means "old village". Oude (old) has been added to distinguish from

Nijega Nijega ( fry, Nyegea) is a village in Smallingerland municipality in the province of Friesland, the Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision ...

. Oudega developed in a sandy ridge in the early middle ages. Until 1795, it was the capital of the ''

grietenij A ''grietenij'' was a forerunner to the ''gemeente'' or municipality in Frisia, particularly in Friesland, and also in Groningen which are now a part of the Netherlands. From the end of the 16th century until 1851, there were a total of 30 ''grie ...

'' (predecessor of the municipality) Smallingerland. The

Protestant church Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

was built in the early 12th century. The tower was built around 1250. The church was modified several times during its history and restored in 1921. Oudega was home to 603 people in 1840.

Notable buildings

* The

Protestant church of Oudega The Protestant church of Oudega or Saint Agatha churchAlle middeleeuwse kerken: van Harlingen tot Wilhelmshaven, P Karstkarel, p. 239 is a religious building in Oudega, Netherlands, one of the many medieval churches in Friesland. The Romanesque ...

Gallery

File:20210709 De Smidterij Aldegea.jpg, Former forge in Oudega File:20210709 haven Aldegea.jpg, The harbour of Oudega File:Oudega (Smallingerland) - Dorp.jpg, Street view File:20210709 Ooievaar door Rolf Döderlein de Win Albert Faber Park Oudega.jpg, Stork Statue

References

External links

Populated places in Friesland Smallingerland {{Friesland-geo-stub