Sellingen (;

Gronings Gronings (; gos, Grunnegs or Grönnegs), is a collective name for some Friso-Saxon dialects spoken in the province of Groningen and around the Groningen border in Drenthe and Friesland. Gronings and the strongly related varieties in East ...

: ''Zèlng'' ) 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 ...

province of Groningen. It is a part of the municipality of Westerwolde, and lies about northeast of Emmen. In 2021, statistical area "Sellingen", which also includes the surrounding countryside, had a population of 1,880, and the village of Sellingen had 1,045.

Overview

Sellingen was founded in the 12th century on a sandy ridge along the River . The church dates from the 1300s, however a church in Sellingen was already mentioned around 1150 on a list of possession of the

Diocese of Osnabrück In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...

. In the 15th century, the

Ter Apel Monastery Ter Apel Monastery ( nl, Klooster Ter Apel) is a former monastery in the village of Ter Apel in the northeastern Dutch province of Groningen. It is the only monastery in the larger area of Friesland and Groningen that survived the Reformation in ...

was part of the parish of Sellingen. In 1665, the bishop of Münster secretly constructed a road through the moor from Walchum in Lower Saxony to Sellingen as part of a planned invasion of Groningen. At neighbouring Jipsinghuizen, the Münster Army was attacked by the

Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...

, and had to retreat after the Battle of Jipsinghuizen. The road was removed afterwards. Around 1750, the first school was built in Sellingen. In October 1964, a road was opened between Sellingen and Walchum. Despite protests by both municipalities, the border remained fenced off, because Germany did not want to establish a border post. Sellingen used to be part of the municipality of

Bourtange Bourtange (; Gronings: ''Boertang'') is a village with a population of 430 in the municipality of Westerwolde in the Netherlands. It is situated in the region Westerwolde in the east of the province of Groningen near the German border. Fort Bo ...

. In 1821, it became part of Vlagtwedde. Many people desired a more central location of the municipal council. In 1889, the council voted to move the seat to Sellingen. In 2017, Vlagtwedde merged into Westerwolde, however Sellingen is still one of the two seats.

Nature

There was still a

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 ...

to the west of Sellingen. In the 1930s, the heath was cultivated, however of forest remained, and is known as the Sellingerbossen. It is somewhat random landscape with forests, meadows and swamps, and is known for its variety of damselflies. The is located near the German border, and is the highest point in Groningen at .

Notable people

Geert Meijer Geert Meijer (born 15 March 1951) is a Dutch football manager and former professional player. Playing career Born in Sellingen, Meijer played as a left winger, and began his professional career in 1972 with FC Amsterdam. After moving to city r ...

(born 1951), footballer * Anke de Vries (born 1936), children's book author

Gallery

File:Sellingen - gemeentehuis.jpg, Municipal council File:Hasseberg.jpg, Hasseberg File:Sellingen 1.jpg, Sellingen (2018) File:Voor- en zijgevel PBK 'Buiten' 1927 en 1928 - Sellingen - 20507418 - RCE.jpg, Sellingen (1927 or 28)

References

External links

* {{Authority control Populated places in Groningen (province) Westerwolde (municipality)