Schoonebeek 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
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 Nove ...
. 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 area is home of the largest
onshore oil field in Europe; known as the
Schoonebeek oil field
The Schoonebeek oil field is an oil field located in Schoonebeek, Drenthe. It was discovered in 1943 and developed by Royal Dutch Shell. It began production in 1947 and produces oil. The total proven reserves
Proven reserves (also called meas ...
.
History
Schoonebeek is a village which developed on a sandy ridge in the
moorland
Moorland or moor is a type of habitat found in upland areas in temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands and montane grasslands and shrublands biomes, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils. Moorland, nowadays, generall ...
.
It was first mentioned in 1341 as "van Sconebeke" and means "brook with clean water". The Saint Nicolas Church was built in 1419, but was demolished in 1951.
The economy of the village mainly depended on the exploitation of
peat
Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially Decomposition, decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, Moorland, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and ...
.
In 1809, it became part of the municipality of
Dalen.
In 1840, it was home to 629 people.
Schoonebeek became an independent municipality in 1884.
In 1943, oil was discovered in the neighbourhood of Schoonebeek. The population successfully sabotaged the wells which prevented the Germans from knowing much oil was underneath the ground. After the war,
pumpjacks became a feature of the landscape around the village. The discovery led to an increase in population, and the construction of new neighbourhoods. In 1998, it became part of the municipality of
Emmen.
Notable people
*
Maruschka Detmers (born 1962), actress
*
Erik Regtop
Hendrik Jan "Erik" Regtop (born 16 February 1968) is a Dutch retired professional footballer who played as a forward. During his playing career, Regtop played professionally in the Netherlands, England, Switzerland, France and Austria, making n ...
(born 1968), footballer
*
Albert Zwaveling
Albert Zwaveling (born 21 July 1927) is a Dutch surgeon specializing in oncology, who worked as a professor at Leiden University between 1972 and 1992. He implemented chemotherapy in Dutch surgery A. Zwaveling, PhD thesis Leiden University, 1960 ...
(born 1927), surgeon specializing in oncology
Gallery
File:Wolfshoeve Schoonebeek.JPG, ''Wolfshoeve''
File:Schoonebeek Turfcafe.jpg, Peat factory
File:Schoonebeek -01.jpg, Farm with well
File:Schoonebeker Diep4.jpg, Drilling for oil
References
{{Authority control
Municipalities of the Netherlands disestablished in 1998
Populated places in Drenthe
Former municipalities of Drenthe
Emmen, Netherlands