Broeksterwâld () is a village in the

Dantumadiel Dantumadiel () is a List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Friesland in the Netherlands. Dantumadiel is a rural municipality characterized by economic activity and agriculture. H ...

municipality of

Friesland Friesland ( ; ; official ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia (), named after the Frisians, is a Provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen (p ...

, in the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

. In 2017, it had a population of around 1,100.

History

The area in which Broeksterwâld arose was mentioned in 1452/3 as ''Broe(c)k'' and in 1580 as ''Broeick''. It was a swampy

peatland A peatland is a type of wetland whose soils consist of Soil organic matter, organic matter from decaying plants, forming layers of peat. Peatlands arise because of incomplete decomposition of organic matter, usually litter from vegetation, du ...

near the edge of the Dokkumer Wouden, Dokkumer woods. It was then a mainly uninhabited and uncultivated area around the villages

Akkerwoude Akkerwoude () is a former village in the Frisian municipality of Dantumadiel. On 1 January 1971 Akkerwoude, Dantumawoude and Murmerwoude were combined to form Damwâld Damwâld is a village in the Dantumadiel municipality of Friesland, in the N ...

, Murmerwoude and Dantumawoude. The first mention of the peatland refers to the making (and the maintenance) of a road through the peatland from ''Broek'' to the ''Swatte''. Probably for the first reclamation of the peatland. The road later became the Schwartzenberglaan, Singel and de Goddeloze Singel. In 1718 the peatland is mentioned as ''De Broek''. In the area the already have some habitation and a small hamlet with the name ''Broeksterhuyzen''. This hamlet was also mentioned in 1847, as ''Broeksterhuizen'', next to the later hamlet that arose in the same area. The later village originated from the other hamlet. That hamlet was mentioned in 1847 as ''De Broek''. In 1877 the other hamlet, which was located southeast of Dantumawoude, was once again mentioned as ''Broeksterhuizen'', but has since disappeared as a place name. In 1857, the hamlet ''De Broek'' consisted mainly of loose habitation south of Murmerwoude. However, the area in which the hamlet was located was counted under Akkerwoude. Falling under that place while it was developing more and more as a real place of its own. In the early twentieth century, the settlers' turf huts were replaced by small farms and houses built of stone. Further development of the habitation followed thereafter. In 1964 it had grown so much that it was decided to give the place its independence as a real village. The name of the village became ''Broeksterwoude''. Before that it was known as ''De Broek'', ''Broek'' or sometimes also the ''Broekpollen''. The old peatland is known as the ''Broekpolder''. In 2008 the municipality Dantumadiel decided that it was going the replace all the official Dutch names within the municipality with the West Frisian names, meaning that Broeksterwâld was from 2009 the official name for the village.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Broeksterwald Populated places in Friesland Dantumadiel