Winschoten, Netherlands
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Winschoten (; ) is a
city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
with a population of 18,518 in the municipality of Oldambt in the northeast of 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 ...
. It is the largest city in the region of Oldambt in the province of
Groningen Groningen ( , ; ; or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. Dubbed the "capital of the north", Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of ...
which has 38,213 inhabitants. Winschoten received its
city rights Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...
in 1825. It was a separate
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
until it was merged into Oldambt in 2010. The seat of government of Oldambt is in Winschoten. There are three windmills and several churches in Winschoten. There is a
railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
with direct connections to
Groningen Groningen ( , ; ; or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. Dubbed the "capital of the north", Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of ...
and
Leer Leer may refer to: * Leer, Lower Saxony, town in Germany ** Leer (district), containing the town in Lower Saxony, Germany ** Leer (Ostfriesland) railway station * Leer, South Sudan, town in South Sudan ** Leer County, an administrative division ...
(Germany), although due to the reconstruction of the
Friesenbrücke The Friesenbrücke is a railway bridge in Weener, Germany, crossing the river Ems (river), Ems. Background The first bridge was built under the name ''Emsbrücke Hilkenborg'' between 1874 and 1876. In June 1922 the Lighter (barge), lighter '' ...
trains to Germany will stop at
Weener Weener () is a town in the district of Leer (district), Leer, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated near the border with the Netherlands, on the river Ems (river), Ems. The towns population is at 15,654, making it the largest town of the region ...
until 2024. Winschoten has an important role as a shopping centre for the region of Oldambt. In the province of Groningen, it is the second-largest shopping destination and it attracts many consumers from nearby Germany.


Etymology

The origin of the name of Winschoten is not known but it has received nicknames. One of these is ''Molenstad'' (or ''Milltown''). It has also been known, in living memory, as Sodom. This name arose out of the Jewish community who were scandalised by the immoral behaviour of their Gentile neighbours. The inhabitants are also called ''Tellerlikkers'' (plate lickers).


Geography

Winschoten was the capital of the Oldambt district, in a fertile agricultural region. Winschoten received
city rights Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...
in 1825. It was the last town in the Netherlands to be granted such rights and it was more of a symbolic gesture. The town flag has three horizontal stripes of blue and white, in ratio 1:3:1, on the white stripe is a red outline plan of a fortress with nine embattlements. It was adopted 23 May 1973 by municipal resolution. The coat of arms is an image of
Saint Vitus Vitus (), whose name is sometimes rendered Guy or Guido, was a Christian martyr from Sicily. His surviving hagiography is pure legend. The dates of his actual life are unknown.Basil Watkins, ''The Book of Saints: A Comprehensive Biographical ...
, whose name can also be recognized in many streetnames, schoolnames names of clubs, etc. Winschoten is located at (53.15, 7.03) in the municipality of Oldambt, in the east of the province of
Groningen Groningen ( , ; ; or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. Dubbed the "capital of the north", Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of ...
, and in the northeast of the Netherlands. It is situated east of
Groningen Groningen ( , ; ; or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. Dubbed the "capital of the north", Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of ...
,
Hoogezand Hoogezand () is a town in the municipality of Midden-Groningen, in the province of Groningen in northeast Netherlands. History The name refers to a higher sanded ''(Hooge Sandt)'' place in the peatlands cut through when the Winschoterdiep Cha ...
, and
Veendam Veendam () is a town and municipality with a population of 27,752 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. Veendam was established in 1648 as a peat colony by Adriaan Geerts Wildervanck. Holland America Line has named fo ...
, north 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 ...
, south of
Delfzijl Delfzijl (; ) is a city and former municipality (which now belongs to the municipality of Eemsdelta) with a population of 25,651 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. Delfzijl was a sluice between the Delf and the Em ...
, and west of
Leer Leer may refer to: * Leer, Lower Saxony, town in Germany ** Leer (district), containing the town in Lower Saxony, Germany ** Leer (Ostfriesland) railway station * Leer, South Sudan, town in South Sudan ** Leer County, an administrative division ...
and
Papenburg Papenburg (; East Frisian Low Saxon: ''Papenbörg'') is a city in the district of Emsland, Lower Saxony, Germany, situated at the river Ems. It is known for its large shipyard, the Meyer-Werft, which specializes in building cruise liners. Ge ...
(both in Germany). It is also south of the
Dollart The Dollart (German name, ) or Dollard (Dutch name, ) is a bay in the Wadden Sea between the northern Netherlands and Germany, on the west side of the estuary of the Ems river. Most of it dries at low tide. Many water birds feed there. Gain ...
and the Oldambtmeer. File:Netherlands, Winschoten, map, around 1865-1870.jpg, The municipality around 1870 File:Winschoten-plaats-OpenTopo.jpg, Topographic map of Winschoten, June 2014


Windmills

There used to be 13 mills in Winschoten, today only three large, monumental windmills remain in the town. These mills are now owned by the local council and are run by volunteer millers. They form an important feature of the townscape and are well cared for by the local authorities for the benefit of the community and visitors. Molen Berg, built in 1854 at the Grintweg, was designed to grind corn. Its first owner was J.D. Buurma. The unusual design of the sails with movable blades, akin to venetian blinds was in advance for its time. Traditionally Dutch windmills have tarpaulin covering the sails to control or catch the wind's power. The Dijkstra Molen in the Nassaustraat was built in 1862 by D.E. Dijkstra. In 1953 the original owner's grandson sold it to the local government. It was restored 1982/1983 and further restoration work took place in 1995/-6 restoration. Molen Edens, at Nassaustraat 14, was built in 1763 on the instructions of Jurrien Balles and Antje Gerbrands. Later owners were Jan Joesten and G. Eikema. Then from 1855 till 1960 various generations of the Edens family owned it. The local municipality bought it in 1960. It is the oldest mill in the entire province of Groningen.


Churches

There are numerous Protestant churches in Winschoten including an assembly of
Plymouth Brethren The Plymouth Brethren or Assemblies of Brethren are a low church and Nonconformist (Protestantism), Nonconformist Christian movement whose history can be traced back to Dublin, Ireland, in the mid to late 1820s, where it originated from Anglica ...
. The oldest church dates back to the 13th century in style mingling Roman and Gothic features. There is a Dutch Reformed church on Marktplein. A free-standing 16th-century bell tower is one of the features of the Winschoten skyline. There is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to
Saint Vitus Vitus (), whose name is sometimes rendered Guy or Guido, was a Christian martyr from Sicily. His surviving hagiography is pure legend. The dates of his actual life are unknown.Basil Watkins, ''The Book of Saints: A Comprehensive Biographical ...
, built by
Alfred Tepe Alfred may refer to: Arts and entertainment *''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series * ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne * ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák *"Alfred (Interlu ...
in 1880. It is a neo-gothic church with stained glass windows by Kocken and a sandstone high altar from Freitag in Münster. This altar was formerly placed in the Saint Boniface church in
Nieuwe Pekela Nieuwe Pekela (Gronings dialect, Gronings: ''Nij Pekel'') is a village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Groningen (province), Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Pekela, about 7 km southeast of Veendam. The village started as ...
. When this church was demolished it was brought to Winschoten to replace an old altar. There used to be a thriving Jewish community. During the Second World War, Winschoten was a transit port to Germany for the Jew-transports. Of the 493 Jews that lived in Winschoten at the beginning of the war, only 20 survived.


Monuments

The name ''tellerlikker'' (mentioned above) was given on account of the local custom to voraciously devour their meals and conclude with licking the plate (''teller'' - in the local dialect) clean. A monument to one of these plate lickers stands on the Oldambt Square, in front of an area where the theatre 'De Klinker', built on the site of a former brick factory, used to be. A dog in turn licks the feet of his greedy owner.


Language

The official language is Dutch, but many Winschoters especially of older generations speak the local dialect called Gronings. In addition, many inhabitants are able to speak German or English. The Winschoter version of the dialect Gronings has influences of Hebrew and Yiddish as a consequence of the once prominent Jewish community that had lived there since the 18th century.


Sports

Winschoten is host to the oldest
Ultramarathon An ultramarathon is a footrace longer than the traditional marathon distance of . The sport of running ultramarathons is called ultra running or ultra distance running. Various distances, surfaces, and formats are raced competitively, from the ...
of the Netherlands since 1976 called ''De RUN''. It is a race of run individually over a paved lap through the town. The current record of 06:16:41 is held by Jean-Paul Praet since 1992. During the event, that is usually held on the second Saturday of September, there is also the possibility to run a race or to compete with a group in a 10x10 km relay race. Winschoten also hosted the start and finish of the first stage at the
2013 Energiewacht Tour The 2013 Energiewacht Tour is the third edition of the Energiewacht Tour women's cycling stage race. It is rated by the UCI as category 2.2, and is held between 3 and 7 April 2013 in the Netherlands. Twenty-four teams of 6 riders take part. There ...
.


Transportation

Winschoten has a
railway station Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
with train services towards
Groningen Groningen ( , ; ; or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen (province), Groningen province in the Netherlands. Dubbed the "capital of the north", Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of ...
and
Leer Leer may refer to: * Leer, Lower Saxony, town in Germany ** Leer (district), containing the town in Lower Saxony, Germany ** Leer (Ostfriesland) railway station * Leer, South Sudan, town in South Sudan ** Leer County, an administrative division ...
(in
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
). The railway station was inaugurated 1 May 1868 to service the Groningen–Winschoten–Nieuweschans line. This was the second brought into use by the Company for the Exploitation of State Railways (Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Staatsspoorwegen) and part of the
Harlingen–Nieuweschans railway The Harlingen–Nieuweschans railway is a railway line in the Netherlands running from the port of Harlingen, Netherlands, Harlingen to Bad Nieuweschans, passing through Leeuwarden and Groningen (city), Groningen. The line was opened between 1863 ...
(built 1863–1868). Today this route is operated by
Arriva Arriva Ltd. is a British multinational public transport company headquartered in Sunderland, England. The company was originally established on 24 October 1938 as T Cowie Ltd. Initially focused on the sale of motorcycles, it relaunched shortl ...
. Winschoten also has a road connection to the rest of the Netherlands and Germany via the A7 motorway ( E22).


Notable people

*
Wiebbe Hayes Wiebbe Hayes (born ) was a Dutch soldier known for his leading role in the suppression of Jeronimus Cornelisz's massacre of shipwreck survivors in 1629, after the merchant ship was wrecked in the Houtman Abrolhos, a chain of coral islands off ...
(), Dutch soldier and national hero in the 17th century * Arnold Hendrik Koning (1860–1945), Dutch painter *
Dirk Stikker Dirk Uipko Stikker (5 February 1897 – 23 December 1979) was a Dutch politician and diplomat of the defunct Liberal State Party (LSP), co-founder of the defunct Freedom Party (PvdV) and of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (V ...
(1897–1979), Dutch minister of Foreign Affairs (1948–1952) and NATO Secretary-General (1961–1964) *
Bernard D. H. Tellegen Bernard D.H. Tellegen (24 June 1900 – 30 August 1990) was a Dutch electrical engineer and inventor of the pentode and the gyrator. He is also known for a theorem in circuit theory, Tellegen's theorem. He obtained a master's degree in electric ...
(1900–1990), Dutch engineer and inventor * Jaap Meijer (1912–1993), Dutch historian and poet *
Herman Makkink Herman Makkink (21 October, 1937 – 20 October 2013) was a Dutch sculptor, graphic artist and illustrator. Life and work Makkink was born in Winschoten. After studying chemistry from 1955 to 1959 in Groningen, Makkink began to walk and hitchhi ...
, (1937–2013), Dutch sculptor, graphic artist, and illustrator *
Klaas Nuninga Klaas Nuninga (born 7 November 1940) is a former Dutch international footballer who played for GVAV-Rapiditas, Ajax and DWS during his career. Club career Early career Nuninga began his career in the youth ranks of WVV 1896 in his home town ...
(1940) Dutch footballer and official *
Bas Jan Ader Bastiaan Johan Christiaan "Bas Jan" Ader (19 April 1942 – disappeared 1975) was a Dutch conceptual and performance artist, and photographer. His work was in many instances presented as photographs and film of his performances. He made perf ...
(1942–lost at sea 1975), Dutch artist *
Piet Hamberg Piet Hamberg (born 22 January 1954) is a former Dutch footballer and manager. He worked at Liverpool as technical manager for their academy. Playing career Hamberg began his youth career with Groningen. During his playing career, Hamberg repres ...
(1954), Dutch footballer and football manager *
Henriëtte Weersing Henriëtte Weersing (born 11 October 1965) is a retired volleyball player from the Netherlands, who represented her native country at two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1992. Weersing was a leading member of the Netherlands national t ...
(1965), Dutch volleyball player *
Marcel Hensema Marcel Hensema (born 16 April 1970) is a Dutch film actor. He appeared in more than seventy films since 1993. In 2007 he won the Golden Calf for Best Actor The following is a list of winners of the Golden Calf for best actor/actress at the Nede ...
(1970), Actor *
Bert Zuurman Bert Zuurman (born 16 March 1973) is a Dutch former football striker, who made his professional debut in the 1990–91 season for FC Groningen. Later on he played for Heracles Almelo, SC Heerenveen, BV Veendam, FC Eindhoven, FC Emmen, FC Zwolle, ...
(1973), Dutch footballer *
Marnix Kolder Marnix Kolder (born 31 January 1981) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a striker. Career Born in Winschoten, Kolder progressed through the youth departments of VV Bato and WVV 1896 – both based in his hometown – befo ...
(1981), Dutch footballer *
Marcel Seip Marcel Seip (; born 5 April 1982) is a Dutch former professional footballer who plays as a centre back for ACV in the Dutch Hoofdklasse. He previously played for Veendam, Heerenveen, Plymouth Argyle, Blackpool, Sheffield United, Charlton Athlet ...
(1982), Dutch footballer


References


External links

* {{Authority control Oldambt (municipality) Populated places in Groningen (province) Former municipalities of Groningen (province) Municipalities of the Netherlands disestablished in 2010 Cities in the Netherlands Holocaust locations in the Netherlands