De Wilp
Village in Groningen, Netherlands
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
De Wilp (West Frisian: De Wylp) is a village in the Netherlands south of the town of Marum. It is largely located in the municipality of Westerkwartier in the province of Groningen, but a few houses of the village are in the municipality of Opsterland in the province of Friesland.[3]
De Wilp | |
|---|---|
Wooden bell tower in 2007 | |
 Coat of arms | |
  De Wilp Location of De Wilp in the province of Groningen  De Wilp De Wilp (Netherlands) | |
| Coordinates: 53°7′6″N 6°15′21″E | |
| Country |  Netherlands |
| Province |  Groningen |
| Municipality |  Westerkwartier |
| Area | |
• Total | 21.31 km2 (8.23 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
• Total | 2,330 |
| • Density | 109/km2 (283/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 9367 |
| Dialing code | 0594 |
The village was founded by labourers from Friesland; a part of the population still speaks West Frisian.[4]
History
The area around De Wilp was a raised bog which formed the boundary between the province of Friesland and Groningen. The border was not defined, because it contained swamps and heaths with few inhabitants. In the late-18 century, the Company of Drachten started exploiting the peat. The labour force mainly came from Friesland.[5] A linear settlement appeared along the canal,[6] and was named De Wilp after a sign with a Eurasian curlew (Wylp in Frisian) of a local tavern.[7] The border was defined later, and the Frisian side of the village is in Siegerswoude.[3] The village was first mentioned in 1828.[7]
The peat workers were joined by small farmers. In 1838, a school was founded, and in 1868, the Dutch Reformed Church was built.[3] In 1840, the population was 482 people and 142 in Siegerwoude.[4] De Wilp has an active village community which organises many events and is home to several sports organisation.[8][4] In 2018, it became part of the municipality of Westerkwartier.[4]
