Tolbert, Netherlands
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tolbert | |
|---|---|
Town | |
 Former smithy in Tolbert | |
  Tolbert Location in province of Groningen in the Netherlands  Tolbert Tolbert (Netherlands) | |
| Coordinates: 53°10′13″N 6°21′45″E / 53.1703°N 6.3624°E | |
| Country |  Netherlands |
| Province |  Groningen |
| Municipality |  Westerkwartier |
| Area | |
• Total | 12.74 km2 (4.92 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
• Total | 4,475 |
| • Density | 350/km2 (910/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 9356 |
| Dialing code | 0594 |
Tolbert is a town in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is part of the municipality of Westerkwartier and forms a single urban area with Leek.
Tolbert is located in the Vredewold region. The area was settled during the 10th and 11th century.[3] It was first mentioned in 1479 as Oldebert. The name is a contraction of het (the definite article) ol(de) (old) and bert (borough, village), and literally means "the old village".[4] The church is from the 17th century, but contains 13th century parts.[5] The parish dates from the 14th century. In 1794, Tolbert bought a seat in the States of Groningen from Aduard,[6] and in 1795 was the seat of a municipality with Midwolde, Lettelbert and Oostwold. In 1795, it was home to 476 people.[7] By 1817, it was part of the municipality of Leek.[8]
Tolbert was mainly an agricultural community, however the industrialisation of nearby Leek attracted people to the village.[3] In 1907, there was a malaria outbreak in Tolbert.[9] After World War II, Tolbert and Leek became a single urban area, however it remained a separate entity. In 2019, it became part of the municipality of Westerkwartier.[3]
Sports
In 1950, a street circuit for motorcycle racing was set-up in the village. In 1956, it was considered too dangerous and was no longer permitted. In 1970, permission was granted outside the build-up area.[3] In 1984, Jack Middelburg was killed during a race.[10] In 2008, the races ended, because the organisation could not finance the required safety investments.[11]
