Drieborg (; also ''Stocksterhorn''; ) is a dike village in the

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

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 ...

. It is a part of the municipality of Oldambt.

History

The village started along a dike on 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 ...

as Stocksterhorn. In 1656, the dike was extended to

Nieuweschans Bad Nieuweschans (; ; ; also Lange Akkeren) is a village in the north-eastern Netherlands on the border with Germany. It forms part of the municipality of Oldambt. Nieuweschans means "new fortification ( sconce)". In 2009, the word Bad (" spa") ...

. Due to the proximity to the border, a

redoubt A redoubt (historically redout) is a Fortification, fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on Earthworks (engineering), earthworks, although some are constructed of ston ...

was constructed in Stocksterhorn. In 1673, the

Bishop of Münster A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

conquered the redoubt. On 26 August 1818, the village was first referred to as Drieborg in the

Provincial Council of Groningen The Provincial Council of Groningen (, ), also known as the States of Groningen, is the provincial council of Groningen, Netherlands. It forms the legislative body of the province. Its 43 seats are distributed every four years in provincial el ...

. The origin of the name is unclear. The most likely explanation is "three

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

s" (fortified settlements), which however cannot be correct. The village used to be a part of the municipality of

Beerta Beerta (; ) is a village and former municipality with a population of 2,205 in the municipality of Oldambt in the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. In the 20th century, Beerta was a communist stronghold. In 1933, the municipal council wa ...

Drieborg was mainly inhabited by farm workers. During the 20th century, Drieborg was a stronghold of the

Communist Party of the Netherlands The Communist Party of the Netherlands (, , CPN) was a communist party in the Netherlands. The party was founded in 1909 as the Social Democratic Party (Netherlands), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and merged with the Pacifist Socialist Party, the ...

. In 1929, a widespread farmers' strike was organised in Drieborg. After World War II, 60 of the 170 houses in the village were demolished. In 1903, a church was built in Drieborg, but was demolished in 1928. Drieborg still has a school. The population of the village is steadily decreasing, but the average income is increasing, although still near the poverty line. In 1990, the municipality was merged into

Reiderland Reiderland () is a former municipality in the province Groningen in the northeastern Netherlands, which was founded in 1990 during a large municipal reorganisation. The former municipalities Finsterwolde and Bad Nieuweschans were abolished and a ...

which in turn was merged into Oldambt in 2010.

References

{{Authority control Populated places in Groningen (province) Oldambt (municipality)