Bourtange Swamp
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The Bourtanger Moor (
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 ...
: ''Bourtangerveen/Bourtangermoeras'',
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
: ''Bourtanger Moor'',
Low Saxon Low Saxon (), also known as West Low German () are a group of Low German dialects spoken in parts of the Netherlands, northwestern Germany and southern Denmark (in North Schleswig by parts of the German-speaking minority). It is one of two di ...
: ''Boertanger Moor'') was a bog in eastern parts 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 ...
provinces of
Drenthe Drenthe () is a province of the Netherlands located in the northeastern part of the country. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and the German state of Lower Saxony to the east. As of Jan ...
and
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 the bordering
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
districts of Bentheim and
Emsland Landkreis Emsland () is a districts of Germany, district in Lower Saxony, Germany named after the river Ems (river), Ems. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Leer (district), Leer, Cloppenburg (district), Cloppenbur ...
. A remaining stretch on the border between Drenthe and the districts Emsland and Betheim is now a nature reserve, the Internationaler Naturpark Bourtanger Moor-Bargerveen.


Shape and size

The Bourtange Swamp had the shape of a V. The western leg covered the valley of the
Hunze The Hunze (also Oostermoerse Vaart, Oostermoersche Vaart, Drentsche Diep and Schuyten diep) is a river located in the border area of Drenthe and Groningen, east of the Hondsrug, in the Netherlands. The Hunze used to run through to the Wadden Sea, ...
and ranged towards the city 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 ...
. The western part was bordered by the
Hondsrug image:Hoogstraatje RA.JPG, 300px, The Hoogstraatje in Groningen (province), Groningen, the northernmost hill of the Hondsrug The Hondsrug () is a Dutch ridge of sand that is mainly located in the province Drenthe and partly in the province Gronin ...
. The eastern leg was located in the valley of the
Ems Ems or EMS may refer to: Places and rivers * Domat/Ems, a Swiss municipality in the canton of Grisons * Ems (river) (Eems), a river in northwestern Germany and northeastern Netherlands that discharges in the Dollart Bay * Ems (Eder), a river o ...
. Between these two legs lies Westerwolde. At its greatest extent the swamp was about 3000 km2.


History

The swamp arose around 5000 BC. The area was already inhabited before this happened, as shown by archeological finds such as the one at Hoetsmansmeer in
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 ...
. These finds are attributed to
nomads Nomads are communities without fixed habitation who regularly move to and from areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, Nomadic pastoralism, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and Merchant, trader nomads. In the twentieth century, ...
from the
Mesolithic The Mesolithic (Ancient Greek language, Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic i ...
. Eventually these people left because of the growing swamp. Near
Valthe Valthe is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Borger-Odoorn, and lies about 8 km north of Emmen. History The village was first mentioned in 1217 as "in Valten", and probably means "cow shed". Va ...
-
Ter Apel Ter Apel (; Gronings: ''Troapel'') is a village with a population of 9,914 residents in the municipality Westerwolde (municipality), Westerwolde in the northern Netherlands, in the province Groningen (province), Groningen in the region Westerwolde ...
and Nieuw-Dordrecht remnants of roads through the bog were found, dating from the
Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...
to the
Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
. From a military point of view the swamp had an important function as a protective barrier, especially between 1580 and 1850. The swamp played an important role during the wars between
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
Münster Münster (; ) is an independent city#Germany, independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a ...
In places with passages through or along the bog, strongholds were built.
Bourtange Bourtange (; Gronings: ''Boertang'') is a village with a population of 430 in the municipality of Westerwolde in the Netherlands. It is situated in the region Westerwolde in the east of the province of Groningen near the German border. Fort Bou ...
,
Oudeschans Oudeschans () is a small village with a population of around 100 in the municipality of Westerwolde (municipality), Westerwolde in the province of Groningen (province), Groningen in the Netherlands. The 16th-century fortification is now a state p ...
,
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") ...
, Valtherschans and Emmerschans are examples of these places.


Cultivation

Initially cultivation only occurred at the edges of the swamp. The harvested peat was a source of fuel. During the second half of the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
the
monasteries A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which m ...
of
Aduard Aduard (; ) is a village in the municipality of Westerkwartier, in the Netherlands. It is located about 8 km northwest of Groningen. As of 1 January 2023, it had a population of 2,095. The history of Aduard dates back to the foundation in ...
and
Essen Essen () is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and Dortmund, as well as ...
played an important role in cultivating the bog. In the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...
some places at the edges of the
bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and musk ...
were drained for growing
rye Rye (''Secale cereale'') is a grass grown extensively as a grain, a cover crop and a forage crop. It is grown principally in an area from Eastern and Northern Europe into Russia. It is much more tolerant of cold weather and poor soil than o ...
. The drainage caused soil settling and the area became more vulnerable to floodings. Between 1360 and 1500 parts in the northeast were washed away by 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 ...
. In the 16th century large-scale peat harvesting began. The Frisian method, using
canals Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow u ...
, was introduced. At first most peat harvesting was done at the river
Hunze The Hunze (also Oostermoerse Vaart, Oostermoersche Vaart, Drentsche Diep and Schuyten diep) is a river located in the border area of Drenthe and Groningen, east of the Hondsrug, in the Netherlands. The Hunze used to run through to the Wadden Sea, ...
near the
city of Groningen Groningen ( , ; ; or ) is the capital city and main municipality of 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 the northern part of ...
. The peat could be transported to the city via this small river. In the 17th century, Westerwolde came under control of the
city of Groningen Groningen ( , ; ; or ) is the capital city and main municipality of 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 the northern part of ...
and the peat harvesting became more large-scaled Johan de la Haye and Johan Sems designed a line right through the western 'leg' of the bog, de
Semslinie The Semslinie is a part of the border between the Dutch provinces of Groningen (province), Groningen and Drenthe that runs right through the former Bourtanger Moor. The almost straight line runs from Wolfsbarge to the Huis ter Haar at Musselkan ...
. De Semslinie is a straight line between Wolfsbarge (a village near the
Zuidlaardermeer Zuidlaardermeer is a lake in the northern part of the Netherlands. The lake runs Northwest of the village of Zuidlaren and southwards of the former municipality of Hoogezand-Sappemeer and is called Zuidlaardermeer (Dutch for: Lake of Zuidlaren). ...
) and
Ter Apel Ter Apel (; Gronings: ''Troapel'') is a village with a population of 9,914 residents in the municipality Westerwolde (municipality), Westerwolde in the northern Netherlands, in the province Groningen (province), Groningen in the region Westerwolde ...
. Nowadays it is the border between
Drenthe Drenthe () is a province of the Netherlands located in the northeastern part of the country. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and the German state of Lower Saxony to the east. As of Jan ...
and the Province of Groningen. The Stadskanaal (''City canal''), which was dug in the 18th century, largely follows the Semslinie. This canal played a significant role in the large-scale peat harvesting. The areas that were cultivated were called ''veenkoloniën'' (''peat colonies''). Due to peat harvesting and drainage the remaining swamp became a lot drier. This was bad for the military function of the eastern branch. Therefore,
dikes Dyke or dike may refer to: General uses * Dyke (slang), a slang word meaning "lesbian" * Dike (geology), formations of magma or sediment that cut through and across the layering of adjacent rocks * Dike (mythology), ''Dikē'', the Greek goddess ...
were built near
Bourtange Bourtange (; Gronings: ''Boertang'') is a village with a population of 430 in the municipality of Westerwolde in the Netherlands. It is situated in the region Westerwolde in the east of the province of Groningen near the German border. Fort Bou ...
to keep water there. Also colonists from
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 ...
, who grew
buckwheat Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum'') or common buckwheat is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. Buckwheat originated around the 6th millennium BCE in the region of what ...
, arrived 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 ...
part of the bog. In order to make the soil suitable to grow
buckwheat Buckwheat (''Fagopyrum esculentum'') or common buckwheat is a flowering plant in the knotweed family Polygonaceae cultivated for its grain-like seeds and as a cover crop. Buckwheat originated around the 6th millennium BCE in the region of what ...
the peat had to be burned. Because of the inconvenience it brought, it was banned in 1925. During the 19th century peat as a fuel, got competition from
coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...
and peat harvesting became less profitable. In the second half of the 19th century de another important canal was dug, the Verlengde Hoogeveensche Vaart. This resulted in more peat harvesting in the southern points of the bog. In the 20th century peat was no longer the main product from the bog, but
activated charcoal "Activated" is a song by English singer Cher Lloyd. It was released on 22 July 2016 through Vixen Records. The song was made available to stream exclusively on ''Rolling Stone'' a day before to release (on 21 July 2016). Background In an inter ...
, ''turfstrooisel'' (a sort of compost) and
potting soil Potting soil or growing media, also known as potting mix or potting compost (UK), is a substrate used to grow plants in containers. The first recorded use of the term is from an 1861 issue of the ''American Agriculturist''. Despite its name, lit ...
became important products. No new canals were dug and products from the bog was being largely transported to factories via
narrow gauge railways A narrow-gauge railway (narrow-gauge railroad in the US) is a railway with a track gauge (distance between the rails) narrower than . Most narrow-gauge railways are between and . Since narrow-gauge railways are usually built with tighter curv ...
. From there it was transported by ship,
tram engine A tram engine is a steam locomotive specially built, or modified, to run on a street, or roadside, tramway track. Legal requirements In the steam locomotive era, tram engines had to comply with certain legal requirements, although these vari ...
, train or truck. After the ''Amsterdamse Veld'' in southeast
Drenthe Drenthe () is a province of the Netherlands located in the northeastern part of the country. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and the German state of Lower Saxony to the east. As of Jan ...
was stripped of its peat, the harvesting of peat and other products from the bog stopped. A remaining part of the bog and surroundings including the Amsterdamse Veld are now part of the
Bargerveen Nature Reserve Bargerveen Nature Reserve is a nature reserve in the Dutch province of Drenthe that has been included in the Natura 2000 ecological network. Since 2006 it is part of the Internationaler Naturpark Bourtanger Moor-Bargerveen (''engl. Bourtanger Mo ...
, a
Ramsar site A Ramsar site is a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention,8 ha (O) *** Permanent 8 ha (P) *** Seasonal Intermittent < 8 ha(Ts) **
Several
bog bodies A bog body is a human cadaver that has been Natural mummy, naturally mummified in a Bog, peat bog. Such bodies, sometimes known as bog people, are both geographically and chronologically widespread, having been dated to between 8000 BC and the S ...
were found in the bog, including the
Weerdinge Men The Weerdinge Men is the name given to two bog bodies found in 1904 in Weerdinge, Drenthe, in the southern part of Bourtange moor, in the Netherlands. Radiocarbon dating shows that they likely died between 160 BC and 220 AD. At first, it was be ...
(found near
Weerdinge Weerdinge is a neighbourhood and former village of Emmen in the Dutch province of Drenthe. History Weerdinge is an ''esdorp'' which developed in the 10th century, on the road from Emmen naar Exloo. It was first mentioned in 1327 as Weerdighen ...
in
Drenthe Drenthe () is a province of the Netherlands located in the northeastern part of the country. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and the German state of Lower Saxony to the east. As of Jan ...
), Aschbroeken Man, also from Drenthe,
Roter Franz This is a list of bog bodies grouped by location of discovery. Bog bodies, or bog people, are the naturally preserved corpses of humans and some animals recovered from peat bogs. The bodies have been most commonly found in the northern European c ...
(Neu Versen in
Emsland Landkreis Emsland () is a districts of Germany, district in Lower Saxony, Germany named after the river Ems (river), Ems. It is bounded by (from the north and clockwise) the districts of Leer (district), Leer, Cloppenburg (district), Cloppenbur ...
) and the Kibbelgaarn body (Kibbelgaarn in
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 ...
)


References

* {{Coord, 52, 53, 45, N, 7, 15, 35, E, dim:20000_region:DE-NI/NL-GR/NL-DR_type:landmark_source:dewiki, display=title Landforms of Groningen (province) Bogs of the Netherlands