De Wilp ( West Frisian: ''De Wylp'') is a village in 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 ...

south of the town of Marum. It is largely located in the municipality of Westerkwartier 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 ...

, but a few houses of the village are in the municipality of

Opsterland Opsterland (; ) is a municipality in the province of Friesland in the Netherlands. Population centres Drachten-Azeven is an industrial zone of Drachten located in Opsterland. Hamlets The hamlets within the municipality are: Ald Beets, Allards ...

in the province of

Friesland Friesland ( ; ; official ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia (), named after the Frisians, is a Provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen (p ...

. The village was founded by labourers from Friesland; a part of the population still speaks West Frisian.

History

The area around De Wilp was a raised bog which formed the boundary between the province of

and

. The border was not defined, because it contained swamps and

heath A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and is characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a coole ...

s with few inhabitants. In the late-18 century, the Company of Drachten started exploiting the

peat Peat is an accumulation of partially Decomposition, decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, Moorland, moors, or muskegs. ''Sphagnum'' moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most ...

. The labour force mainly came from Friesland. A

linear settlement A linear settlement is a (normally small to medium-sized) settlement or group of buildings that is formed in a long line. Many of these settlements are formed along a transport route, such as a road, river, or canal. Others form due to physical r ...

appeared along the canal, and was named De Wilp after a sign with a

Eurasian curlew The Eurasian curlew or common curlew (''Numenius arquata'') is a very large wader in the family Scolopacidae. It is one of the most widespread of the curlews, breeding across temperate Europe and Asia. In Europe, this species is often referred ...

(Wylp in Frisian) of a local tavern. The border was defined later, and the Frisian side of the village is in Siegerswoude. The village was first mentioned in 1828. The peat workers were joined by small farmers. In 1838, a school was founded, and in 1868, the

Dutch Reformed Church The Dutch Reformed Church (, , abbreviated NHK ) was the largest Christian denomination in the Netherlands from the onset of the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century until 1930. It was the traditional denomination of the Dutch royal famil ...

was built. In 1840, the population was 482 people and 142 in Siegerwoude. De Wilp has an active village community which organises many events and is home to several sports organisation. In 2018, it became part of the municipality of Westerkwartier.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Populated places in Groningen (province) Westerkwartier (municipality) Geography of Opsterland