Groningen ( , ; ; or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province 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 ...

. 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 country; as of January 2025, it had 244,807 inhabitants, making it the sixth largest city/municipality in the Netherlands and the second largest outside the

Randstad The Randstad (; "Rim City" or "Edge City") is a roughly crescent- or Circular arc, arc-shaped conurbation in the Netherlands, that includes almost half the country's population. With a central-western location, it connects and comprises the Net ...

. The Groningen metropolitan area has a population of over 360,000. Groningen was established more than 980 years ago but never gained

city rights Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...

. Due to its relatively isolated location from the then successive Dutch centres of power (

Utrecht Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...

The Hague The Hague ( ) is the capital city of the South Holland province of the Netherlands. With a population of over half a million, it is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. Situated on the west coast facing the North Sea, The Hague is the c ...

Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...

), Groningen was historically reliant on itself and nearby regions. As a

Hanseatic The Hanseatic League was a Middle Ages, medieval commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in Central Europe, Central and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Growing from a few Northern Germany, North German towns in the ...

city, it was part of the North German trade network, but later it mainly became a regional market centre. At the height of its power in the 15th century, Groningen could be considered an independent

city-state A city-state is an independent sovereign city which serves as the center of political, economic, and cultural life over its contiguous territory. They have existed in many parts of the world throughout history, including cities such as Rome, ...

and it remained autonomous until the late 18th century, when it was incorporated into the

Napoleonic Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led a series of mi ...

Batavian Republic The Batavian Republic (; ) was the Succession of states, successor state to the Dutch Republic, Republic of the Seven United Netherlands. It was proclaimed on 19 January 1795 after the Batavian Revolution and ended on 5 June 1806, with the acce ...

. Today Groningen is a university city, home to some of the country's leading higher education institutes;

University of Groningen The University of Groningen (abbreviated as UG; , abbreviated as RUG) is a Public university#Continental Europe, public research university of more than 30,000 students in the city of Groningen (city), Groningen, Netherlands. Founded in 1614, th ...

(''Rijksuniversiteit Groningen''), which is the Netherlands's second oldest university, and Hanze University of Applied Sciences (''Hanzehogeschool Groningen''). Students comprise an estimated 25% of its total population, making it the country's demographically youngest city.

Etymology

The origin and meaning of 'Groningen' and its older variant, 'Groeningen', are uncertain. A folk origin story relates the idea that, in 453 BC, exiles from

Troy Troy (/; ; ) or Ilion (; ) was an ancient city located in present-day Hisarlik, Turkey. It is best known as the setting for the Greek mythology, Greek myth of the Trojan War. The archaeological site is open to the public as a tourist destina ...

who were guided by a mythical figure called Gruno (or Grunius, Gryns or Grunus), along with a group of

Phrygians The Phrygians (Greek: Φρύγες, ''Phruges'' or ''Phryges'') were an ancient Indo-European speaking people who inhabited central-western Anatolia (modern-day Turkey) in antiquity. Ancient Greek authors used "Phrygian" as an umbrella term t ...

from Germany, founded a settlement in what is now Groningen, and built a castle on the bank 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, ...

, which they called 'Grunoburg', and which was later destroyed by the Vikings. One modern theory is that 'Groningen' meant 'among the people of Groni' ('Groningi' and 'Groninga' in the 11th century), derived from ''Gronesbeke'', which was the old name for a small lake near the Hunze (on the northern border of Zuidlaarderveen). As the name Grone (variant Groene) is an old Frisian personal name, the origin may very well be in a settlement originally founded by the family of Grone and their followers, which in Frisian would be called Groninga. Another theory is that the name was derived from the word ''groenighe'', meaning 'green fields'. In Frisian, it is called ''Grins''. In Groningen province, it is called '. Regionally, it is often simply referred to as ''Stad'' (the "city"), and its inhabitants are referred to as ''Stadjers'' or ''Stadjeder''. The Dutch sometimes refer to it as "the Metropolis of the North", or ''Martinistad'' (after the '' Martinitoren'' tower).

History

The city was founded at the northernmost point of 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 ...

'' area. While the oldest document referring to Groningen's existence dates from 1040, the area was occupied by Anglo-Saxons centuries prior. The oldest archaeological evidence of a settlement in the region stems from around 3950–3650 BC, and the first major settlement in Groningen trace back to the year 3 AD. Martini2

In the 13th century Groningen was an important trade centre and its inhabitants built a

city wall A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or Earthworks (military), earthworks to extensive military fortifications such as ...

to underline its authority. The city had a strong influence on its surrounding lands and the

Gronings dialect Gronings (; or Grönnegs), is a collective name for some Low Saxon, Low Saxon dialects spoken in the province of Groningen (province), Groningen and around the Groningen border in Drenthe and Friesland. Gronings and the strongly related varie ...

became common. The city's most influential period was at the end of the 15th century, when the nearby 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 ...

was administered from Groningen. During these years the '' Martinitoren'' was built which is considered to be the city's most significant landmark. In 1536, Groningen accepted

Emperor Charles V Charles V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (as Charles I) from 1516 to 1556, and Lord of the Netherlands as titular Duke of Burgundy (as Charles II) fr ...

, the King of Spain and the Habsburg ruler of the other Netherlands as its ruler, thus ending the region's autonomy. The city was captured in the Siege of Groningen (1594) by the Dutch and English forces led by

Maurice of Nassau Maurice of Orange (; 14 November 1567 – 23 April 1625) was ''stadtholder'' of all the provinces of the Dutch Republic except for Friesland from 1585 at the earliest until his death on 23 April 1625. Before he became Prince of Orange upo ...

. After the siege, the city and the province joined the

Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, commonly referred to in historiography as the Dutch Republic, was a confederation that existed from 1579 until the Batavian Revolution in 1795. It was a predecessor state of the present-day Netherlands ...

. During the 17th century, Groningen served as a crucial hub for the

Dutch West India Company The Dutch West India Company () was a Dutch chartered company that was founded in 1621 and went defunct in 1792. Among its founders were Reynier Pauw, Willem Usselincx (1567–1647), and Jessé de Forest (1576–1624). On 3 June 1621, it was gra ...

(WIC). This powerful trading company was responsible for maritime trade, colonization, and the transportation of goods and people. The WIC transported over 300,000 slaves from the African coast to the Dutch colonies between 1621 and 1792. Warships like the ''Groeningen'' sailed from Groningen's shipyards to Africa's west coast, carrying enslaved Africans to plantations in Brazil, Suriname, and the Antilles. These same ships returned to Europe laden with valuable commodities such as sugar, coffee, and tobacco. The

was founded in 1614 with initial course offerings in law, medicine, theology and philosophy. During this period the city expanded rapidly and a new city wall was built. The Siege of Groningen (1672) led by the bishop of

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 ...

Bernhard von Galen Christoph Bernhard Freiherr von Galen (12 October 1606, in Drensteinfurt – 19 September 1678) was Prince-bishop of Münster. He was born into a noble Westphalian family. Background, education and conversion to Roman Catholicism Christoph Ber ...

, during the

Third Anglo-Dutch War The Third Anglo-Dutch War, began on 27 March 1672, and concluded on 19 February 1674. A naval conflict between the Dutch Republic and England, in alliance with France, it is considered a related conflict of the wider 1672 to 1678 Franco-Dutch W ...

failed and the city walls resisted; an event that is celebrated annually with music and fireworks on 28 August as "'" or "''Bommen Berend''" ("Bombing Bernard"). In the early 19th century when the kingdom of Holland under king Jerôme Bonaparte was founded, Groningen was integrated into the French system of administration, and then annexed in 1811 into the French Empire under emperor Napoleon I (until 1813). During the French administration of the area, Groningen was called ''Groningue''. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the main square and the Grote Markt were largely destroyed in the Battle of Groningen in April 1945. However, the church ''Martinitoren'', the '' Goudkantoor'', and the city hall were undamaged.

Geography

There is a town named after Groningen in

Saramacca District Saramacca is a district of Suriname, in the north. Saramacca's capital city is Groningen, with other towns and cities including Batavia, Kampong Baroe, Uitkijk, Maho and Boskamp. Saramacca has a population of 17,480 and an area of 3,636 km ...

, Suriname, a former Dutch colony. It was named after the hometown of Dutch governor-general of Suriname Jan Wichers, who established the town as a fort in 1790.

Canals

Numerous canals () surround the city, locally called . The major canals that travel from the city are the Van Starkenborgh Canal, Eems Canal, and Winschoterdiep. Groningen's canals, no longer used for commercial goods transport, were once vital hubs in trade and transport. The rivers crossing close to the Binnenstad have been used for trade for at least a . The Dutch West India Company and foreign investors established their Groningen headquarters in Reitemakersrijge. Additional warehouses were strategically built along the canals at Noorderhaven to store colonial produce. These warehouses often held goods obtained from plantations in the Dutch colonies.

Climate

Groningen has an oceanic temperate climate, like all of the Netherlands, although slightly colder in winter than other major cities in the Netherlands due to its northeasterly position. Weather is influenced by the North Sea to the north-west and its prevailing north-western winds and gales. Summers are somewhat warm and humid. Temperatures of or higher occur sporadically; the average daytime high is around . Very rainy periods are common, especially in spring and summer. Average annual precipitation is about . Annual sunshine hours vary, but are usually below 1600 hours, giving much cloud cover similar to most of the Netherlands. Climate in this area has mild differences between highs and lows, and there is adequate rainfall year-round. The

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

subtype for this climate is " Cfb". (Marine West Coast Climate/

Oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

). Winters are cool; on average above freezing, although frosts are common during spells of easterly winds. Night-time temperatures of or lower are not uncommon during cold winter periods. The lowest temperature ever recorded is on 16 February 1956. Snow often falls, but rarely stays long due to warmer daytime temperatures, although white snowy days happen every winter.

Economy

Hotel and catering industries constitute a significant part of the economy in Groningen. Focus on business services has increased over time and areas such as IT, life sciences, tourism, energy, and environment have developed. Until 2008 there were two major Beet sugar factories within the city. The Suiker Unie plant was constructed in the outskirts of Groningen, but became a part of the city due to expansion. The factory had 98 employees before it was closed in 2008 due to a reduction in demand. As of 2017, Vierverlaten sugar factory in Hoogkerk remains the only beet sugar production plant in the city. Other notable companies from Groningen include publishing company Noordhoff Uitgevers, tobacco company Niemeyer, health insurance company Menzis, distillery Hooghoudt, and natural gas companies

GasUnie N.V. Nederlandse Gasunie (short form: Gasunie) is a Dutch natural gas infrastructure and transportation company operating in the Netherlands and Germany. Gasunie owns the Netherlands gas transmission network with a total length of over and long ...

and

GasTerra GasTerra is a Dutch partially state-owned company that is active in the worldwide trade and supply of natural gas. It is owned by Royal Dutch Shell (25%), ExxonMobil (25%) and the Dutch government (50%). Its history dates back to 2005, when the co ...

Demographics

Immigration

As of 2020, Groningen had a total population of 232,874 people.

Religion

The majority of people in Groningen, slightly more than 70%, are non-religious. With 25.1%, the largest religion in Groningen is

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

Population growth

The municipality of Groningen has grown rapidly. In 1968 it expanded by mergers with Hoogkerk and Noorddijk, and in 2019 it merged with Haren and Ten Boer. All historical data are for the original city limits, excluding Hoogkerk, Noorddijk, Haren and Ten Boer. It has a land area of , and a total area, including water, of . Its population density is 1,367 residents per km² (3,540 per square mile). On 1 January 2019, it was merged with the municipalities of

Ten Boer Ten Boer () is a village and a former Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the northeastern Netherlands, in the province of Groningen (province), Groningen. The municipality had a population of in ; the village of Ten Boer has approx ...

and Haren. The Groningen-Assen metropolitan area has about half a million inhabitants. Colors= id:a value:gray(0.9) id:b value:gray(0.7) id:c value:rgb(1,1,1) id:d value:rgb(0.7,0.8,0.9) id:e value:rgb(0.6,0.7,0.8) ImageSize=width:800 height:373 PlotArea=left:50 bottom:30 top:30 right:30 DateFormat=x.y Period=from:0 till:240000 TimeAxis=orientation:vertical AlignBars=justify ScaleMajor=gridcolor:b increment:20000 start:0 ScaleMinor=gridcolor:a increment:10000 start:0 BackgroundColors=canvas:c BarData= bar:1795 text:1795 bar:1830 text:1830 bar:1840 text:1840 bar:1849 text:1849 bar:1859 text:1859 bar:1869 text:1869 bar:1879 text:1879 bar:1889 text:1889 bar:1899 text:1899 bar:1909 text:1909 bar:1919 text:1919 bar:1920 text:1920 bar:1930 text:1930 bar:1947 text:1947 bar:1956 text:1956 bar:1971 text:1971 bar:1980 text:1980 bar:1990 text:1990 bar:2000 text:2000 bar:2010 text:2010 bar:2019 text:2019 PlotData= color:d width:20 align:left bar:1795 from:0 till: 23770 bar:1830 from:0 till: 30260 bar:1840 from:0 till: 33484 bar:1849 from:0 till: 33694 bar:1859 from:0 till: 35502 bar:1869 from:0 till: 37984 bar:1879 from:0 till: 46058 bar:1889 from:0 till: 56018 bar:1899 from:0 till: 66537 bar:1909 from:0 till: 74613 bar:1919 from:0 till: 87594 bar:1920 from:0 till: 90778 bar:1930 from:0 till: 105146 bar:1947 from:0 till: 132021 bar:1956 from:0 till: 142561 bar:1971 from:0 till: 169385 bar:1980 from:0 till: 162952 bar:1990 from:0 till: 168702 bar:2000 from:0 till: 174250 bar:2010 from:0 till: 187298 bar:2019 from:0 till: 231618 PlotData= bar:1795 at: 23770 fontsize:s text: 23,770 shift:(-10,5) bar:1830 at: 30260 fontsize:S text: 30,260 shift:(-10,5) bar:1840 at: 33484 fontsize:S text: 33,484 shift:(-10,5) bar:1849 at: 33694 fontsize:S text: 33,694 shift:(-10,5) bar:1859 at: 35502 fontsize:S text: 35,502 shift:(-10,5) bar:1869 at: 37984 fontsize:S text: 37,984 shift:(-10,5) bar:1879 at: 46058 fontsize:S text: 46,058 shift:(-10,5) bar:1889 at: 56018 fontsize:S text: 56,018 shift:(-10,5) bar:1899 at: 66537 fontsize:S text: 66,537 shift:(-10,5) bar:1909 at: 74613 fontsize:S text: 74,613 shift:(-10,5) bar:1919 at: 87594 fontsize:S text: 87,594 shift:(-10,5) bar:1920 at: 90778 fontsize:S text: 90,778 shift:(-10,5) bar:1930 at: 105146 fontsize:S text: 105,146 shift:(-15,5) bar:1947 at: 132021 fontsize:S text: 132,021 shift:(-20,5) bar:1956 at: 142561 fontsize:S text: 142,561 shift:(-15,5) bar:1971 at: 169385 fontsize:S text: 169,385 shift:(-15,5) bar:1980 at: 162952 fontsize:S text: 162,952 shift:(-10,0) bar:1990 at: 168702 fontsize:S text: 168,702 shift:(-10,2) bar:2000 at: 174250 fontsize:S text: 174,250 shift:(-10,5) bar:2010 at: 187298 fontsize:S text: 187,298 shift:(-15,5) bar:2019 at: 231618 fontsize:S text: 231,618 shift:(-15,5)

Culture

Groningen is nationally known as the "Metropolis of the North". The city is regarded as the main urban centre of the Northern part of the country, particularly in the fields of education, business, music and other arts. It is also known as "''Martinistad''", referring to the tower of the '' Martinitoren'', which is named after Groningen's

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy or Oriental Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, fa ...

Martin of Tours Martin of Tours (; 316/3368 November 397) was the third bishop of Tours. He is the patron saint of many communities and organizations across Europe, including France's Third French Republic, Third Republic. A native of Pannonia (present-day Hung ...

. The large student population also contributes to the very diverse cultural scene for a city of its size. Since 2016 Groningen has been host of the

International Cycling Film Festival The International Cycling Film Festival (, ) is an independent, not-for-profit film festival held annually in Germany, in Poland, in Kosovo and in the Netherlands. Its mission is to strengthen international cooperation in the areas of art film and ...

, an annual film festival for bicycle related films. It takes place in the art house cinema of the old Roman Catholic Hospital. The first major international chess tournament after World War II was held in Groningen in 1946. The tournament, won by

Mikhail Botvinnik Mikhail Moiseyevich Botvinnik (; ; – May 5, 1995) was a Soviet and Russian chess grandmaster who held five world titles in three different reigns. The sixth World Chess Champion, he also worked as an electrical engineer and computer sci ...

of the USSR, was the first time the Soviet Union had sent a team to a foreign event. An international chess "Schaakfestival Groningen tournament" has been held in the city in most years since 1946.

Museums

Groningen is home to the

Groninger Museum The Groninger Museum () is an art museum in the city of Groningen in the Netherlands. The museum exhibits modern and contemporary art of local, national, and international artists. The museum opened in 1874. The current post-modernist building c ...

. Its new building designed by

Alessandro Mendini Alessandro Mendini (16 August 1931 – 18 February 2019) was an Italians, Italian designer and architect. He played an important part in the development of Italian, Postmodern architecture, Postmodern, and Radical period, Radical design. He a ...

in 1994 echoes the Italian post-modern concepts and is notable for its futuristic and colourful style. The city has a

maritime museum A maritime museum (sometimes nautical museum) is a museum specializing in the display of objects relating to ships and travel on large bodies of water. A subcategory of maritime museums are naval museums, which focus on navy, navies and the m ...

, a university museum, a comics museum and a graphics museum. Groningen is also the home of Noorderlicht, an international photographic platform that runs a photo gallery and organizes an international photo festival. The

Forum Groningen Forum Groningen is a cultural center in the city of Groningen in the northern Netherlands that houses a library, cinema, and parts of the Groninger Museum. Forum Groningen opened in November 2019, and is expected to receive 1.6 millio ...

that opened in 2019 is a cultural center consisting of a museum, art cinema, library, bars, rooftop terrace and tourist information office.

Theatre and music

Groningen has a city theatre called the Stadsschouwburg, located on the Turfsingel, a theatre and concert venue called Martini Plaza, and a cultural venue on the Trompsingel, called the Oosterpoort. Vera is located on the Oosterstraat, the Grand Theatre on the Grote Markt, and Simplon on the Boterdiep. Several cafés feature live music, a few of which specialize in jazz music, including the ''Jazzcafe De Spieghel'' on the Peperstraat. Groningen is the host city for

Eurosonic Noorderslag ESNS (Eurosonic Noorderslag) is an annual four-day music showcase festival and conference held in January in Groningen, the Netherlands. The first three days of the festival (Eurosonic) feature artists from all over Europe, the last day of the f ...

, an annual music showcase event for bands from across Europe.

Nightlife

Groningen's active nightlife depends largely on its student population, with the Grote Markt, Vismarkt, Poelestraat and Peperstraat crowded nightly, most bars not closing until five in the morning. From 2005 to 2007, Groningen was named "best city centre" of the Netherlands. Groningen has a

red-light district A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex industry, sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light district ...

, called ''Nieuwstad''.

Sports

Groningen_-_Voetbalstadion_Euroborg_in_vogelvlucht

FC Groningen Football Club Groningen () is a Dutch professional association football club based in Groningen, Groningen (province), Groningen province. Founded in 1971 as the successor of GVAV-Rapiditas, GVAV, Groningen compete in the Eredivisie, the first t ...

, founded in 1971, is the local

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club, and as of 2000 they play in the

Eredivisie The Eredivisie (; "Honour Division" or "Premier Division") is a professional association football league in the Netherlands and the highest level of the Dutch football league system. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start o ...

, the highest football league of the Netherlands. Winners of the

KNVB Cup The KNVB Beker (; ), branded as the TOTO KNVB Beker for sponsorship reasons, is a competition in the Netherlands organised by the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) since 1898. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside the N ...

in the 2014–15 season, their best Eredivisie result was in the 1990–91 season when they finished third. Their current stadium which opened in January 2006 has 22,525 seats. It is called the Hitachi Capital Mobility Stadion; it was known as the "Euroborg stadium" before 2016, and "Noordlease Stadion" from 2016 to 2018. American sports are fairly popular in Groningen; it has

American football American football, referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular American football field, field with goalposts at e ...

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

, and

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

clubs. Groningen's professional basketball club Donar play in the highest professional league, the

Dutch Basketball League The Dutch Basketball League (DBL), formerly the Eredivisie, was the highest professional basketball league in the Netherlands, run by the Federatie Eredivisie Basketball (FEB). Since 2021, the league has been replaced by the Belgian-Dutch BNXT Le ...

, and have won the national championship seven times. The Groningen Giants are the American football team of the city who play in the premier league of the AFBN and are nicknamed as the "Kings of the North". The running event called 4 Miles of Groningen takes place in the city on the second Sunday of October every year with over 23,000 participants. The

2002 Giro d'Italia The 2002 Giro d'Italia was the 85th edition of the Giro d'Italia, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The Giro began with a prologue that navigated through the streets of the Dutch city Groningen. The race came to a close with a mass-start stage t ...

began in Groningen, including the prologue and the start of the first stage. The city hosted the start and finish of the fifth stage of the 2013 Energiewacht Tour.

Education

Gymmnasium school Groningen at 23 April 2014 - panoramio

As of 2020, around 25% of the 230,000 inhabitants in Groningen are students. The city has the highest density of students and the lowest mean age in the Netherlands. There are also Middle Schools, such as H.N. Werkman College The

(in Dutch: ''

Rijksuniversiteit Groningen The University of Groningen (abbreviated as UG; , abbreviated as RUG) is a public research university of more than 30,000 students in the city of Groningen, Netherlands. Founded in 1614, the university is the second oldest in the country (after ...

''), established in 1614 is the second oldest university in the Netherlands (after the

University of Leiden Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; ) is a public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. Established in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange as a Protestant institution, it holds the distinction of being the oldest university in the Neth ...

). The university educated the country's first female student,

Aletta Jacobs Aletta Henriëtte Jacobs (; 9 February 1854 – 10 August 1929) was a Dutch physician and women's suffrage activist. As the first woman officially to attend a Dutch university, she became one of the first female physicians in the Netherlands. I ...

, the first Dutch national astronaut,

Wubbo Ockels Wubbo Johannes Ockels (28 March 1946 – 18 May 2014) was a Dutch physicist and astronaut with the European Space Agency who, in 1985, became the first Dutch citizen in space when he flew on STS-61-A as a payload specialist. He later becam ...

, the first president of the

European Central Bank The European Central Bank (ECB) is the central component of the Eurosystem and the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) as well as one of seven institutions of the European Union. It is one of the world's Big Four (banking)#International ...

Wim Duisenberg Willem Frederik "Wim" Duisenberg (; 9 July 1935 – 31 July 2005) was a Dutch politician and economist who served as President of the European Central Bank from 1 June 1998 until 31 October 2003. He was a member of the Labour Party (PvdA). Du ...

, and two

Nobel laureates The Nobel Prizes (, ) are awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Swedish Academy, the Karolinska Institutet, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee to individuals and organizations who make outstanding contributions in th ...

;

Heike Kamerlingh Onnes Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (; 21 September 1853 – 21 February 1926) was a Dutch Experimental physics, experimental physicist. After studying in Groningen and Heidelberg, he became Professor of Experimental Physics at Leiden University, where he tau ...

(in Physics) and

Ben Feringa Bernard Lucas "Ben" Feringa (; born 18 May 1951) is a Dutch synthetic organic chemist, specializing in molecular nanotechnology and homogeneous catalysis. He is the Jacobus van 't Hoff Distinguished Professor of Molecular Sciences, at the ...

(in Chemistry). The university has about 31,000 students 22% of whom are international. The Hanze University of Applied Sciences (in Dutch: '' Hanzehogeschool Groningen'') was founded in 1986 and is more focused on the practical application of knowledge, offering bachelor and master courses in fields like Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Communication and Multimedia Design, and Renewable Energy. With around 8.1% international students, Hanze hosts more than 28,000 students and is one of the largest universities of applied sciences by enrollment in the Netherlands.

Politics

The Groningen municipal council has 45 members which, after the 2022 local elections, was made up as follows: From 2022, the ruling municipal coalition consisted of GroenLinks, PvdA, Party for the Animals, the Socialist Party and ChristenUnie.

International relations

Groningen is twinned with the following cities: Groningen also has a trilateral partnership with the nearby northern German cities of

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (, ), is the capital of the States of Germany, German state of the Bremen (state), Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (), a two-city-state consisting of the c ...

and Oldenburg.

Transport

Cycling and walking

Groningen is known as the "World Cycling City"; around 57% of its residents use a bicycle for regular commute within the city. In 2000, Groningen was chosen as the ''Fietsstad 2002'', the top cycle-city in the Netherlands for 2002. Similar to most Dutch cities, Groningen has developed to accommodate a large number of cyclists. An extensive network of bike paths were planned to make it more convenient to cycle to various destinations instead of taking a car. The city has segregated cycle-paths, public transport, and a large pedestrianised zone in the city centre. Groningen's city centre was remodeled into a "pedestrian priority zone" to promote walking and biking. This was achieved by applying the principle of filtered permeability—the network configuration favours active transportation and selectively "filters out" traveling in a car by reducing the number of streets that run through the centre. The streets that are discontinuous for cars connect to a network of pedestrian and bike paths which permeate the entire centre. In addition, these paths go through public squares and open spaces, increasing aesthetic appeal and encouraging participation. The logic of filtering a mode of transport is fully expressed in a comprehensive model for laying out neighbourhoods and districts—the fused grid.

Public transport

Trains

Groningen railway station (in Dutch: ''Hoofdstation'') is the main railway station and has regular services to most of the major cities in the country. The city's remaining two railway stations are Europapark and

Noord Noord () is a town and region in Aruba (part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands). This town is known for its low rise and high rise hotels, restaurants, beaches, malls, the California Lighthouse, and other places of attraction. Places of interes ...

. Groningen has six railway routes: *Groningen –

Delfzijl Delfzijl (; ) is a city and former municipality (which now belongs to the municipality of Eemsdelta) with a population of 25,651 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. Delfzijl was a sluice between the Delf and the Em ...

*Groningen – Roodeschool /

Eemshaven Eemshaven (; ) is a seaport in the province of Groningen in the north of the Netherlands. In 1968, the Dutch government declared the Ems estuary (Eemsmond) to be an economic key region. One of the key developments for the region was the constr ...

*Groningen –

Leeuwarden Leeuwarden (; ; ; ) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in Friesland, Netherlands, with a population of 127,073 (2023). It is the provincial capital and seat of the Provin ...

*Groningen –

Veendam Veendam () is a town and municipality with a population of 27,752 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. Veendam was established in 1648 as a peat colony by Adriaan Geerts Wildervanck. Holland America Line has named fo ...

*Groningen –

Weener Weener () is a town in the district of Leer (district), Leer, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated near the border with the Netherlands, on the river Ems (river), Ems. The towns population is at 15,654, making it the largest town of the region ...

/ Leer *Groningen –

Meppel Meppel (; Drents: ''Möppelt'') is a city and municipality in the Northeastern Netherlands. It constitutes the southwestern part of the province of Drenthe. Meppel is the smallest municipality in Drenthe, with a total area of about . As of 1 July ...

Zwolle Zwolle () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Northeastern Netherlands. It is the Capital city, capital of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Overijssel ...

On those six routes, ten lines stop at: *

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 ...

– Groningen North – Sauwerd –

Bedum Bedum (; ) is a former Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands. Populated by an unknown number of inhabitants () in , Bedum is one of the larger of Groningen (city), Groningen's several satellite ...

–

Stedum Stedum (; ) is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Eemsdelta, about northeast of the city of Groningen. Stedum was a separate municipality until 1990, when it merged with Loppersum. The German mu ...

–

Loppersum Loppersum (; ) is a village and former municipality in the province of Groningen (province), Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. Geography Loppersum is located in the province of Groningen (province), Groningen in the north of the ...

–

Appingedam Appingedam (; ) is a city and former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. Although there is no certainty as to the exact age of Appingedam, historical research demonstrates that the place in which the city would eventually be built had ...

– Delfzijl West –

– Groningen North – Sauwerd – Winsum –

Baflo Baflo (; ) is a village in the municipality of Het Hogeland, Netherlands. Famous people born in Baflo include humanist Rodolphus Agricola (1443/1444–1485) and jurist Gezina van der Molen (1892–1972). Until 1990, Baflo was a separate muni ...

–

Warffum Warffum (Gronings: Waarvum)is a village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Groningen (province), Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Het Hogeland. It had a population of around 2,175 in January 2017. History The history of Warffum ...

–

Usquert Usquert is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Het Hogeland Het Hogeland is a municipality in the north of the province of Groningen (province), Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. Hist ...

–

Uithuizen Uithuizen () is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Het Hogeland. It had a population of 4,885 in January 2017. The Uithuizen railway station is located on the Sauwerd–Roodeschool railway. Hist ...

– Uithuizermeeden – Roodeschool – (Low Service)

–

Zuidhorn Zuidhorn (; ) is a town and former Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. The town largely depends on the city of Groningen (city), Groningen. A railway line, operated by Arriva, connects the town with Lee ...

– Grijpskerk – Buitenpost – De Westereen –

Feanwâlden Feanwâlden () is a village in the Dantumadiel municipality of Friesland, the Netherlands. It had a population of around 3,430 in 2014. Together with the village of Feanwâldsterwâl Feanwâldsterwâl () is a village in the Dantumadiel and Tytsje ...

– Hurdegaryp – Leeuwarden Camminghaburen – Leewarden *

– Buitenpost – Leewarden *

– Groningen Europapark – Kropswolde – Martenshoek –

Hoogezand-Sappemeer Hoogezand-Sappemeer () is a former municipality in the Northeastern Netherlands. It was the third most-populous municipality in the province of Groningen, after Groningen and Oldambt. It was formed in 1949 by the merger of the former municipaliti ...

– Sappemeer oost – Zuidbroek –

– Groningen Europapark – Kropswolde – Martenshoek –

– Sappemeer oost – Zuidbroek –

Scheemda Scheemda () is a village with a population of 5,085 in the municipality of Oldambt in the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. Scheemda was a separate municipality until 2010, when it merged with Reiderland and Winschoten to form the mun ...

–

Winschoten Winschoten (; ) is a city with a population of 18,518 in the municipality of Oldambt (municipality), Oldambt in the northeast of the Netherlands. It is the largest city in the region of Oldambt (region), Oldambt in the province of Groningen (prov ...

– (lower service) Bad Nieuweschans –

(Due to a broken bridge, trains do not go on to Leer. Take a bus from Groningen or

.) *

– Groningen Europapark – Haren –

Assen Assen () is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Northeastern Netherlands, and is the capital (politics), capital of the province of Drenthe. It received City rights in ...

–

Beilen Beilen is a town in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Midden-Drenthe, and lies about 16 km south of Assen. The old Reformed church is the only remaining truly old building; a large fire destroyed a major ...

–

Hoogeveen Hoogeveen (; or '' 't Oveine'') is a municipality and a town in the Dutch province of Drenthe. Population centres Elim, Fluitenberg, Hoogeveen and Noordscheschut, which still have the canals which used to be throughout the town. Other v ...

–

– Amersfoort Centraal – Utrecht Centraal – Gouda – Rotterdam Alexander – Rotterdam Centraal *

–

– Lelystad Centrum – Almere Centrum – Amsterdam South –

Schiphol Amsterdam Airport Schiphol , known informally as Schiphol Airport (, ), is the main international airport of the Netherlands, and is one of the major hubs for the SkyTeam airline alliance. It is located southwest of Amsterdam, in the municipal ...

– Leiden Centraal – Den Haag Centraal / The Hague Centraal

Buses

Groningen has bus lines and Q-Link—a network of buses similar to a tram/metro network. City & Q-Link lines: *1:

Main Station Central stations or central railway stations emerged in the second half of the nineteenth century as railway stations that had initially been built on the edge of city centres were enveloped by urban expansion and became an integral part of the ...

– City Center – UMCG North – Station Groningen North – Zernike – P+R Reitdiep *2: Groningen Europapark – UMCG Main Entrance – UMCG North – Station Groningen North – Zernike – Station Zuidhorn *3: Lewenborg – P+R Kardingen –

– P+R Hoogkerk –

Leek A leek is a vegetable, a cultivar of ''Allium ampeloprasum'', the broadleaf wild leek (synonym (taxonomy), syn. ''Allium porrum''). The edible part of the plant is a bundle of Leaf sheath, leaf sheaths that is sometimes erroneously called a "s ...

*4: Beijum – P+R Kardingen –

– P+R Hoogkerk –

Peize Peize is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. Located in the northern part of Drenthe approximately 10 kilometers south of the city of Groningen. It is part of the municipality of Noordenveld, located between Roden and Eelde. Peize was ...

–

Roden Roden is a name of Germanic origin, originally meaning "red valley" or an anglicization of the Gaelic name "O'Rodain". It may refer to: Places *Roden, Bavaria, a town in the Main-Spessart district of Bavaria, Germany *Roden, Netherlands, a town ...

*5: Harkstede – P+R Meerstad – UMCG Main Entrance – City Centre –

– P+R Haren –

Zuidlaren Zuidlaren ( Noordenvelds: ''Zuudlaoren'') is a village in the province of Drenthe in the Northern Netherlands. Zuidlaren has just over 10,000 inhabitants and is situated on natural heightened land which is called the Hondsrug. The village is part ...

– Annen *6: P+R Haren –

– UMCG Main Entrance –

–

*7: De Wijert –

– Westerhaven – Vinkhuizen – Paddepoel – Station Groningen North *8: P+R Hoogkerk – Hoogkerk – Westerhaven –

- Groningen Europapark – Corpus den Hoorn – Martini hospital – P+R Hoogkerk *9: Eelde – Paterswolde – Martini hospital – Corpus den Hoorn – De Wijert –

– Westerhaven – Paddepoel – Station Groningen North or Zernike *10: Corpus den Hoorn – Martini hospital –

– Korrewegwijk – Station Groningen North *15:

– Paddepoel – Zernike *18: P+R Hoogkerk – Vinkhuizen – Paddepoel – Zernike Q-Liner lines: *300:

– P+R Westlaren (

) – P+R Gieten – P+R Borger – Emmen *304:

– P+R Hoogkerk –

Drachten Drachten (, ) is a town in the northern Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Smallingerland, Friesland. It had a population of around 56.098 in 2023 and is the Friesland#Urban areas, second largest town in the province of Friesland. ...

*309:

–

Busstation Marsdijk – Kloosterveen *312:

– P+R Haren – P+R Annen – P+R Gieten –

Gasselte Gasselte is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. Located in the municipality of Aa en Hunze, it is situated about 16 km (9.9 mi) east of Assen. In 2021, it had a population of 1,770. History The village was first mentioned in 13 ...

–

Stadskanaal Stadskanaal () is a town and municipality with a population of 32,715 in the province of Groningen in the northeast of the Netherlands. It was named after the canal Stadskanaal. From 1800 until 1900 this area was ideal for its peat mining, and so ...

*314:

–

*315:

– Heereveen –

Emmeloord Emmeloord is the administrative centre of the municipality of Noordoostpolder, Flevoland, Netherlands. In 2019, it had a population of 26,055. Overview At the heart of the Noordoostpolder, where the three main drainage canals Lemstervaart, Urk ...

*324:

–

Night lines: *406:

–

*417:

→ P+R Hoogkerk →

→

→ P+R Hoogkerk –

*418:

→ Haren →

→ Annen → P+R Gieten → P+R Annen → P+R Westlaren → P+R Haren →

*419:

–

Busstation Marsdijk – Station Assen Regional lines: *35:

– Aduard – Oldehove *39:

– Vinkhuizen –

–

Grootegast Grootegast (; ; ) is a village and former municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. It is the sister city of Kingston, Tasmania. The municipality was merged into the municipality of Westerkwartier on 1 January 2019. Geography The former ...

–

Surhuisterveen Surhuisterveen () is the largest of the 12 villages of the municipality of Achtkarspelen, in the province of Friesland, the Netherlands. As of 1 January 2017, Surhuisterveen had a population of 5,929. General information The village was first ...

*50:

– Haren – Glimmen – Vries – Station Assen *51:

– Haren –

– Annen –

Loon Loons (North American English) or divers (British English, British / Irish English) are a group of aquatic birds found in much of North America and northern Eurasia. All living species of loons are members of the genus ''Gavia'', family (biolog ...

– Station Assen *61:

–

Middelstum Middelstum (; ) is a village with a population of 2,419 in the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Eemsdelta. Middelstum was a separate municipality until 1990, when it was merged with Loppersum. Hist ...

–

*65:

– Winsum – Zoutkamp *76:

–

Hoogezand Hoogezand () is a town in the municipality of Midden-Groningen, in the province of Groningen in northeast Netherlands. History The name refers to a higher sanded ''(Hooge Sandt)'' place in the peatlands cut through when the Winschoterdiep Cha ...

*85:

–

– Oosterwolde *107: Zernike – P+R Gieten –

–

*109: Zernike –

Tynaarlo Tynaarlo (; Gronings: ''Tynaorl'') is a village and municipality in the Northeastern Netherlands. Although it is located in the province of Drenthe, many of its communities serve as suburbs of the neighbouring city of Groningen, capital of the epo ...

–

Busstation Marsdijk *133:

– P+R Hoogkerk – Via A7 –

–

*139:

– Hoogkerk –

–

*163:

– Winsum – Lauwersoog (connecting the ferry to

Schiermonnikoog Schiermonnikoog (; ) is an island, a municipality and national park in the Northern Netherlands. Schiermonnikoog is one of the West Frisian Islands, and is part of the province of Friesland. It is situated between the islands of Ameland and Rot ...

) *171: Zernike – Via A7 –

–

*178:

– Slochteren – Siddeburen –

(limited Service to

) Other lines: *563: Lewenborg –

Thesinge Thesinge (Gronings: ''Taisen'') is a village in the municipality of Groningen, in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Groningen (province), Groningen. The Order of Saint Benedict, Benedictine monastery of ''Germania'' was founded in Thesinge in 1 ...

– Sint Annen –

*564:

– Woltersum –

*637:

→

→ Grijpskerk → Zoutkamp *679: Zernike ←

Direct bus routes from Groningen to

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

, and

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

are also available.

Motorways

The A28 motorway connects Groningen to

(via

and

Amersfoort Amersfoort () is a Cities of the Netherlands, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht, Netherlands. As of 31 January 2023, the municipality had ...

). The A7 motorway connects it to

and

Zaandam Zaandam () is a city in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Holland, Netherlands. It is the main city of the municipality of Zaanstad and received City rights in the Netherlands, city rights in 1811. It is located on the river Zaan ...

(West), and

and Leer (East).

Airport

Groningen Airport Eelde Groningen Airport Eelde is a minor international airport in the northeastern Netherlands. It is located near Eelde in the Province of Drenthe, south of the city of Groningen in the province of Groningen. In 2015, the airport handled 220,710 ...

is an international airport located near Eelde, 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 ...

, with scheduled services to

Guernsey Guernsey ( ; Guernésiais: ''Guernési''; ) is the second-largest island in the Channel Islands, located west of the Cotentin Peninsula, Normandy. It is the largest island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, which includes five other inhabited isl ...

Gran Canaria Gran Canaria (, ; ), also Grand Canary Island, is the third-largest and second-most-populous island of the Canary Islands, a Spain, Spanish archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa. the island had a population of that constitut ...

Antalya Antalya is the fifth-most populous city in Turkey and the capital of Antalya Province. Recognized as the "capital of tourism" in Turkey and a pivotal part of the Turkish Riviera, Antalya sits on Anatolia's southwest coast, flanked by the Tau ...

Crete Crete ( ; , Modern Greek, Modern: , Ancient Greek, Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the List of islands by area, 88th largest island in the world and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fifth la ...

Mallorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest of the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain, and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, seventh largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. The capital of the island, Palma, Majorca, Palma, i ...

and

Bodrum Bodrum () is a town and district of Muğla Province, Turkey. About 200 thousand people live in the district, which covers 650 km2 and includes the town. It is a port town at the entrance to the Gulf of Gökova. Known in ancient times as Hal ...

Notable people

* Abel Janszoon Tasman (1603–1659), explorer, seafarer, merchant for the

Dutch East India Company The United East India Company ( ; VOC ), commonly known as the Dutch East India Company, was a chartered company, chartered trading company and one of the first joint-stock companies in the world. Established on 20 March 1602 by the States Ge ...

* Albert Dominicus Trip van Zoudtlandt (1776–1835), lieutenant-general at the

Battle of Waterloo The Battle of Waterloo was fought on Sunday 18 June 1815, near Waterloo, Belgium, Waterloo (then in the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, now in Belgium), marking the end of the Napoleonic Wars. The French Imperial Army (1804–1815), Frenc ...

Geert Adriaans Boomgaard Geert Adriaans Boomgaard (21 September 1788; baptized 23 September 1788 Heike Kamerlingh Onnes Heike Kamerlingh Onnes (; 21 September 1853 – 21 February 1926) was a Dutch Experimental physics, experimental physicist. After studying in Groningen and Heidelberg, he became Professor of Experimental Physics at Leiden University, where he tau ...

(1853–1926), physicist, Nobel laureate * Dirk Jan de Geer (1870–1960), statesman and Dutch Prime Minister (1926–29, 1939–40), advocated peace settlement between the Netherlands and

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

in 1940 * Jantina Tammes (1871–1947), botanist and geneticist * A. W. L. Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer (1888–1978), last colonial

Governor-General Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

of the

Netherlands East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies (; ), was a Dutch Empire, Dutch colony with territory mostly comprising the modern state of Indonesia, which Proclamation of Indonesian Independence, declared independence on 17 Au ...

* Michel Velleman (1895–1943), Jewish magician * Jan Wolthuis (1903–1983), lawyer and collaborator, active in

far-right politics Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and Nativism (politics), nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on ...

after WWII * Esmée van Eeghen (1918–1944),

Dutch resistance The Dutch resistance () to the History of the Netherlands (1939–1945), German occupation of the Netherlands during World War II can be mainly characterized as non-violent. The primary organizers were the Communist Party of the Netherlands, C ...

member executed by the Nazis in Paddepoel, Noorddijk *

Pete Hoekstra Cornelis Piet Hoekstra (; born October 30, 1953) is a Dutch-American politician who is serving as Ambassador to Canada. Hoekstra had served as the United States Ambassador to the Netherlands from January 10, 2018, to January 17, 2021. A member ...

(born 1953),

United States ambassador to the Netherlands The United States diplomatic mission to the Netherlands consists of the embassy located in The Hague and a consular office located in Amsterdam. In 1782, John Adams was appointed America's first Minister Plenipotentiary to Holland. According t ...

, former Republican

member of Congress A member of congress (MOC), also known as a congressman or congresswoman, is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The t ...

representing

Michigan's 2nd congressional district Michigan's 2nd congressional district is a United States congressional district in Western Michigan. The current 2nd district contains much of Michigan's 4th congressional district, Michigan's old 4th congressional district, and includes all of ...

* Gerard Kemkers (born 1967),

speed skating Speed skating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in travelling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long-track speed skating, short-track speed skating, and marathon speed skat ...

bronze medalist at

1988 Winter Olympics The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games () and commonly known as Calgary 1988 were a multi-sport event held from February 13 to 28, 1988, with Calgary, Calgary, Alberta as the main host city. This marks the m ...

* Anda Kerkhoven (1919–1945), Dutch resistance member executed by the Nazis near Glimmen *

Bauke Mollema Bauke Mollema (; born 26 November 1986) is a Dutch professional cycle sport, cyclist, who rides for UCI WorldTeam . He has finished in the top 10 in all three Grand Tours, with stage wins in the 2021 Tour de France, 2017 Tour de France, and the 2 ...

(born 1986), cyclist * Kim Feenstra (born 1985), model * Ben Woldring (born 1985), internet entrepreneur *

Luit Bieringa Luit Bieringa (1942–2022) was a New Zealand art historian, art gallery director and documentary film maker. Bieringa was born in Groningen in the Netherlands and emigrated to New Zealand with his family in 1956. Museum career He was Direct ...

(1942-2022), New Zealand Art Historian * Jantina Tammes (1871–1947), botanist and geneticist * Luciano Valente (born 2003), professional footballer *

Noisia Noisia was a Dutch electronic music trio from Groningen, Netherlands. The trio was composed of Nik Roos, Martijn van Sonderen, and Thijs de Vlieger. Their music spanned several genres, including drum and bass, dubstep, breakbeat, and house. They ...

, music producers *

Vicetone Vicetone is a Dutch electronic music production DJ duo formed by Ruben den Boer (; born 22 January 1992) and Victor Pool (; born 9 July 1992) from Groningen. The duo began as a DJ act, and in 2013, they were voted into the ''DJ Mag'' Top 100 DJ ...

, DJ and music producer duo

References

Bibliography

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Groningen (City) Cities in the Netherlands Members of the Hanseatic League Municipalities of Groningen (province) Populated places in Groningen (province) Provincial capitals of the Netherlands

Etymology

History

Geography

Canals

Climate

Economy

Demographics

Immigration

Religion

Population growth

Culture

Museums

Theatre and music

Nightlife

Sports

Education

Politics

International relations

Transport

Cycling and walking

Public transport

Trains

Buses

Motorways

Airport

Notable people

See also

References

Bibliography

External links