Sellingen (;

Gronings Gronings (; gos, Grunnegs or Grönnegs), is a collective name for some Friso-Saxon dialects spoken in the province of Groningen and around the Groningen border in Drenthe and Friesland. Gronings and the strongly related varieties in East Fr ...

: ''Zèlng'' ) is a village in the Dutch province of

Groningen Groningen (; gos, Grunn or ) is the capital city and main municipality of Groningen province in the Netherlands. The ''capital of the north'', Groningen is the largest place as well as the economic and cultural centre of the northern part of t ...

. It is a part of the municipality of Westerwolde, and lies about northeast of Emmen. In 2021, statistical area "Sellingen", which also includes the surrounding countryside, had a population of 1,880, and the village of Sellingen had 1,045.

Overview

Sellingen was founded in the 12th century on a sandy ridge along the River . The church dates from the 1300s, however a church in Sellingen was already mentioned around 1150 on a list of possession of the

Diocese of Osnabrück In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associ ...

. In the 15th century, the

Ter Apel Monastery Ter Apel Monastery ( nl, Klooster Ter Apel) is a former monastery in the village of Ter Apel in the northeastern Dutch province of Groningen. It is the only monastery in the larger area of Friesland and Groningen that survived the Reformation i ...

was part of the parish of Sellingen. In 1665, the

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

secretly constructed a road through the moor from Walchum in Lower Saxony to Sellingen as part of a planned invasion of Groningen. At neighbouring Jipsinghuizen, the Münster Army was attacked by the

Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands ( Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...

, and had to retreat after the

Battle of Jipsinghuizen Jipsinghuizen (; Gronings: Jipsenhoezen ) is a hamlet in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is a part of the municipality of Westerwolde, and lies about 28 km northeast of Emmen. The statistical area "Jipsinghuizen", which also can includ ...

. The road was removed afterwards. Around 1750, the first school was built in Sellingen. In October 1964, a road was opened between Sellingen and Walchum. Despite protests by both municipalities, the border remained fenced off, because Germany did not want to establish a border post. Sellingen used to be part of the municipality of Bourtange. In 1821, it became part of Vlagtwedde. Many people desired a more central location of the municipal council. In 1889, the council voted to move the seat to Sellingen. In 2017, Vlagtwedde merged into Westerwolde, however Sellingen is still one of the two seats.

Nature

There was still a

raised bog Raised bogs, also called ombrotrophic bogs, are acidic, wet habitats that are poor in mineral salts and are home to flora and fauna that can cope with such extreme conditions. Raised bogs, unlike fens, are exclusively fed by precipitation (ombrot ...

to the west of Sellingen. In the 1930s, the heath was cultivated, however of forest remained, and is known as the Sellingerbossen. It is somewhat random landscape with forests, meadows and swamps, and is known for its variety of damselflies. The is located near the German border, and is the highest point in Groningen at .

Notable people

* Geert Meijer (born 1951), footballer *

Anke de Vries Anke de Vries (born Sellingen Sellingen (; Gronings: ''Zèlng'' ) is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is a part of the municipality of Westerwolde, and lies about northeast of Emmen. In 2021, statistical area "Sellingen", whi ...

(born 1936), children's book author

Gallery

File:Sellingen - gemeentehuis.jpg, Municipal council File:Hasseberg.jpg, Hasseberg File:Sellingen 1.jpg, Sellingen (2018) File:Voor- en zijgevel PBK 'Buiten' 1927 en 1928 - Sellingen - 20507418 - RCE.jpg, Sellingen (1927 or 28)

References

External links

* {{Authority control Populated places in Groningen (province) Westerwolde (municipality)