Surhuisterveen () is the largest of the 12 villages of the municipality of

Achtkarspelen Achtkarspelen () is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Friesland in the Northern Netherlands. In 2021, it had a population of 27,900. History The name ''Achtkarspelen'', literally me ...

, 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

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 ...

. As of 1 January 2017, Surhuisterveen had a population of 5,929.

General information

The village was first mentioned in 1603 as Surhustera feen. Surhuisterveen began to develop at the end of the 16th century as peat-excavators and boatmen built their homes in the area. The name Surhuisterveen refers to the time of 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 ...

-colonies, and means "the peat-bogs of Surhuizum". The earliest settlers were mainly

Mennonites Mennonites are a group of Anabaptism, Anabaptist Christianity, Christian communities tracing their roots to the epoch of the Radical Reformation. The name ''Mennonites'' is derived from the cleric Menno Simons (1496–1561) of Friesland, part of ...

. Surhuizum is another constituent village of Achtkarspelen, which is significantly smaller, but also significantly older than Surhuisterveen. After World War II, Surhuisterveen became a regional centre with an emphasis on retail. The Protestant Church was built in 1685. The Mennonite Church dates from 1801. The

grist mill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that h ...

Koartwâld or Feanstermoune was built in 1864. In 1907, an electro motor was installed. The

windmill sail Windmills are powered by their sails. Sails are found in different forms, from primitive common sails to the advanced patent sails. Jib sails The jib sail is found in Mediterranean countries and consists of a simple triangle of cloth wound ...

was damaged during a storm in 1946, and not repaired. The wind mill started to become a derelict, and only a ruin remained. In 1990, a restoration project started, and the wind mill was recommissioned in 1995. Surhuisterveen was home to 1,289 people in 1840. The Centrumcross Surhuisterveen is a

cyclo-cross Cyclo-cross (cyclocross, CX, cyclo-X or cross) is a form of bicycle racing. Races typically take place in the autumn and winter (the international or "World Cup" season is October–February), and consist of many laps of a short (2.5–3.5&nb ...

event organized in the village. There is a restored

windmill A windmill is a machine operated by the force of wind acting on vanes or sails to mill grain (gristmills), pump water, generate electricity, or drive other machinery. Windmills were used throughout the high medieval and early modern period ...

in the village, ''Koartwâld''. The source of the

Lauwers The Lauwers () is a river in the Netherlands. It forms part of the border between the provinces of Friesland and Groningen. From the 730s to Widukind's defeat in 785, it was part of the border of the Frankish Empire. The former Lauwerszee an ...

river, as a small stream, is located southeast of the village.

Gallery

File:Woonhuis in Interbellumstijl.jpg , Row of houses File:,t Suyderhuys Surhuisterveen.JPG, Nursing home File:Begin van de Kolk. Surhuisterveen.JPG, Shopping street File:De Kolk 3.JPG, Centre of Surhuisterveen File:Doopsgezinde kerk Surhuisterveen.jpg, Mennonite church File:Surhuisterveen-Molen Koartwald.jpg, Windmill Koartwald File:Toren in het geel.JPG, Dressed up clock tower File:Wielrenner Pieter Weening in Surhuisterveen 2015.JPG, Centrumcross

References

External links

{{Authority control Achtkarspelen Populated places in Friesland