Zuidhorn (; ) is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

and former

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

in the northeastern

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 ...

. The town largely depends on 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 ...

. A railway line, operated by

Arriva Arriva Ltd. is a British multinational public transport company headquartered in Sunderland, England. The company was originally established on 24 October 1938 as T Cowie Ltd. Initially focused on the sale of motorcycles, it relaunched shortl ...

, connects the town with

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 ...

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 ...

and Groningen. Due to a municipal reorganisation in 1990, Zuidhorn municipality was extended when it merged with, though not physically connected to Oldehove,

Grijpskerk Grijpskerk (; or ; ) is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of Westerkwartier, about 18 km west of the city of Groningen. Grijpskerk was a separate municipality until 1990, when it was merg ...

and

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 ...

. On 1 January 2019, the municipality was dissolved and merged into the municipality of

Westerkwartier The Westerkwartier (; ; ; ) is a historical region in the Dutch province of Groningen, at the border with the provinces of Drenthe and Friesland. In the past the area was part of the historical region of Frisia. The West Frisian language ...

Transport

Zuidhorn has two train stations:

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 ...

and

. At least once an hour a train runs between

and

. On weekdays, trains stop twice an hour in Zuidhorn. Until 1991 there used to be a third station on this line,

Visvliet Visvliet is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is part of the municipality of Westerkwartier, and is located near the river Lauwers, the border between Friesland and Groningen. History In 734, the Battle of the Boarn was fought be ...

Nature

In the center of Zuidhorn, lies a large, partly wooded park called "Johan Smit Park". It offers a wide variety of recreation, open to the public, based on trails. The "Quick Silver S" is the main sport hall, hosting many activities such as a running clubs, and other sports. Nearby, the park has numerous football fields and a playground. For most of the year, docile highland cattle roam the park.

Wierden

There is a dense concentration of terps, better known as wierden,

artificial dwelling hill A ''terp'', also known as a ''wierde, woerd, warf, warft, werf, werve, wurt'' or ''værft'', is an artificial dwelling mound found on the North European Plain that has been created to provide safe ground during storm surges, high tides a ...

s, in the area Middag-Humsterland. In 1995, this collection of wierden was submitted to

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

's list of

World Heritage Site World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...

s. The property is currently on the tentative list.

Population centres

The former municipality of Zuidhorn comprised the following population centres: Aalsum,

, Balmahuizen, Barnwerd,

Briltil Briltil (; ) is a village in the municipality of Westerkwartier in the province of Groningen in the Netherlands, founded around 1600. The name of the village comes from a drawbridge () over the Hoendiep to the region of ''the Bril'' ( means 'swa ...

, De Kampen, De Poffert, De Ruigewaard,

Den Ham Den Ham ɛn ɦɑmis a village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Overijssel. It is located in the municipality of Twenterand, about 15 km northwest of Almelo. Den Ham was a separate municipality until 2001, when it became a part of V ...

Den Horn Den Horn (; ) is a small village in the municipality of Westerkwartier in the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. The village is quite isolated in the east of the municipality, just south of the railway line between Groningen and Leeuwarden ...

, Diepswal, Electra, Englum, Fransum, Frytum, Gaaikemadijk, Gaaikemaweer, Gaarkeuken,

, Heereburen, Hoekje, Hoogemeeden, Humsterland, Ikum, Kenwerd,

Kommerzijl Kommerzijl (; ), until the end of the 17th century called , is a linear village in the municipality of Westerkwartier in the province of Groningen in the Netherlands, located on the Kommerzijlsterdiep, which continues after the village as and flo ...

, Korhorn, Lagemeeden, Lammerburen,

Lauwerzijl Lauwerzijl (; or ) is a village in the municipality of Westerkwartier (municipality), Westerkwartier in the province of Groningen (province), Groningen in the Netherlands. As of 2021, it had a population of 195. Until 1990 the village belonged ...

Niehove Niehove (old name: ''Suxwort'') is a village in the municipality of Westerkwartier in Groningen, Netherlands. The village was located on the island of in the former Lauwerszee from 800 until 1500. It is a ''terp'' (artificial living hill) villag ...

, Nieuwklap, Niezijl, Noorderburen,

Noordhorn Noordhorn (Gronings: ''Noordhörn'') is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is part of the municipality of Westerkwartier and is separated from Zuidhorn by the Van Starkenborgh Canal. History Noordhorn is located on a sandy ridge. T ...

, Noordhornerga, Noordhornertolhek, Okswerd, Oldehove, Pama, Pieterzijl, Ruigezand,

Saaksum Saaksum (; ) is a village in the municipality of Westerkwartier in the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. As of 2021, it had a population of 90. Until the municipal reorganization of 1990, it belonged to the former municipality of Oldehov ...

, Selwerd, Spanjaardsdijk, Steentil,

, Wierumerschouw and Zuidhorn.

Notable people

John William, Baron Ripperda Juan Guillermo, Baron de Ripperdá, 1st Duke of Ripperdá (7 March 1684 5 November 1737), was a political adventurer and Spanish Prime Minister. Early life According to a story which he himself set going during his adventures in Spain, his fa ...

(1684–1737) political adventurer and Spanish Prime Minister *

Marten Douwes Teenstra Marten Douwes Teenstra (17 September 1795 Het Ruigezand, Groningen - 29 October 1864 Ulrum) was a Dutch writer and traveller in the southern parts of the African continent and the Dutch East Indies. The account of his stay at the Cape from 12 Mar ...

(1795-1864) writer and traveller in South Africa and the

Dutch 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 ...

Albert Egges van Giffen Albert Egges van Giffen (14 March 1884 – 31 May 1973) was a Dutch archaeologist. Van Giffen worked at the University of Groningen and University of Amsterdam, where he was a professor of Prehistory and Germanic archaeology. He worked most of his ...

(1884–1973) archaeologist, specialised in hunebeds and

tumuli A tumulus (: tumuli) is a mound of Soil, earth and Rock (geology), stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds, mounds, howes, or in Siberia and Central Asia as ''kurgans'', and may be found through ...

* Jan Wiegers (1893-1959) expressionist painter * Roelof Kruisinga (1922–2012) politician and physician *

Bert Groen Lubertus Cornelis "Bert" Groen (born 28 March 1945 in Haarlem) is a Dutch corporate director and former civil servant and politician of the Reformed Political League (GPV) and his successor the ChristianUnion (ChristenUnie). From 2002 to 2003 he ...

(born 1945) corporate director, former civil servant and politician *

Paul Blokhuis Paulus "Paul" Blokhuis (born 14 November 1963) is a Dutch politician who served as State Secretary for Health, Welfare and Sport in the Third Rutte cabinet from 2017 to 2022. He is a member of the Christian Union (CU). Family and education Pa ...

(born 1963) politician * Sietze de Vries (born 1973) organist

Sport

* Matthijs Vellenga (born 1977) rower, medallist at the

2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece. The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...

David Kuiper David Kuiper (born 12 December 1980 in Aduard) is a rower from the Netherlands.Hieke Zijlstra Hieke Zijlstra (born 12 August 1981) is a Dutch footballer. She played as a midfielder or striker for clubs in the Netherlands, the United States and England, and has represented the Netherlands national team. Club career After starting her car ...

(born 1981) footballer

References

External links

*
Official website
{{Authority control Westerkwartier Westerkwartier (municipality) Former municipalities of Groningen (province) Populated places in Groningen (province) Municipalities of the Netherlands disestablished in 2019