Everything about Drenthe totally explained
Drenthe is a province of the
Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is
Assen. It is bordered by
Overijssel to the south,
Friesland to the west,
Groningen to the north, and
Germany (districts of
Emsland and
Bentheim) to the east.
History
Drenthe, unlike many other parts of
the Netherlands, has always been a sparsely populated rural area. Other parts of the Netherlands didn't really see this “territory” as a part that belonged to the rest of the Netherlands but more like “wasteland”. This “wasteland”, however, has been populated by people since prehistory, albeit by just a handful. Most tangible evidence of this are the
dolmens (
hunebedden) built around 3500 BC, 53 of the 54 dolmens in the Netherlands can be found in Drenthe, concentrated in the northeast of the province. Drenthe was first mentioned in a document from the year 820, it was called
Pago Treanth (district Drenthe). In archives from
"Het Drents Archief" from 1024 to 1025 the "county Drenthe" is mentioned.
After long being subject to the
bishops of
Utrecht, Drenthe came under the control of
Charles V in the 16th century. When the
Republic of the Seven United Provinces was declared, Drenthe became part of it, although it didn't gain provincial status until
January 1,
1796.
Shortly before the outbreak of the
Second World War, the Dutch government built a camp near the town of
Westerbork to accommodate German (Jewish) refugees. Ironically, during the
Second World War, the German occupiers used the camp (which they named
KZ Westerbork
) as a
"Durchgangslager". Many Dutch
Jews,
Sinti,
Roma, resistance combatants and political adversaries were imprisoned before being transferred to other camps in Germany and Poland.
Anne Frank was deported on the last train from
Westerbork.
The name of this region is said to stem from *
thrija-hantja "three lands".
Politics
The provincial council (
Provinciale Staten) has 51 seats, and is headed by the
Queen's Commissioner, currently
Relus ter Beek. While the provincial council is elected by the inhabitants, the Commissioner is appointed by the Queen and the cabinet of the Netherlands. With 19 seats, the social democratic
PvdA is the largest party in the council. The daily affairs of the province are taken care of by the
Gedeputeerde Staten, which are also headed by the Commissioner; its members (
gedeputeerden) can be compared with ministers.
Municipalities
Due to reorganisations in the 1990s, the number of municipalities in Drenthe has been reduced to twelve. Most municipalities therefore now consist of several towns and villages.
Geography
Besides the capital
Assen,
Emmen,
Meppel and
Hoogeveen are the major urban centres of the province. Drenthe, consisting mostly of heathland, has no significant rivers or lakes.
Economy
Agriculture is an important employer, although industrial areas are found near the cities. The quietness of the province is also attracting a growing number of tourists.
Drenthe is known as the "Cycling Province" of the Netherlands and is an exceptional place for a cycling holiday, having hundreds of kilometres of cycle paths through forest, heath and along canals and many towns and villages offering refreshment along the way.
Dialect
Drenthe has its own
dialect of the
Dutch language named after the province, but each town or village has its own version.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Drenthe'.
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