Jump to content

Heerenveen

Coordinates: 52°58′N 5°55′E / 52.967°N 5.917°E / 52.967; 5.917
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the city and municipality. For football teams, see SC Heerenveen and SC Heerenveen (women).
Heerenveen
It Hearrenfean (West Frisian)
Town and municipality
Heeresloot
Heeresloot
Flag of Heerenveen
Flag
Official seal of Heerenveen
Seal
Highlighted position of Heerenveen in a map of Friesland
Location of the municipality (red) and the city (dark red) in the province of Friesland in the Netherlands
Coordinates: 52°58′N 5°55′E / 52.967°N 5.917°E / 52.967; 5.917
CountryNetherlands
ProvinceFriesland
Government
[1]
 • BodyMunicipal council
 • MayorAvine Fokkens-Kelder (VVD)
Area
[2]
 • Total
198.17 km2 (76.51 sq mi)
 • Land190.09 km2 (73.39 sq mi)
 • Water8.08 km2 (3.12 sq mi)
Elevation
[3]
1 m (3.3 ft)
Population
 (January 2021)[4]
 • Total
50,650
 • Density266/km2 (690/sq mi)
DemonymHeerenvener
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode
8410–8459
Area code0513, 0516
Websitewww.heerenveen.nl

Heerenveen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌɦeːrə(ɱ)ˈveːn] ⓘ, West Frisian: It Hearrenfean [ət ˌjɛrn̩ˈfɪən] ⓘ, Stellingwerfs: et Vene) is a town and municipality in the province of Friesland (Fryslân), in the Northern Netherlands. In 2021, the town had a population of 29,790 (1 January) while the municipality had a population of 50,859 (1 July).

The town itself is located southeast of Sneek and southwest of Drachten. Heerenveen is the oldest peat canal village in the Netherlands. Heerenveen is the fourth-largest place in Friesland in terms of population, but is not one of the eleven Frisian cities.

The municipality was formed on 1 July 1934, from parts of former municipalities Aengwirden and Schoterland, and a portion of the municipality of Haskerland. Boarnsterhim also merged into Heerenveen on 1 January 2014.[5]

History

[edit]
Crackstate

The town was established in 1551 by three lords as a location to dig peat which was used for fuel, hence the name (heer is "lord", veen is "peat"). Heerenveen was not one of the traditional eleven cities in Friesland (Fryslân) as it did not have so-called city rights. However, it is now one of the larger municipalities of the province.

The windmill Welgelegen or Tjepkema's Molen is the only survivor of seventeen which have stood in Heerenveen.[6]

In the 19th century, Heerenveen developed because, besides its wealthy citizens, a large middle class also arrived. And with the nearby Oranjewoud, the town has since been known as "Het Friese Haagje" (The Frisian Hague). Heerenveen municipality was created in 1934.[5]

For a long time, Heerenveen was characterized by linear development. The total north-south length was five kilometers, while the width between the railway line and the highway was no more than one kilometer. In the 1970s, construction began on residential areas west of the railway line, extending to the Engelenvaart canal, which forms the municipal boundary. After this area was fully developed, expansion began on the east side in the 21st century.

Heerenveen is now approximately three kilometers wide and oval-shaped. This has resulted in Heerenveen merging with its neighboring villages (Oudeschoot, Nieuweschoot, Oranjewoud, Nijehaske, De Knipe, and Terband).

Population centers

[edit]

Population as of 1 January 2018:

Heerenveen (32,900), Akkrum (3406), Aldeboarn (1479), Bontebok (445), De Knipe (1470), Gersloot (280, together with Gersloot-Polder), Hoornsterzwaag (815), Jubbega (3510), Katlijk (630), Luinjeberd (450), Mildam (740), Nes (1104), Nieuwebrug (210), Nieuwehorne (1500), Nieuweschoot (180), Oranjewoud (1610), Oudehorne (840), Oudeschoot (1480), Terband (265) and Tjalleberd (800).

Panorama of Heerenveen

Hamlets

[edit]

The hamlets are: Anneburen, Birstum, Brongergea, Easterboarn, Jinshuzen, Meskenwier, Oude Schouw (partially), Pean, Poppenhúzen, Schurega, Soarremoarre, Spitsendijk, Sythuzen, Warniahúzen en Welgelegen (partially).

  • Map of the city of Heerenveen (2014)
    Map of the city of Heerenveen (2014)
  • Map of the municipality of Heerenveen
    Map of the municipality of Heerenveen

Museums

[edit]

Local government

[edit]

The Heerenveen municipal council consists of 31 seats, which at the 2022 municipal elections divided as follows:[7]

Sports

[edit]
Abe Lenstra Stadium

Heerenveen is notable for its world class sports facilities. These include the Abe Lenstra football stadium and the Thialf speed skating arena which was one of the first indoor 400m ice rinks in the world, and where international events draw large crowds. Thialf is also home to the city's ice hockey team, the Heerenveen Flyers. In 2006, the "Sportstad" (Sport City) project was completed, which included a gymnastics hall, swimming pool and an extension to the football stadium, all clustered together. The Abe Lenstra stadium is unusual because its capacity is larger than the number of inhabitants of the town. One of the few football venues to shares this distinction is Stade Félix Bollaert in Lens, France.

The town's football team, SC Heerenveen, plays in the first-tier Eredivisie, topped by the team's biggest achievement when they qualified for the UEFA Champions League in 2000.

Transport

[edit]
Knooppunt Heerenveen from the air

Heerenveen has its own named cloverleaf interchange (knooppunt) of the A7 (Zaandam-Bad Nieuweschans) and A32 (Meppel-Leeuwarden) highways.

Heerenveen station is located on the Leeuwarden–Zwolle railway line (Staatslijn A) and is part of the main rail network. The town in the past also had a second station, Heerenveen IJsstadion station which closed in 2015.

Heeresloot, New Heerenveen Canal, Engelenvaart (pleasure craft only).

Notable residents

[edit]
Mme Manet at the Piano, 1867–1868, Musée d'Orsay, Paris
Cissy van Marxveldt, ca.1915
Wim Duisenberg, 2001

Sport

[edit]
Sven Kramer, 2009

Twin cities

[edit]

Heerenveen's longstanding connection with Rishon LeZion, Israel ended in 2016 after the supporting organizations shut down in both countries.[8]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Burgemeester Avine Fokkens-Kelder" [Mayor Avine Fokkens-Kelder] (in Dutch). Gemeente Heerenveen. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
  2. ^ "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2020" [Key figures for neighbourhoods 2020]. StatLine (in Dutch). CBS. 24 July 2020. Retrieved 19 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Postcodetool for 8441ES". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 11 September 2013.
  4. ^ "Bevolkingsontwikkeling; regio per maand" [Population growth; regions per month]. CBS Statline (in Dutch). CBS. 1 January 2021. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Gemeentegeschiedenis". www.gemeentegeschiedenis.nl. Retrieved 2025-11-22.
  6. ^ "Geschiedenis" (in Dutch). De Hollandsche Molen. Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2010.
  7. ^ "Heerenveen municipal election 2022". verkiezingsuitslagen.nl (in Dutch). 16 March 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Onthulling gedenksteen Rishon LeZion". Heerenveense Courant.
[edit]
  • Media related to Heerenveen (municipality) at Wikimedia Commons
  • Heerenveen travel guide from Wikivoyage
  • Official website
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Heerenveen&oldid=1323479670"