Winschoten

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Winschoten


nickname = Sodom

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flag_size = 125px
image_shield = Coat_of_arms_of_Winschoten.pngshield_size = 90px
mapsize = 280px
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = Netherlands
subdivision_type1 = Province
subdivision_name1 = Groningen
area_footnotes = (2006)
area_total_km2 = 22.24
area_land_km2 = 21.66
area_water_km2 = 0.58
population_as_of = 1 January, 2007
population_note = Source: CBS, [http://statline.cbs.nl/ Statline] .
settlement_type = Municipality
population_total = 18518
population_density_km2 = 855
timezone = CET
utc_offset = +1
timezone_DST = CEST
utc_offset_DST = +2

Winschoten (Pronunciation|023 Winschoten.ogg, Gronings: "Winschoot") is a municipality and city in the northeast of the Netherlands.

Population (1 Jan 2003): 18.497; area: 22,24 km2.

The origin of the name of Winschoten is not known but it has received nicknames. One of these is Molenstad (or Milltown). It has also been known, in living memory, as Sodom. This name arose out of the Jewish community who were scandalised by the immoral behaviour of their Gentile neighbours. The inhabitants are also called Tellerlikkers (plate lickers).

Winschoten was the capital of the 'Oldambt' district, in a fertile agricultural region. Winschoten received city rights in 1825. It was the last town in the Netherlands to be granted such rights. The town flag has three horizontal stripes of blue and white, in ratio 1:3:1, on the white stripe is a red outline plan of a fortress with nine embattlements. It was adopted 23 May 1973 by municipal resolution.

Winschoten has a railway station on the line from Groningen] to Leer (in Germany) and good road connections to the rest of the Netherlands. The railway station was inaugurated 1 May 1868 to service the Groningen - Winschoten - [Niuweschans line. This was the second brought into use by the Company for the Exploitation of State Railways (Maatschappij tot Exploitatie van Staatsspoorwegen (SS)) and part of the route from Harlingen, Friesland to Nieuweschans (built 1863-1868). Today this route is operated by Arriva.

Windmills

There used to be 13 mills in Winschoten, today only three large, monumental windmills remain in the town. These mills are now owned by the local council and are run by volunteer millers. They form an important feature of the townscape and are well cared for by the local authorities for the benefit of the community and visitors.

Molen Berg built in 1854 in the Grintweg and was designed to grind corn. Its first owner was J.D. Buurma. The unusual design of the sails with movable blades, akin to venetian blinds was in advance for its time. Traditionally Dutch windmills have tarpaulin covering the sails to control or catch the wind's power.

The Dijkstra Molen was built in 1862 by D.E. Dijkstra. It stands in the Nassaustraat. In 1953 the original owner's grandson sold it to the local government. It was restored 1982/1983 and further restoration work took place in 1995/6 restoration.

Molen Edens stands at Nassaustraat 14 and was built in 1763 on the instructions of Jurrien Balles en Antje Gerbrands. Later owners were Jan Joesten and G. Eikema. Then from 1855 tot 1960 various generations of the Edens family owned it. The local municipality bought it in 1960. It is the oldest mill in the entire province of Groningen.

Churches

There are numerous Protestant Churches in Winschoten including an assembly of Plymouth Brethren. The oldest church dates back to the 13th Century in style mingling Roman and Gothic features. On Marktplein stands a Nederlands Hervormde church in brick. A free standing 16th Century bell tower is one of the attractive features of the Winschoten skyline.

There is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to Saint Vitus and was built by Alfred Tepe in 1880. It is a neo-gothic church with stained glasswindows by Kocken and a sandstone highaltar from Freitag in Münster. This altar was formerly placed in the Saint Boniface church in Nieuwe Pekela. When this church was demolished it was brought to Winschoten to replace an old altar.

There used to be a thriving Jewish community. In 1940 Winschoten had the second largest Jewish community in The Netherlands after Amsterdam. During the Second World War, Winschoten was a transit port to Germany for the Jew-transports. Of the 493 Jews that lived in Winschoten at the beginning of the war, only 20 survived.

Monuments

The name tellerlikker (mentioned above) was given on account of the local custom to voraciously devour their meals and conclude with licking the plate (teller - in the local dialect) clean. A monument to one of these plate lickers stands outside the concert hall 'De Klinker' built on the site of a former brick factory. A dog in turn licks the feet of his greedy owner.

Language

Whilst Standard Dutch is known by most inhabitants and many know German and younger ones manage English well, the preferred language in daily use at home, in the shops and on the street in Gronings - or rather the Winschoter version of this dialect of Dutch Low Saxon (Nedersaksisch in Dutch), recognised by the Netherlands as regional languages according to the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Low Saxon is spoken by 1,798,000 speakers.The Winschoter variety of the Gronings dialect has a smattering of Hebrew (and Yiddish) words in it, reflecting the once prominent Jewish community that lived there since the 1700s.

Medical resources

The St Lucas Hospital at Gassingel 18 is a local facility of good standards and quality. It represents the largest employer in the town.

Industry

Winpac BV in Papierbaan 50 is a manufacturer of pulp, paper and paper products.Manders Premier Winschoten BV of Lijnbaan 6 is a chemical and rubber product manufacturer as are Robertus Zaadhandel BV of Oosterhavenkade 19. There is a major recycling facility run by Steenhuis Recycling B.V. located at Renselweg.

People from Winschoten

* Wiebbe Hayes, a Dutch soldier and national hero in the 1600s.

References

* Personal reflections
* for Dutch readers see http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winschoten

External links

* [http://www.winschoten.nl Official Site "Gemeente Winschoten"]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6enTr6NxWQY "Brief overview on YouTube"] in Dutch