Leeuwarden

The name "Leeuwarden" (or older variants of it) first came into use for Nijehove, the most important of the three villages (the other two being Oldehove and Hoek) which in the early 9th century merged into Leeuwarden (Villa Lintarwrde c. 825).[6] There is much uncertainty about the origin of the city's name. Historian and archivist Wopke Eekhoff summed up a total of over 200 different spelling variants, of which Leeuwarden (Dutch), Liwwadden (Stadsfries), and Ljouwert (West Frisian) are still in use.[7][8]

The second part of the name is easily explained: Warden, West Frisian/Dutch/Low German for an artificial dwelling-hill, is a designation of terps, reflecting the historical situation.[8]

The first part of the name, leeuw, means lion in modern standard Dutch. This interpretation corresponds with the coat of arms adopted by the city, which features a heraldic lion. However, modern standard Dutch was not used in this region in the Middle Ages, when the city was called Lintarwrde. Some scholars argue that the name of the city is derived from leeu-, a corruption of luw- (Dutch for sheltered from the wind, cf. the maritime term leeward) or from lee- (a Dutch word for waterway). Sheltered landing place or harbour could be the original meaning. This suits the watery province of Friesland and the position of the original three villages at the end of an important estuary called Middelzee.[8]

The name is also similar to that of the French commune Lewarde, located in the Nord Department, an originally Flemish-speaking area annexed to France in the 17th century. Western Flemish was related to Frisian and also to Saxon up to the 11th century.

Historical map of Leeuwarden 1664

The oldest remains of houses date back to the 2nd century AD in the Roman era and were discovered during an excavation near the Oldehove. Inhabited continuously since the 10th century, the city's first reference as a population centre is in German sources from 1285, and records exist of city privileges granted in 1435. Situated along the Middelzee, it was an active centre of maritime trade.[9] The waterway silted-up in the 13th century.[10]

The Grote of Jacobijnerkerk (English: Great, or Jacobin Church) is the oldest building in the city. The 15th century was the period of the two opposing Frisian factional parties Vetkopers and Schieringers. The bastions and a moat were built in the period 1481–1494. In 1747 William IV, Prince of Orange was the last stadtholder residing in the Stadhouderlijk Hof. In the first half of the 19th century the fortifications were demolished.

The Jewish community of Leeuwarden was one of the earliest in the Netherlands aside from Amsterdam, and was first mentioned in 1645.[11][12] By 1670, the city council granted a man referred to as "Jacob the Jew" (in Dutch) permission to build a Jewish cemetery, meaning that there were enough Jews living there to require a cemetery and other communal institutions.[11] Land for 'The Jodenkerkhof' (Jews' cemetery) was purchased in 1679, near the Oldehove tower.[12]

The first synagogue in the city was built in the 17th century as well, and was also used by the city's Catholics who were not allowed to build a house of worship of their own because of the Protestant city authorities.[11] The Jewish community enjoyed generally good relations with authorities in the 18th century and continued to expand throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, reaching a peak population of 1,236 in 1860.[11]

Citizens of Leeuwarden welcoming units of the Canadian Army, 16 April 1945

In 1901 the city's population was 32,203.

After occupation by German forces (1940-1945), the Royal Canadian Dragoons disobeyed direct orders on 15 April 1945 and charged into the heavily defended city, driving out German forces by the end of the next day. The anniversary of the liberation is celebrated by the Dragoons and the city, who fly each other's flags on the day.[13]

Kneppelfreed (English: Baton Friday) was an incident on 16 November 1951 in front of the courthouse at Wilhelminaplein (Wilhelmina Square), when the police used batons against Frisian language activists during a protest against the exclusive use of Dutch in the courts.[14] A committee of inquiry recommended that the Frisian language should receive legal status as a minority language.

On 19 October 2013, a fire broke out in a clothes shop on a busy pedestrian street. The fire started late in the afternoon and burned through the night, destroying five shops and eleven flats. The only casualty was a 24-year-old man who was living in one of the flats.[15] The birthplace of Mata Hari was at first thought to be destroyed, but survived, albeit with considerable smoke and water damage.[16]

The coat of arms of Leeuwarden is the official symbol of the municipality. It consists of a blue escutcheon, a golden lion, and a crown. The fact that Leeuwarden carries a lion in its seal seems logical, considering that "Leeuw" is Dutch for "Lion". However, it is very plausible the oldest name of the city conceals an indication of water rather than an animal, and some sources suggest that the lion may have only been added after the name became official. It is also possible the coat of arms was a gift to the city from the powerful Minnema family.[17]

Map of the city of Leeuwarden (2014)

Dutch topographic map of the municipality of Leeuwarden

Historical population municipality (1714-2018).

Leeuwarden is located centrally in Friesland. The military Leeuwarden Air Base lies northwest of the city. East of the city lies recreational area and nature reserve De Groene Ster. It contains the windmill Himriksmole, a golf course and AquaZoo Friesland.[18]

Leeuwarden railway station and bus station in 2018

Leeuwarden railway station (opened on 27 October 1863) is the main railway station of Leeuwarden. It is a terminus station of the NS railway line from Zwolle. Regional trains, served by Arriva, operate to Groningen in the east, Harlingen in the west and Stavoren in the southwest.[39] The other stations in the municipality are Leeuwarden Camminghaburen, and Grou-Jirnsum. A fourth station Leeuwarden Werpsterhoeke was planned to be opened after 2018.[40]

Near the train station is the bus station. Arriva runs several city, regional and national buses.[41] Route 66 Leeuwarden-Holwerd connects with the ferry to Ameland, bus route 50 to Lauwersoog connects with the departures of the ferry to Schiermonnikoog[42] and route 350 via the Afsluitdijk connects to Alkmaar in North Holland.

The motorway A31 passes Leeuwarden and the A32 connects Leeuwarden to Meppel. The Van Harinxmakanaal is a major canal and connects Harlingen to Leeuwarden.

Stedelijk Gymnasium in 2007

Leeuwarden has a number of respected schools of applied science (HBO in Dutch), (21,480 students in 2017),[43] such as the Van Hall Instituut (agricultural and life sciences) and the NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences (hotel management, economical and media management).[44] In addition to higher education, the city is also home to three regional vocational schools (MBO): the Friese Poort, Friesland College, and Nordwin College.[45][46][47]

Although the city has no university of its own, several satellite campuses are located here, including Campus Fryslân (University of Groningen)[48] and Dairy Campus (Wageningen University and Research).[49]

Technological Top Institute Wetsus does research into water management and related technologies.[50] Centre of Expertise Water Technology (CEW) is the knowledge and innovation centre for applied research and product development in the field of water technology[51] and the Wadden Academy to study and research the Wadden Sea.[52]

WTC Expo

Among the 10 largest employers in Leeuwarden are Medical Center Leeuwarden (MCL), ING, The Central Judicial Collection Agency (CJIB),[53] Achmea, NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, Leeuwarden Air Base and FrieslandCampina.[54] WTC Expo is the largest events complex in the Northern Netherlands.[55]

Finish of the Elfstedentocht in 1956

The city's local football team, SC Cambuur, are playing in the first tier Eredivisie after a five-year absence, winning and gaining promotion from the 2020-21 Eerste Divisie. Their home ground is the Cambuurstadion, which has a capacity of 10,500. The city's basketball team, Aris Leeuwarden, has played in the Dutch Basketball League since 2004.

Loop Leeuwarden[56] is an annual road running competition (5 km, 10 km and half marathon races). The race was first held in 1985 and takes place in May. It attracts amateur runners. The city of Leeuwarden has two sailing boats (skûtsje) racing in the yearly sailing competition Skûtsjesilen.

The Elfstedenhal is a sport venue. The stadium is used for long track speed skating, short track speed skating, ice hockey, figure skating and curling.[57] The 400m indoor speed skating oval is named after speed skater Atje Keulen-Deelstra. The ice hockey club is IJshockeyclub Capitals Leeuwarden (IJCCL).[58]

Leeuwarden is the starting and finishing point for the celebrated Elfstedentocht, a 200 km (120 mi) speed skating race over the Frisian waterways that is held when winter conditions in the province allow. As of 2018, it last took place in January 1997, preceded by the races of 1986 and 1985. In 1986, the Dutch king Willem-Alexander participated in the Eleven cities tour, with the pseudonym W.A. van Buren, which is the pseudonym of the royal family of the Netherlands.

Leeuwarden will host the World Flying Disc Federation 2020 World Ultimate and Guts Championships from the 11th to the 18th of July. The event is expected to have over 2500 athletes from 40 countries.[59]

The Leeuwarder Courant[60] and Friesch Dagblad[61] are daily newspapers mainly written in Dutch (published by the NDC Mediagroep). Omrop Fryslân is a public broadcaster with radio and TV programs mainly in Frisian.[62]

Willem van Oranje-Nassau, 1751

Mata Hari, 1906

• Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1836–1912), knighted painter
• Eva and Abraham Beem (1932/1934–1944), young Jewish Holocaust victims
• Cornelis Botke (1887–1954), painter and etcher
• Cisca Dresselhuys (born 1943), journalist and magazine editor
• Esmée van Eeghen (1918–1944), resistance fighter in World War II
• Dirk van Erp (1860–1933), artisan and metalsmith
• M. C. Escher (1898–1972), graphic artist
• Richard Hageman (1881–1966), conductor, pianist, composer, and actor [63]
• Willem van Haren (1710–1768), poet
• Havank (1904–1964), writer, journalist, and translator
• Wilhelmina van Idsinga (1788–1819), painter
• Johannes Henricus Gerardus Jansen (1868–1936), archbishop
• Wijerd Jelckama (c. 1490–1523), military commander
• Mata Hari (1876–1917), exotic dancer and courtesan, possible double agent [64]
• Hendrik Niehoff (1495–c. 1561), pipe organ maker
• Piet Paaltjens (1835–1894), minister and romantic author
• Joachim van Plettenberg (1739–1793), colonial governor
• Tjitske Reidinga (born 1972), actress [65]
• Jan Jacob Slauerhoff (1898–1936), poet and novelist
• Abraham Lambertsz van den Tempel (1622-1672), painter
• Pieter Jelles Troelstra (1860–1930), politician
• Cornelis Adriaan Lobry van Troostenburg de Bruyn (1857–1904), chemist
• Saskia van Uylenburg (1612–1642), wife of the painter Rembrandt van Rijn
• Lodewijk Caspar Valckenaer (1715–1785), classical scholar
• Campegius Vitringa (1659-1722), theologian
• Hans Vredeman de Vries (1527–c. 1607), architect, painter, and engineer
• Harm Wiersma (born 1953), draughts player and politician
• William IV, Prince of Orange (1711-1751), stadtholder

Mayor Sybrand van Haersma Buma in 2012

In the Netherlands, a municipality is governed by the college of mayor and aldermen and the municipal council. Sybrand van Haersma Buma of the CDA has been mayor of Leeuwarden since 26 August 2019.[1] Since the 2014 municipal elections, the Labour Party (3 aldermen), Christian Democratic Appeal (2 aldermen), PAL GroenLinks (1 alderman) form a coalition.[66] The municipal council of Leeuwarden has 39 seats.[67]

As provincial capital, Leeuwarden is also the seat of the King's Commissioner Arno Brok and the Provincial Council of Friesland.

The city of Leeuwarden is twinned with

• Official website
• Tourist information about Leeuwarden