Bellingwedde facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bellingwedde
Municipality
Flag Coat of arms Logo
Location of Bellingwedde (green) in Groningen (dark grey) and the Netherlands (grey)
Country	Netherlands
Province	Groningen
Established	1 September 1968
Disestablished	1 January 2018
Area
• Total	110.08 km2 (42.50 sq mi)
• Land	108.39 km2 (41.85 sq mi)
• Water	1.69 km2 (0.65 sq mi)
Elevation	1 m (3 ft)
Population  (2014)
• Total	9,039
• Density	83/km2 (210/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postcode	9566, 9695–9699
Area code	0597

Bellingwedde was a special area in the Netherlands. It was a municipality (like a local government area) in the province of Groningen. This area was created in 1968 when two smaller municipalities, Bellingwolde and Wedde, joined together.

Bellingwedde existed for almost 50 years. Then, in 2018, it merged with another municipality called Vlagtwedde. Together, they formed a brand new municipality named Westerwolde.

What's in a Name? The Story of Bellingwedde

The name Bellingwedde is a mix of two older names: Bellingwolde and Wedde. These were the two areas that merged to form Bellingwedde in 1968.

When they were choosing a name, people thought of a few options. The province of Groningen suggested Bellingewedde. The local council of Bellingwolde wanted Bellingwolde-Wedde. But the council of Wedde suggested Bellingwedde. In the end, the province chose Bellingwedde, and everyone agreed.

A Look Back: The History of Bellingwedde

Bellingwedde officially started on September 1, 1968. This happened when the municipalities of Bellingwolde and Wedde became one.

Over the years, Bellingwedde had several mayors. A mayor is like the main leader of a municipality.

• The first mayor was Henk Eijsink. He was mayor from 1968 to 1970.
• After him came Jurjen Jan Hoeksema (1970–1978).
• Then Engbert Drenth served for a long time (1979–2007).
• Next was Erik Triemstra (2007–2013).
• The last mayor was Janneke Snijder-Hazelhoff, who served from 2013 until 2018.

On January 1, 2018, Bellingwedde joined with Vlagtwedde. This created the new municipality of Westerwolde.

Where Was Bellingwedde? Geography and Location

2015 map of Bellingwedde

Bellingwedde was located in the eastern part of the Groningen province. This is in the northeast of the Netherlands. It was right on the border with Germany.

The municipality was bordered by several other Dutch areas:

• Oldambt to the north.
• Pekela to the west.
• Stadskanaal to the southwest.
• Vlagtwedde to the south.

It also bordered two German municipalities:

• Rhede to the southeast.
• Bunde to the northeast.

The closest big town was Winschoten.

Bellingwedde included several villages:

• Bellingwolde
• Blijham
• Oudeschans
• Veelerveen
• Vriescheloo
• Wedde

It also had smaller settlements called hamlets, like Den Ham, Klein-Ulsda, Rhederbrug, and Wedderveer.

Some rivers and canals flowed through Bellingwedde. The Pekel Aa river formed its northern border. The Westerwoldse Aa river crossed the eastern part. The B.L. Tijdenskanaal canal ran through the western part.

How Bellingwedde Was Governed

The main building for the local government was in Wedde. It was called the municipal building.

In the Netherlands, a municipal government has two main parts:

• The college of the mayor and aldermen: These are the leaders who make decisions.
• The municipal council: These are elected members who represent the people.

Janneke Snijder-Hazelhoff was the last mayor of Bellingwedde. She was appointed in 2013.

The municipal council had 13 members. In the last election in 2014, many people voted. The results showed which political parties were popular.

Even though the Socialist Party got the most votes, three other parties formed a team to lead the municipality. These were the Labour Party, the Christian Democratic Appeal, and the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy. Each of these parties had one alderman (a type of leader) in the government.

Bellingwedde also had "twin towns" or "sister cities." This means they had special friendly relationships with towns in other countries. Bellingwedde was twinned with Rhede in Germany (since 1979) and Nowogród Bobrzański in Poland (since 2004).

People and Population

Since it was formed in 1968, the number of people living in Bellingwedde usually stayed between 8,500 and 9,700. In 2015, about 9,154 people lived there. This means there were about 84 people for every square kilometer of land.

Fun Things to See: Attractions in Bellingwedde

Museum de Oude Wolden in Bellingwolde

Wedderborg in Wedde

Some villages in Bellingwedde have special protected areas. These areas keep the old village look and feel. Oudeschans has been protected since 1991, and Bellingwolde since 2009.

There were two museums in Bellingwedde:

• Museum de Oude Wolden in Bellingwolde: This museum tells the story of art and history in the Oldambt and Westerwolde regions. It shows old paintings and has new exhibits sometimes.
• Vestingmuseum Oudeschans in Oudeschans: This museum is about the old fort of Oudeschans. It displays items found from the 17th and 18th centuries.

You could also find five windmills in the area:

• De Korenbloem in Vriescheloo
• Niemans Molen in Veelerveen
• Spinnenkop Wedderveer in Wedderveer
• Veldkamps Meuln in Bellingwolde
• Weddermarke in Wedde

The Wedderborg is a special type of castle found in Groningen province. It's located in Wedde. This building has parts that are very old, from the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. Today, it's used as a hotel and restaurant.

Getting Around: Roads and Public Transport

Bellingwedde did not have any big highways running through it. The closest highway was the A7, just north of the municipality. This highway connects to Groningen in the west and Leer in Germany to the east.

There were also some provincial roads. These are smaller roads that connect towns within the province.

• The N367 connected to Winschoten and Pekela.
• The N368 ran from northwest to southwest, connecting Blijham, Wedde, and Vlagtwedde.
• The N969 connected Blijham, Bellingwolde, and Rhederbrug to Rhede in Germany.
• The N973 connected Wedde, Vriescheloo, and Bellingwolde.

Bellingwedde also did not have any train stations. The closest ones were in Winschoten and Bad Nieuweschans. These stations connect to the Dutch and German train networks.

However, there were bus lines that helped people get around. These buses were run by a company called Qbuzz. They connected Bellingwedde's villages to nearby towns like Winschoten and Stadskanaal.

Learning and Schools

Bellingwedde had a good number of schools for young people. There were four preschools and seven primary schools. There was also one secondary school for older students. However, there were no universities or colleges in the municipality.

News and Media

People in Bellingwedde could read a free weekly newspaper called Het Streekblad. It was delivered to homes in Bellingwedde and nearby areas. A bigger daily newspaper for the northern Netherlands was Dagblad van het Noorden.

For radio, there was a local channel called Radio Westerwolde. It served Bellingwedde and neighboring municipalities.

Famous Faces from Bellingwedde

One well-known person from Bellingwedde is Jan Mulder. He was born in Bellingwolde in 1945. He became a famous footballer, and later a writer and commentator.

See also

In Spanish: Bellingwedde para niños