Heerenveen Facts for Kids

This page is about the city and municipality. For football teams, see SC Heerenveen and SC Heerenveen (women).

Quick facts for kids

Heerenveen

It Hearrenfean (West Frisian)

Town and municipality

Heeresloot

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Flag

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Seal

Location of the municipality (red) and the city (dark red) in the province of Friesland in the Netherlands

Government

• Body

Municipal council

Area

• Total

187.76 km² (72.49 sq mi)

• Land

180.86 km² (69.83 sq mi)

• Water

6.90 km² (2.66 sq mi)

Elevation

1 m (3 ft)

Population

(May 2014)

• Total

49,528

• Density

274/km² (710/sq mi)

Demonym(s)

Heerenvener

Time zone

UTC+1 (CET)

• Summer (DST)

UTC+2 (CEST)

Postcode

8410–8459

Area code

0513, 0516

Heerenveen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌɦeːrə(ɱ)ˈveːn], West Frisian: It Hearrenfean [ət ˌjɛrn̩ˈfɪən]) 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 50,859 (1 July).

History
Population centres
- Hamlets
Museums
Transport
Sports
Notable residents
- Sport
Twin cities
Gallery
See also

History

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.

Population centres

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).

Hamlets

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 municipality of Heerenveen

Museums

Museum Belvédère, modern art and contemporary art
Museum Heerenveen, local history and culture

Transport

Railway station: Heerenveen

Sports

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.

Notable residents

Mme Manet at the Piano, 1867–1868, Musée d'Orsay, Paris

Cissy van Marxveldt, ca.1915

Wim Duisenberg, 2001

Wilhelm Heinrich, Duke of Saxe-Eisenach (1691 in Oranjewoud – 1741) a Duke of Saxe-Eisenach
Hendrik Pasma (1813–1890), Mennonite pastor, writer, politician and farmer
Suzanne Manet (born 'Leenhoff', 1829–1906), pianist and opera singer, wife of Édouard Manet
Geerhardus Vos (1862–1949), a Dutch-American Calvinist theologian of the Princeton Theology
Cissy van Marxveldt (1889 in Oranjewoud – 1948) a Dutch writer of children's books
Albert Gillis von Baumhauer (1891–1939) a Dutch aviation pioneer, designed the first Dutch helicopter
Eelco van Kleffens (1894–1983) a Dutch politician and diplomat
Herman Zanstra (1894 in Schoterland – 1972) a Frisian/Dutch astronomer
Fedde Schurer (1898–1968), journalist, poet and politician and poet in the West Frisian language
Adrianus van Kleffens (1899–1973) a judge at the European Court of Justice 1952/1958
Klaas Runia (1926 in Oudeschoot – 2006) a Dutch theologian, churchman and journalist
Wim Duisenberg (1935–2005), politician and President of the European Central Bank 1998/2003
T. S. van Albada (born 1936 in Akkrum) a Dutch astronomer and academic
Gretta Duisenberg (born 1942) a Dutch pro-Palestinian political activist
Jacob de Haan (born 1959), a Dutch contemporary composer known for wind music
Tineke Postma (born 1978), a Dutch saxophonist
Jan Huitema (born 1984), politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP)

Sport

Sven Kramer, 2009

Abe Lenstra (1920–1985), a Dutch football player with 730 club caps
Foppe de Haan (born 1943), football coach and politician
Margriet Zegers (born 1954), a retired Dutch field hockey defender, team gold medallist at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Franke Sloothaak (born 1958) a German show jumping Olympic champion
Nico-Jan Hoogma (born 1968) a former football defender with 517 club caps
Falko Zandstra (born 1971), a former Dutch speed skater, silver medallist at the 1992 Winter Olympics and bronze medallist the 1994 Winter Olympics
Carien Kleibeuker (born 1978) a Dutch long-distance speed skater, bronze medallist at the 2014 Winter Olympics
Epke Zonderland (born 1986), a gymnast and gold medallist at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Sven Kramer (born 1986), long track speed skater, three time Olympic champion in the 5000 meters
Vladislav Bykanov (born 1989) an Israeli Olympic short track speed skater, lives in Heerenveen
Sanne Wevers (born 1991), an artistic gymnast, gold medallist at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Antoinette de Jong (born 1995) a Dutch speed skater, bronze medallist at the 2018 Winter Olympics
Lisa Top (born 1996), a Dutch artistic gymnast
Aafke Soet (born 1997), former short track speed skater, now cyclist
Yasser Seirawan (born 1960), American/Syrian chess grandmaster and champion known for his books and commentary on chess games,
Andries Noppert (born 1994), Dutch National Team Goalkeeper World Cup 2022.
Anna-Maja Kazarian (born 7 January 2000), a Dutch chess player who holds the titles of FIDE Master (FM) and Woman International Master.