Bolsward
Encyclopedia
Bolsward is a city
in Súdwest Fryslân
in the province
of Friesland
, the Netherlands
. Bolsward is just short of a population of 10,000.
s, of which the first was built some time before Christ.
Bolsward was a trading city with a port in the Middle Ages
. The middlesea connected the port to the North Sea
, but this connection was lost when the middlesea was reclaimed from the sea.
As a trading city, Bolsward received city rights
in 1455. Bolsward was also a member of the Hanseatic league
.
Bolletongersdei. Bolletongersdei is frisian for 'bulls thursday'. Bolletongersdei includes a street market. Bolletongersdei is held on the first Thursday of October.
Simmerwike. A music festival of 4 evenings with performances, held in august.
, an ice skating
marathon
, is held. This is a rare event which depends on the thickness of the ice.
Bolsward is also the host city for the yearly Cycling Elfstedentocht, an road bicycle racing
tour.
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in Súdwest Fryslân
Súdwest Fryslân
Súdwest-Fryslân is a municipality in the northern Netherlands, in the province of Friesland. Sneek is the capital city of the municipality.It was formed in 2011 from the old municipalities of Bolsward, Nijefurd, Sneek, Wûnseradiel and Wymbritseradiel....
in the province
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
of Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
, the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. Bolsward is just short of a population of 10,000.
History
The town is founded on three artificial dwelling hillArtificial dwelling hill
An artificial dwelling hill is a mound, created to provide safe ground during high tide and river floods....
s, of which the first was built some time before Christ.
Bolsward was a trading city with a port in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. The middlesea connected the port to the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
, but this connection was lost when the middlesea was reclaimed from the sea.
As a trading city, Bolsward received city rights
City rights in the Netherlands
City rights are a medieval phenomenon in the history of the Low Countries. A liegelord, usually a count, duke or similar member of high nobility, granted a settlement he owned certain town privileges that settlements without city rights did not have....
in 1455. Bolsward was also a member of the Hanseatic league
Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was an economic alliance of trading cities and their merchant guilds that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe...
.
Notable historical figures
Notable historical figures born here include:- Juw JuwingaJuw JuwingaJuw Juwinga of Bolsward was a Frisian chieftain that earned great fame in the struggle against the ‘infidels’. When Albrecht of Bavaria, count of Holland, threatened Friesland in 1396, Juw was chosen as potestate of Friesland. He advised luring the enemy into the land. The Schieringers limited...
or Jonghema (14th century), 11th potestate of Friesland - Petrus ThaboritaPetrus ThaboritaPetrus Jacobi Thaborita was a Frisian monk, historian and writer. He is best known for his writings on the Frisian freedom fighter Pier Gerlofs Donia, and for writing down Donia's last words...
(1450-1527), historian - Boetius Adamsz BolswertBoetius à BolswertBoetius à Bolswert was a renowned copper-plate engraving engraver of Friesland origin. In his time the paintings of Peter Paul Rubens called forth new endeavours by engravers to imitate or reproduce the breadth, density of mass and dynamic illumination of those works...
(c.1580-1633), engraver - Schelderic Adamsz Bolswert (c.1586-1659), engraver
- Gysbert JapiksGysbert JapiksGysbert Japicx was a Frisian writer, poet, schoolteacher and cantor.He admired Horace and Ovid and was a defender for the memmetaal which elevated Frisian to a literature language...
(1603-1666), poet - Frederick Philipse (1626-1702), American progenitor and founder
- Willem MuurlingWillem MuurlingWillem Muurling was a Dutch theologian who was a native of Bolsward. He was father-in-law to theologian Abraham Kuenen ....
(1805-1882), theologian - Titus BrandsmaTitus BrandsmaBlessed Titus Brandsma was a Dutch Carmelite priest and professor of philosophy. Brandsma was vehemently opposed to Nazi ideology and spoke out against it many times before the Second World War....
(1881-1942), Carmelite philosopher
Events
Heamiel. A local festival of four days in june. This is an old traditional festival to celebrate that the farmers have harvested the hay from the fields. The name of the festival, Heamiel, is frisian for 'Hay meal', and is derived from the traditional banquet.Bolletongersdei. Bolletongersdei is frisian for 'bulls thursday'. Bolletongersdei includes a street market. Bolletongersdei is held on the first Thursday of October.
Simmerwike. A music festival of 4 evenings with performances, held in august.
Elfstedentocht
Bolsward is one of the eleven Frisian cities in which the ice skating ElfstedentochtElfstedentocht
The Elfstedentocht is the world's largest and longest speed skating competition and leisure skating tour, and is held irregularly in the province of Friesland, Netherlands.The tour, almost 200 km in length, is conducted on frozen canals, rivers and lakes between the eleven historic...
, an ice skating
Ice skating
Ice skating is moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and...
marathon
Marathon
The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...
, is held. This is a rare event which depends on the thickness of the ice.
Bolsward is also the host city for the yearly Cycling Elfstedentocht, an road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...
tour.