Dokkum
Encyclopedia
Dokkum is a Dutch
fortified town in the municipality of Dongeradeel
in the province of Friesland
. It has 13,145 inhabitants (January 1, 2006). The fortifications of Dokkum are well preserved and are known as the bolwerken ( = bulwarks).
in 754
. Oliver of Cologne preached the Fifth Crusade
in Dokkum in 1214 and Dokkum sent a contingent; the crescent in the coat of arms of Dokkum refers to this event. Dokkum acquired city rights
in 1298. In 1572 Dokkum was sacked by the Spaniards after it had joined the Dutch Revolt
. In 1597, the Admiralty of Friesland
was established in Dokkum. However, it was moved to Harlingen
in 1645.
, Dokkum is known as the keerpunt (turning-point in Dutch
), because it is where the speedskaters turn and head back to Leeuwarden.
s.
Dokkum has two windmills, cap mills, that are preserved and both of them are open to the public by appointment. They are named Zeldenrust
and De Hoop
. A third mill, De Marmeerin
stands by the Woudvaart outside the town.
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...
fortified town in the municipality of Dongeradeel
Dongeradeel
- History :Dongeradeel was created in 1984 from a merger of the old municipalities Westdongeradeel, Oostdongeradeel, and Dokkum. The new municipality is still colloquially referred to in the plural, "de Dongeradelen".- Population centres :...
in the province 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...
. It has 13,145 inhabitants (January 1, 2006). The fortifications of Dokkum are well preserved and are known as the bolwerken ( = bulwarks).
History
The best known event in Dokkum's history is the assassination of the Anglo-Saxon missionary Saint BonifaceSaint Boniface
Saint Boniface , the Apostle of the Germans, born Winfrid, Wynfrith, or Wynfryth in the kingdom of Wessex, probably at Crediton , was a missionary who propagated Christianity in the Frankish Empire during the 8th century. He is the patron saint of Germany and the first archbishop of Mainz...
in 754
754
Year 754 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 754 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Pope Stephen II crowns Pepin the short King...
. Oliver of Cologne preached the Fifth Crusade
Fifth Crusade
The Fifth Crusade was an attempt to reacquire Jerusalem and the rest of the Holy Land by first conquering the powerful Ayyubid state in Egypt....
in Dokkum in 1214 and Dokkum sent a contingent; the crescent in the coat of arms of Dokkum refers to this event. Dokkum acquired 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 1298. In 1572 Dokkum was sacked by the Spaniards after it had joined the Dutch Revolt
Dutch Revolt
The Dutch Revolt or the Revolt of the Netherlands This article adopts 1568 as the starting date of the war, as this was the year of the first battles between armies. However, since there is a long period of Protestant vs...
. In 1597, the Admiralty of Friesland
Admiralty of Friesland
The Admiralty of Friesland or Frisian Admiralty was one of the five admiralties of the Dutch Republic...
was established in Dokkum. However, it was moved to Harlingen
Harlingen, Netherlands
Harlingen is a municipality and a city in the northern Netherlands, in the province of Friesland at the Wadden Sea. Harlingen is an old town with a long history of fishing and shipping....
in 1645.
Transport
Dokkum had a station (Dokkum-Aalsum) on the North Friesland Railway, which opened in 1901. It became the terminus for passenger services in May 1935 and closed to passengers in July 1936. The station reopened to passengers in May 1940 and closed to passengers in July 1942. Freight services ceased in 1975.Sport
In the 200 km skating marathon known as the 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...
, Dokkum is known as the keerpunt (turning-point in Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
), because it is where the speedskaters turn and head back to Leeuwarden.
Windmills
In 1652, Dokkum had five windmills, these were all post millPost mill
The post mill is the earliest type of European windmill. The defining feature is that the whole body of the mill that houses the machinery is mounted on a single vertical post, around which it can be turned to bring the sails into the wind. The earliest post mills in England are thought to have...
s.
Zeldenrust, Dokkum
Zeldenrust is a smock mill in Dokkum, Friesland, Netherlands which was built in 1862 and has been restored to working order. The mill is listed as a Rijksmonument, number 13097.-History:...
and De Hoop
De Hoop, Dokkum
De Hoop is a smock mill in Dokkum, Friesland, Netherlands which was built in 1847 and has been restored to working order. The mill is listed as a Rijksmonument, number 13186.-History:...
. A third mill, De Marmeerin
De Marmeerin, Dokkum
De Mearmin, Marmearmin or Geestermermeermolen is a smock mill in Dokkum, Friesland, Netherlands which was built in 1968. The mill is listed as a Rijksmonument, number 467708.-History:...
stands by the Woudvaart outside the town.