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Emmen (Netherlands)
Encyclopedia
Emmen is a municipality
and a town
in the northeastern Netherlands
.
A prime example of a planned city, Emmen arose from several small farming and peat-harvesting communities which have dotted the province
of Drenthe
since the Middle Ages. Traces of these communities can still be seen in the form of the villages of Westenesch, Noordbarge and Zuidbarge: they have a separate history and layout, but are surrounded by the suburbs and the centre of Emmen.
The expansion of the town did not happen until after the Second World War. Suburbs were built in a clockwise direction around the old centre of Emmen, starting with Emmermeer
directly to the north, and followed by Angelslo
(for which an old village of the same name was demolished), Emmerhout (famed at the time for being built in the forest, quite separate from the town), Bargeres
, the Rietlanden and Parc Sandur. Construction of the last suburb, called Delftlanden
, is already well underway with a large number of homes already built and people living in the area.
There are few historic landmarks left within the town, but those few include the church on the market square, where a church has been standing since the Middle Ages
, the court of law building, dating from the beginning of the twentieth century and the post office from the same time. In the town's environs an earthwork by Robert Smithson
, "Broken Circle/Spiral Hill," may be found.
Prime economic booster since the 1980s is the zoo, the Dierenpark Emmen
. Begun in the 1930s, it was almost completely redesigned in the 1970s, and is now co-owned by the municipality of Emmen. It attracts over 1.5 million visitors per year. Important industries include Teijin Aramid
, DSM Engineering Plastics, Wellman and Diolen Industrial Fibers. There are extensive glasshouse complexes for horticulture, especially in the Klazienaveen
-Erica
area. The municipality offers some 38,000 jobs.
Emmen is the second most populous urban area of Drenthe. The municipality of Emmen is one of the largest in area in the Netherlands
, although the area outside the town borders of Emmen is rather rural. The only villages of importance are Emmer-Compascuum
, Klazienaveen
, Nieuw-Amsterdam and Schoonebeek
.
, which in turn leads to the rest of the country.
In addition, there are regular and frequent bus lines with Groningen, Hoogeveen
and Assen
, as well as the surrounding countryside, and Meppen in Germany
, departing from Emmen's two bus terminals.
By car, the town is accessible via the N34 from Zwolle
to Groningen, the N381 to Drachten
, the N391 to Veendam
and the A37 from Hoogeveen
to Meppen in Germany
.
The nearest airport is Groningen Airport Eelde
at a distance of 50 kilometers.
Furthermore, there are inland shipping connections via Nieuw-Amsterdam to Coevorden
, Hoogeveen
and Almelo
.
, Emmen, Emmer-Compascuum
, Erica, Klazienaveen
, Nieuw-Amsterdam, Nieuw-Dordrecht
, Nieuw-Schoonebeek
, Nieuw-Weerdinge
, Roswinkel
, Schoonebeek
, Veenoord
, Weiteveen
, Zwartemeer
plays their home games in Univé Stadion
. They play in the Eerste Divisie
.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
and a town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in the northeastern 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...
.
A prime example of a planned city, Emmen arose from several small farming and peat-harvesting communities which have dotted 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 Drenthe
Drenthe
Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east.-History:Drenthe, unlike many other parts of the Netherlands, has been a...
since the Middle Ages. Traces of these communities can still be seen in the form of the villages of Westenesch, Noordbarge and Zuidbarge: they have a separate history and layout, but are surrounded by the suburbs and the centre of Emmen.
The expansion of the town did not happen until after the Second World War. Suburbs were built in a clockwise direction around the old centre of Emmen, starting with Emmermeer
Emmermeer
Emmermeer is a suburb in the city Emmen in Drenthe, the Netherlands. Emmermeer has an altitude of 22 meters ....
directly to the north, and followed by Angelslo
Angelslo
Angelslo is a suburb in the city Emmen in Drenthe, the Netherlands. Angelslo has an altitude of 24 meters . In English Angelslo would be called Anglesley or 'Anglesleigh', in Old English probably 'Anglesléah'. -ley, or - leigh comes from Old English -léah, meaning an open spot in a forest in which...
(for which an old village of the same name was demolished), Emmerhout (famed at the time for being built in the forest, quite separate from the town), Bargeres
Bargeres
Bargeres is a suburb in the city Emmen in Drenthe, the Netherlands. Bargeres has an altitude of 19 meters ....
, the Rietlanden and Parc Sandur. Construction of the last suburb, called Delftlanden
Delftlanden
Delftlanden is a suburb in the city Emmen in Drenthe, the Netherlands. About 870 people live there.The surburb is still under construction in some parts....
, is already well underway with a large number of homes already built and people living in the area.
There are few historic landmarks left within the town, but those few include the church on the market square, where a church has been standing since 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 court of law building, dating from the beginning of the twentieth century and the post office from the same time. In the town's environs an earthwork by Robert Smithson
Robert Smithson
Robert Smithson was an American artist famous for his land art.-Background and education:Smithson was born in Passaic, New Jersey and studied painting and drawing in New York City at the Art Students League of New York....
, "Broken Circle/Spiral Hill," may be found.
Prime economic booster since the 1980s is the zoo, the Dierenpark Emmen
Dierenpark Emmen
Dierenpark Emmen is a large zoo located in Emmen in the northern province of Drenthe in the Netherlands.-History:...
. Begun in the 1930s, it was almost completely redesigned in the 1970s, and is now co-owned by the municipality of Emmen. It attracts over 1.5 million visitors per year. Important industries include Teijin Aramid
Teijin Aramid
Teijin Aramid, formerly known as Teijin Twaron, is a company in The Netherlands that produces various high-strength fibers for industrial purposes, most notably their Kevlar-like para-aramid, Twaron. Twaron finds applications in numerous markets, such as automotive , aerospace, civil engineering,...
, DSM Engineering Plastics, Wellman and Diolen Industrial Fibers. There are extensive glasshouse complexes for horticulture, especially in the Klazienaveen
Klazienaveen
Klazienaveen is a town to the southeast of Emmen in the Dutch province of Drenthe.It lies approx from the German border....
-Erica
Erica
Erica ,the heaths or heathers, is a genus of approximately 860 species of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. The English common names "heath" and "heather" are shared by some closely related genera of similar appearance....
area. The municipality offers some 38,000 jobs.
Emmen is the second most populous urban area of Drenthe. The municipality of Emmen is one of the largest in area in 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...
, although the area outside the town borders of Emmen is rather rural. The only villages of importance are Emmer-Compascuum
Emmer-Compascuum
Emmer-Compascuum is a village in the Netherlands and it is part of the Emmen municipality in Drenthe. Emmer-Compascuum has an elevation of 12 meters and a population of about 8,000.-External links:*...
, Klazienaveen
Klazienaveen
Klazienaveen is a town to the southeast of Emmen in the Dutch province of Drenthe.It lies approx from the German border....
, Nieuw-Amsterdam and Schoonebeek
Schoonebeek
Schoonebeek is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is located in the municipality of Emmen, about 12 km south of that city.Schoonebeek was a separate municipality from 1884 to 1998, when it merged with Emmen....
.
Population
The municipality of Emmen has some 104,000 inhabitants, with 56,000 living in the town Emmen. Compared to some 3,000 inhabitants in the nineteenth century, this illustrates the rapid growth of Emmen in the past 150 years.Connections
Emmen is served by one train connection with ZwolleZwolle
Zwolle is a municipality and the capital city of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands, 120 kilometers northeast of Amsterdam. Zwolle has about 120,000 citizens.-History:...
, which in turn leads to the rest of the country.
- Emmen railway stationEmmen railway stationEmmen is a terminus railway station located in Emmen, the Netherlands. The station was opened on 1 November 1905 and is located on the Zwolle–Emmen railway...
- Emmen Zuid railway stationEmmen Zuid railway stationEmmen Zuid is a railway station located in Emmen, The Netherlands, on the Zwolle–Emmen railway. The station is operated by Nederlandse Spoorwegen. There is a tunnel under the railway line for the road and cycle path. Near the station is a car park and bus station. The station opened on 3 April 2011...
In addition, there are regular and frequent bus lines with Groningen, Hoogeveen
Hoogeveen
Hoogeveen is a municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands.- Population centres :Elim, Fluitenberg, Hoogeveen and Noordscheschut, which still have the canals which used to be throughout the town...
and Assen
Assen
Assen is a municipality and a city in the north eastern Netherlands, capital of the province of Drenthe. It received city rights in 1809. Assen's main claim to fame is the TT Circuit Assen the motorcycle racing circuit, where on the last Saturday in June the Dutch TT is run...
, as well as the surrounding countryside, and Meppen in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, departing from Emmen's two bus terminals.
By car, the town is accessible via the N34 from Zwolle
Zwolle
Zwolle is a municipality and the capital city of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands, 120 kilometers northeast of Amsterdam. Zwolle has about 120,000 citizens.-History:...
to Groningen, the N381 to Drachten
Drachten
Drachten is a Dutch town, located in the municipality of Smallingerland in the province of Friesland.-Beginnings:Drachten began as a small community on the east side of the Drait River. There, early settlers started draining the land to use it for agriculture...
, the N391 to Veendam
Veendam
Veendam is a municipality and a town in the northeastern Dutch province of Groningen.A Holland America Line cruise ship, the MS Veendam, is named after the city.- Population centres :...
and the A37 from Hoogeveen
Hoogeveen
Hoogeveen is a municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands.- Population centres :Elim, Fluitenberg, Hoogeveen and Noordscheschut, which still have the canals which used to be throughout the town...
to Meppen in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
The nearest airport is Groningen Airport Eelde
Groningen Airport Eelde
-External links:* from Airliners.net...
at a distance of 50 kilometers.
Furthermore, there are inland shipping connections via Nieuw-Amsterdam to Coevorden
Coevorden
Coevorden is a municipality and a city in the northeastern Netherlands. During the municipal reorganisation in the province in 1998, Coevorden merged with Dalen, Sleen, Oosterhesselen and Zweeloo.- Population centers :...
, Hoogeveen
Hoogeveen
Hoogeveen is a municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands.- Population centres :Elim, Fluitenberg, Hoogeveen and Noordscheschut, which still have the canals which used to be throughout the town...
and Almelo
Almelo
Almelo is a municipality and a city in the eastern Netherlands. The main population centres in the town are Aadorp, Almelo, Mariaparochie and Bornerbroek....
.
Population centres
Barger-CompascuumBarger-Compascuum
Barger-Compascuum is a town in the Dutch municipality of Emmen. It is in a peat-producing region of Drenthe. Workers in the area still carve peat from bogs daily. An amusement park in the area includes historical information and reenactments of life in the time when peat production was a more...
, Emmen, Emmer-Compascuum
Emmer-Compascuum
Emmer-Compascuum is a village in the Netherlands and it is part of the Emmen municipality in Drenthe. Emmer-Compascuum has an elevation of 12 meters and a population of about 8,000.-External links:*...
, Erica, Klazienaveen
Klazienaveen
Klazienaveen is a town to the southeast of Emmen in the Dutch province of Drenthe.It lies approx from the German border....
, Nieuw-Amsterdam, Nieuw-Dordrecht
Nieuw-Dordrecht
Nieuw-Dordrecht is a village in the Netherlands and it is part of the Emmen municipality in Drenthe. Nieuw-Dordrecht has an altitude of 20 meters and a population of about 1,660.-External links:*...
, Nieuw-Schoonebeek
Nieuw-Schoonebeek
Nieuw-Schoonebeek is a village in the Netherlands and it is part of the Emmen municipality in Drenthe. Nieuw-Schoonebeek has an altitude of 14 meters and a population of about 1,320....
, Nieuw-Weerdinge
Nieuw-Weerdinge
Nieuw-Weerdinge is a village in the Netherlands and it is part of the Emmen municipality in Drenthe. Nieuw-Weerdinge has an altitude of 10 meters and a population of about 3,310 .-External links:*...
, Roswinkel
Roswinkel
Roswinkel is a village in the Netherlands. It is part of the Emmen municipality in Drenthe, and lies alongside the border with Germany. Roswinkel has an altitude of 12 meters and a population of 863 .-External links:*...
, Schoonebeek
Schoonebeek
Schoonebeek is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is located in the municipality of Emmen, about 12 km south of that city.Schoonebeek was a separate municipality from 1884 to 1998, when it merged with Emmen....
, Veenoord
Veenoord
Veenoord is a village in the Netherlands and it is part of the Emmen municipality in Drenthe. Veenoord has an altitude of 13 meters and a population of about 2,200 .-External links:*...
, Weiteveen
Weiteveen
Weiteveen is a village in the Netherlands and it is part of the Emmen municipality in Drenthe. Weiteveen has an altitude of 17 meters and a population of 1,540 ....
, Zwartemeer
Zwartemeer
Zwartemeer is a village in the Netherlands and it is part of the Emmen municipality in Drenthe. Zwartemeer has an altitude of 18 meters and a population of 3,130 .-External links:*...
Sport
The town's football club FC EmmenFC Emmen
FC Emmen is a Dutch football club based in Emmen, Drenthe, and currently playing in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of football in the Netherlands.-History:...
plays their home games in Univé Stadion
Univé Stadion
The Univé Stadion is a multi-use stadium. It is located at the Business Park Meerdijk in Emmen, Netherlands. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of FC Emmen. The stadium is able to hold 8,600 people and was built in 1979...
. They play in the Eerste Divisie
Eerste Divisie
The Eerste Divisie is the second-highest division of football in the Netherlands. It is linked with the top-level Eredivisie via a promotion/relegation system. It is also known as the Jupiler League due to sponsorship, which is the same name as the top league in Belgium...
.