Haubargs. Cathedral-like farmsteads with hipped roofs soaring up to twenty meters high, icons of the Eiderstedt peninsula in the region of Nordfriesland. These monumental farms embody the peak of the friesische Großhäuser building tradition — yet also its end. This tradition, characteristic of the marshlands along the southern North Sea coast from Amsterdam to Husum, flourishedContinue reading “A Croaking Ode to the Haubarg by the Eiderstedter Nachtigall”
Category Archives: history
What Killed the Radio Star? The Frisian Claim to Radio Fame
The Second World War. Despite a clear warning from the German Wehrmacht to buzz off, the nosy and inquisitive Hanso Idzerda returned to the crash site of a V2 rocket on Parkweg Road in Scheveningen — not far from his own home. Ignoring the warning, he was caught a second time by a Wehrmacht patrol.Continue reading “What Killed the Radio Star? The Frisian Claim to Radio Fame”
How Great Was Great Pier? (the Sequel II)
Breaking! Great Pier (or Grutte Pier) measured around 2.30 meters in height! This question has been bugging the Frisians for centuries. Now we know. How? Keep reading… Granted. We asked ourselves this very same question in a previous blog post. We explored how great Pier was… as a leader. This time we are asking theContinue reading “How Great Was Great Pier? (the Sequel II)”
How Great Was Great Pier? (the Sequel I)
Most Frisians know the name of Great Pier, or ‘Grutte Pier’ in Frisian. But what do we really know about him? Well, all we know for sure is that he was tall. Very tall. Spoiler alert: his name gave away that he was tall, right? If you would ask your friends and family what theyContinue reading “How Great Was Great Pier? (the Sequel I)”
Who’s Afraid of Voracious Woolf? — The Dread Beast Is Back
Who’s afraid of Jóða Fenris, ‘the offspring of Fenrir’? Afraid of hund hrynsævar hræva, ‘the hound of the roaring sea of corpses’? Who, today, fears the wolf? The dark creature that once haunted the shadowed forests of the East is rising again in Europe. Nearly two centuries have passed, yet the wolf has returned toContinue reading “Who’s Afraid of Voracious Woolf? — The Dread Beast Is Back”
A Frisian Warlord Who Ruled in Brittany, Until His Wife Cheated on Him
Where the English Channel meets the Celtic Sea, the ships of the Frisian brothers Corsold and Coarchion are said to have sailed, raided, and held sway in the early sixth century. For a time, they may even have established a short-lived kingdom in Brittany. Breton legend holds that the village of Kersaout — modern-day CorseulContinue reading “A Frisian Warlord Who Ruled in Brittany, Until His Wife Cheated on Him “
Late Little Prayers at the Lorelei Rock. Reckless Rhine Skippers in Distress
On the west bank of the mighty River Rhine, halfway between the cities of Koblenz and Mainz, lies the town of Sankt Goar. Named after Saint Goar of Aquitaine, a hermit who retreated here in the sixth century. Diagonally across the river stands the famous and mystical Lorelei Rock: steep and over 130 meters high.Continue reading “Late Little Prayers at the Lorelei Rock. Reckless Rhine Skippers in Distress”
Three Books (and a Comic) Reviewed on Frisia. Is History Evidence Based?
You might say: “Sure, the study of history is evidence-based and free of politics. For this reason, it is called a science, isn’t it? It is more than just telling a story.” The truth — though slippery in this context — is that politics occasionally do surface in history books. The history of Frisia isContinue reading “Three Books (and a Comic) Reviewed on Frisia. Is History Evidence Based?”
Don’t Believe Everything They Say About Sweet Cunera
Imagine this: one day your husband brings home a young, unmarried woman. A virgin, even. He simply takes her into your house, openly shows her affection — and who knows what else. But that is not all. He also gives this maiden full access to your pantry and your savings account, which she — forContinue reading “Don’t Believe Everything They Say About Sweet Cunera”
From Patriot to Insurgent: John Fries and the First Tax Rebellions
On the Facebook page ‘Frisian Americans‘, the question popped up regarding the role certain Frisians played in the Whiskey Rebellion in Pennsylvania in 1794. We checked, and the short answer is: none. The Whiskey Rebellion was a revolt of the so-called Pennsylvania Dutch farmers resisting the taxation of whiskey. It was crushed — without iceContinue reading “From Patriot to Insurgent: John Fries and the First Tax Rebellions”
Frisia Coast Trail 