Man-made hills to dwell upon. Long thought of as typically Frisian, but they are anything but unique. Consider the Kincaid Mounds of the Mississippian people along the Cumberland and Mississippi rivers in the United States. Or the lomas (‘hills’) deep in Bolivia’s Beni district, raised above the Amazon’s seasonal floodwaters to provide ground for livingContinue reading “Between Leffinge and Misthusum — Understanding the Basics of Terps”
Tag Archives: floods
Stavoren. Balancing on a Slack Rope of Religion, Trade, Land, Water, Holland, and Frisia
For many turbulent centuries, the town of Stavoren was a tightrope walker before it finally settled as a small harbour at the Lake IJsselmeer. Living in retirement from well-to-do owners of white yachts, sailing boats, and other pleasure vessels. Now it looks back on when Saint Odulf arrived in the ninth century to convert theContinue reading “Stavoren. Balancing on a Slack Rope of Religion, Trade, Land, Water, Holland, and Frisia”
Out of Averting the Inevitable an Unruly Community Was Born
On March 25, 2020, the coronavirus pandemic was climbing towards its second peak. There was uncertainty about how destructive the pandemic was going to be in the long run. How many family members and loved ones would it take? It was a phenomenon of chaos and destruction that confronted us with the limitations of anContinue reading “Out of Averting the Inevitable an Unruly Community Was Born”
Burn Beacon Burn. A Coastal Inferno – Nordfriesland
Nordfriesland or North Frisia. The western coast and islands of the region of Schleswig. Stretching from the Danish town Tønder in the north to the River Eider in the south, it is a broad strip of land by the sea, together with fifteen islands and Hallig-islands in front of it. It is here where aContinue reading “Burn Beacon Burn. A Coastal Inferno – Nordfriesland”
Bil: A Wasteland of Non-Integrated Migrants?
This is the story of the land reclaimed from the former Middelzee — a shallow inland sea that once split the present-day province of Friesland in two, separating the ancient pagus Westrachia (modern district Westergo) from pagus Austrachia (modern district Oostergo). The name Middelzee literally means ‘middle sea.’ Closing this watery rift took centuries. ThroughContinue reading “Bil: A Wasteland of Non-Integrated Migrants?”
Refuge on a Terp 2.0. Waiting to Be Liberated
August 21, 1930, Wieringermeer in the province of Noord Holland. The reclamation of just another piece of the Zuiderzee ‘southern sea’ was completed. A wooded area, when it was still land, that was called Creilerwoud. Land lost to the sea eight centuries ago during the most destructive All Saints’ Flood in the year 1170. TheContinue reading “Refuge on a Terp 2.0. Waiting to Be Liberated”
Half a Million Deaths. A Forgotten North Sea Disaster…
Did you know that between 328,770 and 502,190 people lost their lives around the North Sea? On the flip side: millions of possible casualties have been prevented successfully. For now at least… Half a million casualties is a lot. How could we forget about such a huge number? Did nobody notice? Did nobody mention? ItContinue reading “Half a Million Deaths. A Forgotten North Sea Disaster…”
Legend of Esonstad: One of the Many Sunken Towns
When, on a moonlit night, you stand atop the dyke at Lake Lauwersmeer and gaze out over the water, you might just catch a glimpse of the spire of the lost city of Esonstad shimmering in the distance. A drowned city — also written as Ezonstad, and known in the early seventeenth century as Esonstadium.Continue reading “Legend of Esonstad: One of the Many Sunken Towns”
Frisia Coast Trail 