Harkstede Explained

Harkstede
Settlement Type:Village
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name:Netherlands
Subdivision Type1:Province
Subdivision Name1:Groningen
Subdivision Type2:Municipality
Subdivision Name2:Midden-Groningen
Area Total Km2:1.95
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:3,025
Population As Of:2021
Population Density Km2:auto
Population Density Urban Km2:auto
Pushpin Map:Netherlands Groningen#Netherlands
Pushpin Map Caption:Location of Harkstede in the province of Groningen
Coordinates:53.2319°N 6.7144°W
Timezone:CET
Utc Offset:+1
Timezone Dst:CEST
Utc Offset Dst:+2
Postal Code Type:Postal code
Postal Code:9617
Area Code Type:Dialing code
Area Code:050

Harkstede (in Dutch; Flemish pronounced as /ˈɦɑr(ə)k.steːdə/); Haarkstee pronounced as /ˈɦaː(r)k.steɪ̯/) is a small village in the northeastern Netherlands. It is located in Midden-Groningen, Groningen. Harkstede is located near the "Meerstad Project" of the municipality of Groningen, however, it is no longer part of the project.[2]

History

Harkstede was supposedly founded during the 13th century, when the tower next to the local church was built. The name is probably derived from "Arkes Stee", meaning "place for an ark = church". The present church was constructed between 1692 and 1700 on the foundations of the medieval church. Planned by Henric Piccardt (1636-1712), lord of the manors of Klein Martijn at Harkstede and the Fraeylemaborg at Slochteren, it was built by two master craftsmen from the city of Groningen, Henric Coeur and Geert van der Aa.

Until 1821, Harkstede was an independent municipality. That year it was annexed by Slochteren. Harkstede was planned to be part of the Meerstad project. The project was transferred to Groningen in 2017,[3] and the village remained in Slochteren.[2] The border correction has resulted in enclaves.[4]

Sightseeing

Attractions include the recreation park "Gruno Park" and the international rowing course to the north of the village. For waterski enthusiasts, there is the Gruno Lake and Beach including a possibility for water skiing and ski jumping. Once Meerstad has been completed, water recreation will further increase.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2021 . Central Bureau of Statistics . 7 March 2022.
  2. News: Meerstad wordt helemaal Stad . 14 October 2015 . nl . 7 March 2022.
  3. News: Grenscorrectie: Meerstad bij Groningen . Nieuws.nl . 15 October 2015 . 7 March 2022 . nl.
  4. Web site: Harkstede . Plaatsengids . nl . 7 March 2022.