Leens

Leens
Village

Petruskerk in 2007

Coat of arms
Leens

Location of Leens in the province of Groningen

Coordinates: 53°21.62′N 6°22.61′E / 53.36033°N 6.37683°E / 53.36033; 6.37683
Country Netherlands
Province Groningen
Municipality De Marne
Population (2012) 1,790
The former railway station

Leens is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is located in the municipality of De Marne. Leens was a separate municipality until 1990, when it was merged with Ulrum, Eenrum and Kloosterburen.[1]

Brief history

Leens is located on old marsh land which have been inhabited since the Iron Age. Leens and Tuinsterwierde, which is situated slightly east of the village, lay on a mound, an artificial hill that prevented the town from flooding when the land wasn't yet protected by dikes. The draining of the marshes is largely due to the work of the Benedictine monks. From their monasteries they built dikes and drained the land.

The Leenster parish was probably founded in the 8th century by Saint Ludger. The oldest parts of the Petruskerk date from the 12th century.

In the 20th century Leens was connected to the Dutch rail network, but that was short lived. the Marnelijn opened in 1922 and closed in 1940, after which the rails were transported to the Eastern Front. The station building still stands.

References

  1. Ad van der Meer and Onno Boonstra, Repertorium van Nederlandse gemeenten, KNAW, 2006.

External links


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