Sneek
Sneek Snits | |||
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City and former municipality | |||
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Coordinates: 53°2′N 5°40′E / 53.033°N 5.667°ECoordinates: 53°2′N 5°40′E / 53.033°N 5.667°E | |||
Country | Netherlands | ||
Province | Friesland | ||
Municipality | Súdwest-Fryslân | ||
Area(2006) | |||
• Total | 34.04 km2 (13.14 sq mi) | ||
• Land | 30.18 km2 (11.65 sq mi) | ||
• Water | 3.85 km2 (1.49 sq mi) | ||
Population (1 January 2007) | |||
• Total | 33,115 | ||
• Density | 1,097/km2 (2,840/sq mi) | ||
Source: CBS, Statline. | |||
Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
• Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
Sneek ([sneːk]; West Frisian: Snits) is a city southwest of Leeuwarden and seat of the former municipality of Sneek in the province of Friesland (Netherlands). As for 2011 it is part of the municipality Súdwest Fryslân. The city has approximately 33,000 inhabitants.
Sneek is situated in Southwest-Friesland, close to the Sneekermeer and is well known for its canals, the Waterpoort (Watergate, the symbol of the city), and watersport (Sneekweek). Sneek is one of the Friese elf steden (Eleven cities). The city is very important for the southwest area of Friesland (the "Zuidwesthoek").
History
History
Sneek was founded in the 10th century on a sandy peninsula at the crossing site of a dike with an important waterway (called the Magna Fossa in old documents). This waterway was dug when the former Middelzee silted up. The dike can still be traced in the current street pattern and street names like "Hemdijk", "Oude Dijk" and "Oosterdijk".
Sneek received several city rights in the 13th century, which became official in 1456. Sneek was now one of the eleven Frisian cities. This was also the beginning of a period of blooming trade for the city that would last until about 1550. In 1492 construction of a moat and wall around the city began. In those days Sneek was the only walled city in Friesland. The Waterpoort and the Bolwerk remain today.
Sister city Kurobe
Since September 10, 1970, Sneek and the Japanese city Kurobe have been sister cities. In 1970, Mayor L. Rasterhoff of Sneek visited the city of Kurobe and was named an Honorary citizen. Mayor H. Terade of Kurobe made a visit to Sneek in 1972. In 2000 delegations of both cities visited each other again. The Japanese showed the citizens of Sneek a "Sneekplein" which was built in Kurobe.
Language
Sneek has its own dialect that dates back to the Dutch language before 1600. Snekers is part of the city Frisian dialects.
Trade and Industry
The famous clothingstore C&A started in 1841 with a store in Sneek. The Candyfactory Tonnema produces Peppermint under the name KING. This name has nothing to do with the English word KING, it stands for 'Kwaliteit in niets geëvenaard'("Quality equaled by nothing"). Also Sneek has a Steel, Machinery and a Rope factory. Since 1964 there's a factory of Yoshida YKK from Kurobe. Besides that, the Supermarket branch Poiesz, Clothing brand Gaastra and Frisian gin called beerenburg from Weduwe Joustra are products that have their roots in Sneek.
Places of interest
Sneek is well known as the center of watersports with over 130 watersport companies and 13 Marinas. It also it has a historic inner city replete with houses of old upper-class families.
- Watergate (1613)
- Town hall (1550)
- Martinichurch (1498), with a carillon of 50 bells
- Sint-Martinuschurch (1872)
- Tonnema Candy Factory (1955)
- the Wooden bridges across the Rijksweg 7.
Transport
Roads
The following roads connect Sneek with other cities:
- A7
- N354
- Ring Sneek: the city's "ring road"
Public transport
Sneek is accessible by public transport; buses and trains are operated by Arriva.
Waterways
The following waterways connect Sneek with other cities.
- Houkesloot Between Sneek and the Prinses Margrietkanaal.
- de Geeuw Between Sneek and IJlst.
- de Zwette Between Sneek and Leeuwarden.
- Franekervaart Between Sneek and Franeker.
Parking
On the following parking places you can park your car:
- Binnenstad Pay
- Martiniplein pay
- NS-terrein Free
- St. Antoniusplein Pay
- Bolswarderweg Free
- Normandiaplein Pay
- Oppenhuizerweg Pay
- Oppenhuizerweg (temporary) Free
- Veemarktplein Pay
- Boschplein Pay
Art and Culture
Museums
- Fries Scheepvaart Museum Frisian Maritime Museum
- Nationaal Modelspoor Museum National Model Train Museum
Podia
- Het Bolwerk, very first poppodium of Friesland, since 1975. Member of the Fries Popnet.
Cultural Quarter
In 2010 there will be a Cultural Quarter, The municipality has made plans to connect various Cultural areas into one big Cultural Quarter. The total costs of the plans are about €35,000,000 and include
- The Noorderchurch will house a theatre and a Center of the Arts (CvdK - Centrum voor de Kunsten)
- The Bolwerk will house another part of the CvdK
- A new Theatre (Capacity of 600 people) at the location of the former postoffice-building
- The connection between the Theatre and the Bolwerk with a walking bridge and a floating podium in the city canal. This part won't be constructed because of high costs.
- The Public library and the Martinichurch will be linked to the Cultural Quarter
Silver Ball
The Culture Award of Sneek is called The Silver Ball and has been awarded 11 times. The award is given annually to a person that has done an improvement/good job on the areas of Music and Culture for Sneek and its surroundings. Some of the winners are:
- Henk van der Veer, writer
- 2005: Maaike Schuurmans, musical actress
- 2006: Yede van Dijk, actor
- 2007: Bennie Hoogstra, 25 years playing the Drum- & Showkorps Advendo
Events
- Sneekweek, Sailevent on the Sneekermeer
- Swinging Sneek, live-music in cafés and on street
Education
Sneek has eleven primary schools and three high schools
Sport
Sports centres
- Sportcentrum Schuttersveld
- Sportpark Noorderhoek
- Sportpark SWZ Sneek
- Sportpark Leeuwarderweg
- Zuidersportpark
Sportclubs
- Sneek Wit Zwart(SWZ), soccerclub
- LSC 1890, one of the oldest soccerclubs in the Netherlands
- ONS Sneek, soccerclub
- Black Boys, soccerclub
- Waterpoort boys, soccerclub
- Sneeker MHC, hockeyclub
- VC Sneek, volleyballclub
- Neptunia'24, waterpoloclub
- L.T.C. NOMI, tennisclub
- White Cats Sneek, baseball and softball club
- FC Gescheurde Knieband, soccerclub
Sportevents
- 11Stedenfietsvierdaagse Eleven city 4 day bicycle tour
Famous Snekers
- Rienck Bockema (ca. 1350-1436)
- Pier Gerlofs Donia, (ca. 1480 - 1529), Frisian freedom fighter, rebel and pirate 'Grutte Pier'
- Murk van Phelsum (1730–1799), physician
- Nicolaas Molenaar (1850–1930), architect
- Jakob van Schevichaven (1866–1935), detective writer
- Geert Aeilco Wumkes (1869–1954), theologian and historian
- Willem de Sitter (1872–1934), mathematician, physicist and astronomer
- Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (1885–1961), politician
- Frits Wissel (1907–1999), pilot, discoverer of the Wissel Lakes in New-Guinea.
- Kees Deenik (1915–1993), singer, TV producer
- Dieuwkje Nauta (1930–2008), teacher, politician
- Bart Tromp (1944–2007), sociologist
- Joke Tjalsma (1957), actress
- Toon Gerbrands (1957), coach and manager
- Pauline Krikke (1961), politician
- Manon Thomas (1963), television presenter
- Jan Posthuma (1963), international volleyball player
- Ronald Zoodsma (1966), international volleyball player
- Monique Sluyter (1967), model and television star
- Olof van der Meulen (1968), volleyball player
- Sherida Spitse (1990), soccer player
- Wiebe Nijenhuis (died 2016), strongest man of Friesland 1982-1984
Living
Sneek has around 14.000 houses. Half of those houses are rental houses. There are new projects in different neighbourhoods.
Extra Information
In 1519-1520, the Frisian warlord and freedom fighter Pier Gerlofs Donia spent his last days in Sneek. Donia died peacefully in bed at Grootzand (Sneek) 12[1] on 18 October 1520.[2] Pier is buried in Sneek in the 15th-century Groote Kerk (also called the Martinikerk).[3] His tomb is located on the north side of the church.[4]
This quaint little city has a shopping center that is walker and biker friendly. There are high-end clothing stores, restaurants, bars, music stores, cafes, coffee shops, and an old-fashioned candy store.
References
- ↑ Fries Scheepvaart Museum, Object number 1992-257
- ↑ Kalma, J.J. (1970). (ed.) de Tille, ed. Grote Pier Van Kimswerd. Netherlands. p. 50. ISBN 90-70010-13-5.
- ↑ Geldersche Volks-Almanak Published 1853
- ↑ Kok, Jacobus (1791). "Pier Gerlofs Donia". Vaderlandsch Woordenboek. 24 (P–R). Amsterdam: Johannes Allart. pp. 17–21.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sneek. |
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Sneek. |
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