Dantumadiel

Coordinates: 53°17′N 6°0′E / 53.283°N 6.000°E / 53.283; 6.000CountryNetherlandsProvinceFrieslandGovernment • BodyMunicipal council • MayorKlaas AgricolaArea • Total87.53 km² (33.80 sq mi) • Land84.66 km² (32.69 sq mi) • Water2.87 km² (1.11 sq mi)Elevation2 m (7 ft)Population • Total18,943 • Density224/km² (580/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+1 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)PostcodeArea code0511, 0519, 058Websitewww.dantumadiel.frl

Dantumadiel (West Frisian pronunciation^ⓘ) is a municipality in the province of Friesland in the Netherlands. Dantumadiel is a rural municipality characterized by economic activity and agriculture.

History

The first time Dantumadiel is mentioned was in a document from 1242. At that time Dantumadiel, or Donthmadeil as it was then known, was a part of the Winninghe district, the northern part of Oostergo. The grietenij (municipality) Dantumadiel was led by a grietman (mayor) who was holding office in Rinsumageast and Dantumawâld. The Dutch Municipalities Act of 1851 (Dutch: Gemeentewet van 1851) abolished the grietenijen, which automatically became gemeenten (municipalities) headed by a mayor.[1]

Population centres

The Dantumadiel municipality is composed of 11 towns with a total of 19,030 inhabitants in 2014; the towns and their 2014 populations are listed in the table.

Name[5]	Residents[6]
Damwâld	5,640
De Westereen	5,087
Feanwâlden *	3,521
Broeksterwâld	1,168
Rinsumageast	1,139
Wâlterswâld	993
Driezum	974
De Falom	265
Readtsjerk	198
Sibrandahûs	45

Source: Website Dantumadiel municipality

* Including Feanwâldsterwâl

Main sights

• Damwâld (Dantumawâld and Moarrewâld) and Rinsumageast, are home to medieval churches.
• The villages Broeksterwâld (Grutte Mûne and De Broekmolen) Rinsumageast and Readtsjerk are home to mills.
• The Skierstins a medieval fortified house in Feanwâlden.

• 
  De Grote Molen, Broeksterwâld, built in 1887
• 
  The Skierstins

Notable people

• Maria Petronella Woesthoven (1760 in Dantumawoude – 1830) a Dutch poet
• Tjeerd Pasma (1904 in Rinsumageast – 1944) a Dutch modern pentathlete, competed at the 1928 Summer Olympics
• Piet Jongeling (1909 in Broeksterwâld – 1985) journalist, politician and children's books writer
• Theun de Vries (1907 in Feanwâlden – 2005) writer and poet
• Jannes van der Wal (1956 in Driezum – 1996) a Dutch/Frisian draughts player
• Syb van der Ploeg (born 1966 in Dokkum) musician and composer
• Theo Pijper (born 1980 in Dokkum) a Dutch motorcycle speedway rider in the UK

Politics

The Dantumadiel municipal government consists of a municipal council, board of aldermen and the mayor. Klaas Agricola, (Dutch Wiki) has been the mayor of Dantumadiel since December 2017.

References

External links

Administrative centreVillagesFormer villages and hamletsLandmarks