| Wolvega | |
|---|---|
| — Village — | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Province | Friesland |
| Population | |
| • Total | 12,581 |
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
Wolvega (West Frisian: Wolvegea) is the main town in the municipality of Weststellingwerf in the province of Friesland (Fryslan), in the Netherlands. It has around 12,581 citizens (2009). It is by far the largest town of the Stellingwerven.
Contents |
It is unknown when exactly Wolvega arose. It is in any case before the year 1218. At first the area belonged to the gau Drenthe but then around the year 1500 the area was conquered during a war with Friesland. From then on it belonged to Friesland. This is why the people from Wolvega do not speak the West Frisian language like the rest of Friesland. The area did not know nobility, but when the area became part of Friesland, there came a grietman who was a forerunner of the current rural mayor. Those men often were rich and sometimes noble. They built big houses like Lindenoord. This building was built by Willem van Haren who was a grietman of Weststellingwerf between 1688 and 1711. His grandson Onno Zwier van Haren was grietman between 1742 and 1779 and was also a consultant of Governor William IV. After a fire in 1776 he left the house. Between 1776 and 1779 it was rebuilt in Louis XVI style. Another famous stins of Wolvega was Lycklama state. This was built by grietman Lycklama à Nijeholt. However in 1736 it became so dilapidated that it was demolished. In the 19th century the village developed into a major centre. This was because of the construction of the Rijksstraatweg, a main road between Leeuwarden and Zwolle in the 2nd decade of the 19th century.
There is an established public library in the town. The nearest hospital is located at Heerenveen about 10 minutes drive away. Wolvega has nine primary schools and two secondary schools. For higher education, Wolvega relies on places like Leeuwarden, Zwolle and Groningen. These cities can be easily accessed by public transport.
Railway Station Wolvega