Ommelanden

Ommelande ( German: Environs ) is the old name for the territories of present-day Dutch province of Groningen, which lie outside the city of Groningen and, as suggested in the flag, were once Frisian.

Historically, there were three Ommelande: the Gaus Hunsingo, Fivelgo and Westerkwartier. The Rheiderland and Westerwolde were considered as separate tracts of land, with Westerwolde never had a Frisian character. Even the area Gorecht ( city of Groningen and Surrounding land ) is not taken into Ommelanden. The Oldambt is seen every now and then as a separate, fourth Ommeland. The flag of the Ommelande however, refers only to the three original Ommelande and their eleven country district.

When the flag came into use, the Oldambt had already lost its independence. The Dutch part of today Rheiderland is attributed to the Oldambt. Although the Oldambt Westerwolde and Rheiderland never officially belonged to the Ommelanden, they are nevertheless often included as well. The name of the old Frisian and Saxon districts can be found even today in the use of language.

Vernacular in the Groninger Ommelanden is no longer Frisian, but a Frisian -influenced dialect of Lower Saxony ( Groninger Platt, " Gronings ", " Grunnens " ), which has many similarities to the East Frisian Platt. Only in the Westerkwartier there are still some language Friesen.

History

Early Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages the Frisian language was spoken in the Ommelanden, in Gorecht and Westerwolde the Lower Saxon language. The Ommelande called themselves Small - Friesland. Local nobles and monasteries were influential, but as in the rest of Friesland was here the Frisian freedom.

As today the Ommelande were agrarian. There were a few cities that had a lot of influence in the Ommelanden. These were the Saxon city of Groningen, Appingedam and later Winschoten. Appingedam was the most powerful, the neighboring Delfzijl was with his Sielhafen However, a great competitor.

High Middle Ages

The Ommelande were often in conflict with the city of Groningen. As was held up in the Ommelanden the exclamation Eala Frya Fresena, there were regular clashes. As the city grew in power, the Ommelande the Union of Utrecht joined, so that the influence of the city would be curbed. When the city of Groningen, however, was in 1595 also connected the Union ( REDUCTIE van Groningen), was over the independence of the Ommelande. They were combined with the province of Groningen city and country.

Town and country

So the city and the Ommelande were a common area. After some minor conflicts with individual villages the uprisings against the city were over. Groningen and the Ommelande adapted themselves to each other and formed a unit. For example, the Frisian language Ommelande was supplanted by the Lower Saxony town, however, be found in this "new" dialect numerous Frisian words.

In 1619 the city of Groningen bought the glory Westerwolde. When draining the Dollard and the Rheiderland was enlarged again. In the time when Ostfriesland was annexed to the Napoleonic Kingdom of Holland, also the part of the East Frisian Rheiderland came to the province of Groningen. However, this was reversed after Napoleon's defeat.

• Historical Netherlands
• Geography (Groningen )
• Friesland