Heerenveen
Encyclopedia
Heerenveen is a town
in the Heerenveen municipality
of the province of Friesland
(Fryslan), in the north of the Netherlands
.
The town was established in 1551 by three lords as a location for the purpose of digging peat
which was used for fuel, hence the name (heer is "lord", veen is "peat"). Heerenveen was not one of the traditional eleven cities in Friesland
(Fryslan) as it did not have so-called city rights. However, it is now one of the larger municipalities of the province.
The windmill
Welgelegen or Tjepkema's Molen
is the only survivor of seventeen which have stood in Heerenveen..
and the Thialf
speed skating
arena
which was one of the first indoor 400m ice rinks in the world, and where annually held international events draw large crowds. Thialf is also home to the city's ice hockey team, the Heerenveen Flyers.
The town's football
team, SC Heerenveen, plays in the Dutch Premier Division and has been a steady presence in the UEFA Cup
for 10 years, topped by the team's biggest achievement when they qualified for the UEFA Champions League
in 2000.
In 2006, the "Sportstad" (Sport City) project was completed, which included a gymnastics hall, swimming pool and an extension to the football stadium, all of which are clustered together. The Abe Lenstra stadium is unique because its supporter capacity is larger than the number of inhabitants of the town. One of the few football venues that shares this distinction is Stade Félix Bollaert
in Lens
, France
. Several American football
venues, mostly college football
venues, also share this distinction.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in the Heerenveen municipality
Heerenveen municipality
Heerenveen - a municipality in the province of Friesland , in the north of the Netherlands.- Population centres :Population as of 1 January 2004:...
of the province of Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
(Fryslan), in the north of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
History
Peat
Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...
which was used for fuel, hence the name (heer is "lord", veen is "peat"). Heerenveen was not one of the traditional eleven cities in Friesland
Friesland
Friesland is a province in the north of the Netherlands and part of the ancient region of Frisia.Until the end of 1996, the province bore Friesland as its official name. In 1997 this Dutch name lost its official status to the Frisian Fryslân...
(Fryslan) as it did not have so-called city rights. However, it is now one of the larger municipalities of the province.
The windmill
Windmill
A windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
Welgelegen or Tjepkema's Molen
Welgelegen, Heerenveen
Welgelegen or Tjepkema's Molen is a smock mill in Heerenveen, Friesland, Netherlands, which was built in 1849 and has been restored to working order. The mill is listed as a Rijksmonument, No. 21171.-History:...
is the only survivor of seventeen which have stood in Heerenveen..
Local government
| Party | seats | change from 2002 |
|---|---|---|
| PvdA Labour Party (Netherlands) The Labour Party , is a social-democratic political party in the Netherlands. Since the 2003 Dutch General Election, the PvdA has been the second largest political party in the Netherlands. The PvdA was a coalition member in the fourth Balkenende cabinet following 22 February 2007... |
12 | |
| CDA Christian Democratic Appeal The Christian Democratic Appeal is a centre-right Dutch Christian democratic political party. It suffered severe losses in the 2010 elections and fell from the first to the fourth place... |
4 | −1 |
| VVD People's Party for Freedom and Democracy The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy is a conservative-liberal political party located in the Netherlands. The VVD supports private enterprise in the Netherlands and is often perceived as an economic liberal party in contrast to the social-liberal Democrats 66 alongside which it sits in... |
4 | −1 |
| Leefbaar Heerenveen | 2 | −2 |
| GroenLinks GreenLeft GreenLeft is a green political party operating in the Netherlands.GreenLeft was formed on 1 March 1989 as a merger of four left-wing political parties: the Communist Party of the Netherlands, Pacifist Socialist Party, the Political Party of Radicals and the Evangelical People's Party... |
2 | |
| ChristenUnie ChristianUnion The ChristianUnion , abbreviated to CU, is a Dutch Christian democratic political party. A centrist party, the CU's policies combine social conservatism and soft euroscepticism with more centre-left positions on economic, immigration, and environmental issues.Founded in 2000 as a merger of the... |
2 | |
| FNP Frisian National Party The Frisian National Party is a Frisian nationalist political party in the Netherlands. The FNP is mostly involved in Frisian politics... |
1 | |
| SP Socialist Party (Netherlands) The Socialist Party is a democratic socialist political party in the Netherlands. After the 2006 general election, the Socialist Party became one of the major parties of the Netherlands with 25 seats of 150, an increase of 16 seats. The party was in opposition against the fourth Balkenende cabinet... |
0 | −1 |
| D66 Democrats 66 Democrats 66 is a progressive and social-liberal political party in the Netherlands. D66 was formed in 1966 by a group of politically unaligned, young intellectuals, led by journalist Hans van Mierlo. The party's main objective was to democratise the political system; it proposed to create an... |
0 | −1 |
| Total | 27 | |
Sports
Heerenveen is famous for its sporting accomplishments and world class sports accommodations. This includes the Abe Lenstra football stadiumAbe Lenstra Stadion
Abe Lenstra Stadion is a football stadium in Heerenveen, Netherlands. It is currently used mostly for the home matches of Eredivisie club Heerenveen.The current capacity is 26,000.-The name Abe Lenstra Stadion:...
and the Thialf
Thialf
Thialf is an ice arena in Heerenveen, Netherlands. The stadium is used for long track speed skating, short track speed skating, ice hockey, figure skating, and non-sports events. The outdoor rink was opened in 1967, and the indoor stadium was opened in 1986. Several world records were set in the...
speed skating
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
arena
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
which was one of the first indoor 400m ice rinks in the world, and where annually held international events draw large crowds. Thialf is also home to the city's ice hockey team, the Heerenveen Flyers.
The town's football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team, SC Heerenveen, plays in the Dutch Premier Division and has been a steady presence in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
for 10 years, topped by the team's biggest achievement when they qualified for the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
in 2000.
In 2006, the "Sportstad" (Sport City) project was completed, which included a gymnastics hall, swimming pool and an extension to the football stadium, all of which are clustered together. The Abe Lenstra stadium is unique because its supporter capacity is larger than the number of inhabitants of the town. One of the few football venues that shares this distinction is Stade Félix Bollaert
Stade Félix Bollaert
Stade Félix Bollaert is the main football stadium in Lens, France, that was built in 1932. It is the home of RC Lens. The stadium's capacity is 41,233 – about 4,000 more than the city's population. This is similar to that of SC Heerenveen ground the Abe Lenstra Stadion which has a bigger capacity...
in Lens
Lens, Pas-de-Calais
Lens is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It is one of France's large Picarde cities along with Lille, Valenciennes, Amiens, Roubaix, Tourcoing, Arras, and Douai.-Metropolitan area:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Several American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
venues, mostly college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
venues, also share this distinction.
Famous people from Heerenveen
- Wim DuisenbergWim DuisenbergWillem Frederik "Wim" Duisenberg was a Dutch politician of the Labour Party . He was the first President of the European Central Bank from 1 July 1998 until 31 October 2003. He was instrumental in the Introduction of the euro in the European Union in 2002. He was also credited for making numerous...
- Foppe de HaanFoppe de HaanFoppe de Haan OON is a Dutch football coach. He is known for his long association with Frisian club SC Heerenveen. De Haan is currently manager of the Tuvalu national football team.-Career:...
- Jacob de HaanJacob de Haan (composer)Jacob de Haan is a Dutch composer. He received his musical education at the State Music Academy in Leeuwarden, where he studied organ and music. As a result, he is now a professor specializing in arrangements in this Academy. Jacob de Haan lives in the city of Rotterdam where he works primarily...
- Sven KramerSven KramerSven Kramer is a Dutch long track speed skater. He is the Olympic champion of the 5000 meter in Vancouver 2010, and four-time European and World Allround Champion. He is also three-time world champion and world record holder in the 5,000 m, 10,000 m, and the team pursuit...
- Abe LenstraAbe LenstraAbe Lenstra was a Dutch football player and national football icon in the 1950s. He was also a Frisian legend, most notably with the club where he made his name as a football player, SC Heerenveen....
- Geert Arend RoordaGeert Arend RoordaGeert Arend Roorda is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for SC Heerenveen in the Eredivisie.- Early career :...
- Geerhardus VosGeerhardus VosGeerhardus Johannes Vos was an American Calvinist theologian and one of the most distinguished representatives of the Princeton Theology. He is sometimes called the father of Reformed Biblical Theology.-Biography:...
- Falko ZandstraFalko ZandstraFalko Zandstra is a former Dutch speed skater. Because of his thin legs he was also called de Gespierde Spijker which translates to the Muscular Nail.-Biography:...
- Margriet ZegersMargriet ZegersInge Margriet Zegers-De Ruiter is a former Dutch field hockey defender, who captured the golden medal with the Women's National Team at the 1984 Summer Olympics. From 1980 to 1984 she played a total number of 55 international matches for the Dutch, in which she didn't score.-External links:*...
- Tjibbe van der Veen
- Jos HooiveldJos HooiveldJos Hooiveld is a Dutch footballer who plays for Championship side Southampton.He started his career with Dutch Eredivisie club Heerenveen in 2003, before moving to Eerste Divisie side Zwolle, on loan, between 2004 and 2006. In 2006 he moved to Austrian Erste Liga side Kapfenberger SV and one year...