Sloten (Friesland)

Sloten

flag	coat of arms
province	Fryslân
local community	De Fryske Marren
Area  - land  - water	5.2  km 2 2.79 km 2 2.41 km 2
Residents	715 (Jan. 1, 2017)
Coordinates	52 ° 54 '  N , 5 ° 39'  E Coordinates: 52 ° 54 '  N , 5 ° 39'  E
prefix	0514
Postcodes	8522, 8556
panorama

Sloten ( Dutch ; West Frisian Sleat ) is the smallest city (with city ​​rights ) in the Netherlands . It is located near the Slotermeer in the municipality of De Fryske Marren . Sloten was an independent town until 1984, since then it has belonged to the municipality of Gaasterlân-Sleat (administrative center in Balk ) and since January 1, 2014 to the municipality of De Fryske Marren. The place is one of the eleven Frisian cities .

history

Sloten was founded in the 13th century as a settlement near a house of the Harinxma thoo Sloten family . Sloten is mentioned for the first time as a city on a document dated August 30, 1426. In 1523 Sloten was involved in disputes over the supremacy in Friesland.

The geographical location of the place was favorable. It was on the waterway between Sneek and the southern Zuiderzee (today: IJsselmeer ) with its Hanseatic cities along the IJssel . In addition, the overland trade route crossed here from Stavoren , an important medieval trading town to Germany. Sloten therefore had a key position for medieval trade, especially since the Ie had to be crossed here. During the Second World War , the bridge over the Ee was blown up by German troops.

Today the importance of Sloten has waned. In summer, water sports enthusiasts are the main source of income, for which a marina and jetties have been built south of the village. Day-trippers come to the town all year round to see the historic Frisian architecture. There is also a large factory in the village for the production of fodder for young cattle.

Attractions

Moolen de Kaai

• the former town hall from 1759 to 1761 with the town museum on the history of the place
• the church from 1647
• the pastorate
• old houses from the 17th and 18th centuries along the central canal
• two water gates that border the canal at the city wall, the southern so-called Lemsterpoort dates from 1821, the northern one is called Woudsenderpoort
• the old windmill de Kaai (Korenmolen, 1755) at the southern water gate
• the old cannon next to the windmill, which is shot down every Friday evening in July and August
• the scaffold on the bridge to the sea

activities

• Sipelsneon , a fair held on the last Saturday in June in Sloten. There are small stalls and booths along the canals, there is a children's free market on the grass square next to the church and the music association holds its own market in the shed at the factory. Coffee and cake are sold at the old mill. The mill, like the shops, is open and can be visited. Additional activities are also organized.

Sports

• Water sports of all kinds
• the Skûtsjesilen, a Frisian sailing regatta with flat-bottomed ships , takes place annually in July / August
• in cold winters there is a control station for the Elfstedentocht , the ice skating competition through the eleven Frisian cities

gallery

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Web links

Commons : Sloten  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Wikisource: Sloten in the Topographia Circuli Burgundici (Mathäus Merian)  - sources and full texts

• Old map of the municipality of Gasterlân-Sleat (Dutch)
• Website about the city walls of Sloten (Dutch)
• Website about the Museum of Sloten (Dutch, English)
• Skûtsjesilen website (multilingual)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2017 Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek , accessed on June 15, 2018 (Dutch)