Groningen: History and Photos

Photos of the City

History of the City

The first document which mentions the city of Groningen is dated 1040. The city thus has an official history of almost 1000 years, but we can be sure that it dates back to even earlier times. The heart of the city (the Grote Markt) is located at the end of a 60 km. long ridge, which has its highest point here, at 6 m. above sea level. From here, the city streets slope down to sea level to the north as well as to the west and east. Alongside this ridge, two small streams (Hunze and Aa) came from the south: they were important as arteries for commerce from medieval times until the 19th century. Till late in the 19th century, the city had an open connection to the sea, still evident in presence of a quay in the northern part of the city center which is able to cope with a tidal difference of about 2 meters.

During the Middle Ages, the city rapidly grew into the most important commercial center of the northern part of the Low Countries. A number of buildings (like the main St. Martin's Church as well as its 97 m. high bell tower) show how well-to-do the Stadjers (as the inhabitants of Groningen call themselves proudly, meaning simply citizens) became, especially during the 14th century. Groningen became member of the Hanseatic League, a powerful mercantile organization which linked many cities in the northern part of Europe. Warehouses alongside the Aa-river give a testimony to this rich period.

During the turmoil of the War of Independence (1568 - 1648), Groningen changed sides several times. It must be borne in mind that at the start of that war, nobody had a real concept of the Netherlands as a united country. After 1598, however, the city of Groningen supported the cause of the Insurrection. In 1614, during a short period of armistice, the University of Groningen was founded, mainly as a place where the ministers for the new Protestant religion, as well as lawyers and medical doctors, could be educated. The University was given a former monastery right in the heart of the city as its main building. This is the location of the present Academie Gebouw.

During recent centuries, Groningen has shared the same fortunes as all Dutch cities of any importance: emerging industries such as dairy food production, textiles, tobacco and breweries became important employers. Unfortunately, during the final days of the Second World War, most of the Grote Markt and its surrounding streets were destroyed. The citizens of Groningen, adventurous as they are, have always been on the lookout for striking buildings to replace those that were lost. The world-famous Groninger Museum, a creation of the Italian designer Alessandro Mendini, is just one example of such a choice.

Nowadays, the industry of Groningen is mainly related to its agricultural enterprises. The city is both a town for education as well as the main shopping center for this part of the Netherlands. About 25% of its population consists of people younger than 25, mainly students from the University as well as the Hanzehogeschool (Hanze Polytechnic). It is one of the liveliest centers in the Netherlands, perhaps surpassed only by Amsterdam.

top