Franeker

Franeker (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈfraːnəkər] (listen); West Frisian: Frjentsjer) is one of the eleven historical cities of Friesland and capital of the municipality of Waadhoeke. It is located north of the Van Harinxmakanaal and about 20 km west of Leeuwarden. As of 1 January 2014, it had 12,781 inhabitants.[1] The Eise Eisinga Planetarium, established in 1781, is located in the city.

Franeker

Frjentsjer
City
Voorstraat in 2007
Flag
Coat of arms
Location in Franekeradeel in Friesland in the Netherlands
Location in the municipality of Franekeradeel
Coordinates: 53°12′N 5°32′E
Country Netherlands
Province Friesland
Municipality Waadhoeke
Population
 (1 January 2014)
 • Total12,781
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
8801-02
Telephone area0517

History
Map of Franeker from the Atlas Schoemaker (c. 1710–1735)

Franeker was founded around 800 as a Carolingian stronghold. The name probably derives from Froon-acker, meaning "country of the king"; the oldest street in the city is still called Froonacker. Beginning around the 11th century, Franeker developed into the administrative center Westergoa.

Franeker received city rights in 1374. In the 15th century, Albert, Duke of Saxony established himself in Franeker. The city appeared for a time to be growing into the primary city of Friesland, but was eventually overshadowed in this role by Leeuwarden.

During the period of the Dutch Revolt, the town sided early on with William I.

From 1585 to 1811, the city housed the University of Franeker, which was the second Protestant university in the Netherlands. It was closed shortly after the incorporation of the Kingdom of Holland into the French Empire. A successor institution, the Rijksatheneum, was founded in 1815, but in 1847 it, too, closed.

Before 2018, the city was part of the Franekeradeel municipality and before 1984 the city was a municipality of its own.

Geography

Franeker is located at 53°12′N 5°32′E in the municipality of Waadhoeke in the northwest of the province of Friesland in the north of the Netherlands. It is east of the city of Harlingen, north of the Van Harinxmakanaal and about 20 km (12 mi) west of the provincial capital Leeuwarden.

Demographics

As of 1 January 2014, the city of Franeker had a population of 12,781.

Culture
The Eisinga Planetarium (right) and the adjacent bar in 2011

Museums

The Eise Eisinga Planetarium and the Museum Martena are museums located in the city. The Planetarium is an orrery built by a local wool carder to explain a conjunction of the planets and to help mitigate local fears of what would happen during the planets' alignment. Built in Eisinga's own living room, it is one of the oldest operating orreries in the world.[2] The Museum Martena, opened in 2006, is housed in a manor house built in 1498 and is devoted to the history of the city and the region.

Windmill

The windmill Arkens is a hollow post mill which has been restored. It originally stood in Arkens and was moved in 1972. It is the only windmill in the Netherlands equipped with Vlinderwieken (English: Butterfly sails).[3]

Sports
Frisian handball in Franeker

Since 1852 Franeker is the home of the PC. the most important tournament in Frisian handball.

Franeker is a regular host of the Frisian draughts competitions.[4]

Being one of the Frisian cities, Franeker is also on the route of the 200 kilometres (120 mi) Elfstedentocht (Eleven-cities Tour), an endurance skating event held at irregular intervals depending on weather conditions.

In August 2014, Jeffrey Peereboom, a student from Franeker, introduced an idea of the speed limits for bicycles in order to make biking in the city safer.[5]

Infrastructure
Franeker Stadhuis (Town Hall)

Franeker railway station is a station on the NS line between Leeuwarden and Harlingen. It also had a station on the North Friesland Railway which was the terminus of a branch from Tzummarum. The line opened in October 1903 and closed in October 1933. The station building survives.

Notable people

References
  1. Aantal inwoners per buurt/dorp Archived 2012-08-12 at the Wayback Machine - Franekeradeel
  2. "Planetarium Friesland". planetarium-friesland.nl. Archived from the original on 2013-01-29. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
  3. "Franeker, Friesland" (in Dutch). Molendatabase. Retrieved 18 February 2010.
  4. Frisian Draughts
  5. "Dutch city introduces speed limits for bicycles". Dailymotion.
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