Sneek

Sneek Snits
—  City and former municipality  —
Gate Waterpoort
Flag Coat of arms
Coordinates: 53°2′N 5°40′E / 53.033°N 5.667°E / 53.033; 5.667Coordinates: 53°2′N 5°40′E / 53.033°N 5.667°E / 53.033; 5.667
Country	Netherlands
Province	Friesland
Municipality	Súdwest-Fryslân
Area(2006)
• Total	34.04 km2 (13.14 sq mi)
• Land	30.18 km2 (11.65 sq mi)
• Water	3.85 km2 (1.49 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2007)
• Total	33,115
• Density	1,097/km2 (2,840/sq mi)
	Source: CBS, Statline.
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)

Sneek from the air (2004)

Sneek on the map of Willem and Joan Blaeu in 1652

Waterpoort (2006)

The canal Kleinzand in Sneek (2006)

Tonnemafabriek (sweet factory) (2008)

Sneek Station (2007)

Houkesloot Aqueduct (2007)

Sneek ([ˈsneɪ̯k] ( listen); West Frisian: Snits) is a city southwest of Leeuwarden and seat of the former municipality of Sneek in the province of Friesland (Netherlands). As for 2011 it is part of the municipality Súdwest Fryslân. The city has approximately 33,000 inhabitants.

Sneek is situated in Southwest-Friesland, close to the Sneekermeer and is well known for its canals, the Waterpoort (Watergate, the symbol of the city), and watersport (Sneekweek). Sneek is one of the Friese elf steden (Eleven cities). The city is very important for the southwest area of Friesland (the "Zuidwesthoek").

History

History

Sneek is built around a waterway (in old documents called the Magna Fossa) The waterway to the north (Geeuw, Sneeker Oudvaart) was needed because the Middelzee was silted. The old hemdijk comes in as the "Hemdijk", turns into the "Oude Dijk" and becomes the "Wijde en Nauwe Noorderhornes" before it goes on as the "Peperstraat" and the "Wijde en Nauwe Burgstraten", it is eventually the base of the busy shoppingstreet the "Oosterdijk", and leaves the city as the "Griene Dyk".

Sneek received several city rights in the 13th century, which became official in 1456. Sneek was now one of the eleven Frisian cities. This was also the beginning of a blooming trading city that would last until the year 1550. In 1492 they began building a ditch and wall around the city. In those days Sneek was the only city in Friesland that had a wall. Only the waterpoort and the bolwerk are remaining today.

Sister city Kurobe

Since September 10, 1970, Sneek and the Japanese city Kurobe have been sister cities. in 1970 Mayor L. Rasterhoff of Sneek visited the city of Kurobe and was named a Honorary citizen. Mayor H. Terade of Kurobe made a visit to Sneek in 1972. In 2000 delegations of both cities visited each other again. The Japanese showed the citizens of Sneek a "Sneekplein" which was built in Kurobe.

Language

Sneek has its own dialect that dates back to the Dutch language before 1600. Snekers is part of the city Frisian dialects.

Trade and Industry

The famous clothingstore C&A started in 1841 with a store in Sneek. The Candyfactory Tonnema produces Peppermint under the name KING. This name has nothing to do with the English word KING, it stands for "Quality equaled in nothing". Also Sneek has a Steel, Machinery and a Rope factory. Since 1964 a factory of Yoshida YKK from Kurobe. besides that, the Supermarket branch Poiesz, Clothing brand Gaastra and the old Frisian gin called beerenburg from Weduwe Joustra are products that have their roots in Sneek.

Places of interest

Sneek is well known as the center of watersports with over 130 Watersport-company's and 13 Marinas. Also it has a monumental inner-city with the old and famous gentlemen's houses.

• Watergate (1613)
• Town hall (1550)
• Martinichurch (1498), with a carillon of 50 bells
• Sint-Martinuschurch (1872)
• Tonnema Candy Factory (1955)
• the Wooden bridges across the Rijksweg 7.

Transport

Roads

The following roads connect Sneek with other cities:

• A7
• N354
• Ring Sneek: the city's "ring road"

Public transport

Sneek is accessible by public transport; buses in the region are operated by Connexxion and trains are operated by Arriva.

Waterways

The following waterways connect Sneek with other cities.

• Houkesloot Between Sneek and the Prinses Margrietkanaal.
• de Geeuw Between Sneek and IJlst.
• de Zwette Between Sneek and Leeuwarden.
• Franekervaart Between Sneek and Franeker.

Parking

On the following parking places you can park your car:

• Binnenstad Pay
• Martiniplein pay
• NS-terrein Free
• St. Antoniusplein Pay
• Bolswarderweg Free
• Normandiaplein Pay
• Oppenhuizerweg Pay
• Oppenhuizerweg (temporary) Free
• Veemarktplein Pay
• Boschplein (under construction) Pay

Art and Culture

Museums

• Fries Scheepvaart Museum Frisian Maritime Museum
• Nationaal Modelspoor Museum National Model Train Museum

Podia

• Het Bolwerk, very first poppodium of Friesland, since 1975. Member of the Fries Popnet.

Cultural Quarter

In 2010 there will be a Cultural Quarter, The municipal has made plans to connect various Cultural areas into one big Cultural Quarter. the total costs of the plans are about 35,000,000 and includes

• The Noorderchurch will house a theater and the Center of the Arts (CvdK)
• The Bolwerk will house another part of the CvdK
• A new Theatre (Capacity of 600 people) at the location of the current TPG building
• The connection between the Theatre and the Bolwerk with a walking bridge and a floating podium in the city canal.

the Public library and the Martinichurch will be connected to the Cultural Quarter

Silver Ball

The Culture Award of Sneek is called The Silver Ball and has been awarded 11 times. The award is given annually to a person that has done an improvement/good job on the areas of Music and Culture for Sneek and the area around it. the winners of the previous awards are:

• Henk van der Veer, writer
• 2005: Maaike Schuurmans, musical player
• 2006: Yede van Dijk, acting
• 2007: Bennie Hoogstra, 25 year Fanfare player

Events

• Sneekweek, Sailevent on the Sneekermeer
• Swinging Sneek, live-music in cafés and on street

Education

Sneek has eleven primary schools and three high schools

Sport

Sportcomplexes

• Sportcentrum Schuttersveld
• Sportpark Noorderhoek
• Sportpark VV Sneek
• Sportpark Leeuwarderweg
• Zuidersportpark

Sportclubs

• Sneek Wit Zwart(SWZ), Soccerclub
• LSC 1890, One of the Oldest soccerclubs in the Netherlands
• ONS Sneek, Soccerclub
• Black Boys, Soccerclub
• Waterpoort boys, Soccerclub
• Sneeker MHC, hockeyclub
• VC Sneek, volleyballclub
• Neptunia'24, waterpoloclub
• L.T.C. NOMI, tennisclub

Sportevents

• 11Stedenfietsvierdaagse Eleven city 4 day bicycle tour

Famous Snekers

• Rienck Bockema (ca. 1350-1436)
• Pier Gerlofs Donia, (ca. 1480 - 1529), Frisian freedom fighter, rebel and pirate
• Murk van Phelsum (1730–1799), physician
• Nicolaas Molenaar (1850–1930), architect
• Jakob van Schevichaven (1866–1935), detective writer
• Geert Aeilco Wumkes (1869–1954), theologian and historian
• Willem de Sitter (1872–1934), mathematician, physicist and astronomer
• Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy (1885–1961), politician
• Frits Wissel (1907–1999), pilot, discoverer of the Wissel Lakes in New-Guinea.
• Kees Deenik (1915–1993), singer, TV producer
• Dieuwkje Nauta (1930–2008), teacher, politician
• Bart Tromp (1944–2007), sociologist
• Joke Tjalsma (1957), actress
• Toon Gerbrands (1957), coach and manager
• Pauline Krikke (1961), politician
• Manon Thomas (1963), television presenter
• Jan Posthuma (1963), international volleyball player
• Ronald Zoodsma (1966), international volleyball player
• Monique Sluyter (1967), model and television star
• Olof van der Meulen (1968), volleyball player
• Sherida Spitse (1990), soccer player
• Jan Hofstra (1992), professional soccer player (Ajax Amsterdam)
• Stefan Foekema (1992), model and television star

Living

Sneek has around 14.000 houses. Half of those houses are rental houses. There are new projects in different neighbourhoods going on, besides the building of new houses, there are plenty of existing rental or normal houses for various prices.

Extra Information

In 1519-1520, the Frisian warlord and freedom fighter Pier Gerlofs Donia spent his last days in Sneek. Donia died peacefully in bed at Grootzand 12^[1] on 18 October 1520.^[2] Pier is buried in Sneek in the 15th-century Groote Kerk (also called the Martinikerk).^[3] His tomb is located on the north side of the church.^[4] This quaint little city has a shopping center that is walker and biker friendly. There are high-end clothing stores, restaurants, bars, music stores, cafes, coffee shops, and an old-fashioned candy store.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Sneek

• Official Website
• Tourism Sneek
• Official Website of the Sneekweek sailing event

v t e Places with city rights in Friesland Bolsward Dokkum Franeker Harlingen Hindeloopen IJlst Leeuwarden Sloten Sneek Stavoren Workum See also: Elfstedentocht

v t e Populated places in the municipality of Súdwest-Fryslân Cities/towns Bolsward • Hindeloopen • IJlst • Sneek • Stavoren • Workum Former municipalities: Bolsward • Nijefurd • Sneek • Wûnseradiel • Wymbritseradiel Villages Abbegea • Allingawier • Arum • Blauwhuis • Breezanddijk • Burgwerd • Cornwerd • Dedgum • Exmorra • Ferwoude • Folsgare • Gaast • Gaastmeer • Gauw • Goënga • Greonterp • Hartwerd • Heeg • Hemelum • Hichtum • Hieslum • Hommerts • Idsegahuizum • Idzega • Indijk • It Heidenskip • Jutrijp • Kimswerd • Kornwerderzand • Koudum • Koufurderrige • Loënga • Lollum • Longerhouw • Makkum • Molkwerum • Nijhuizum • Nijland • Offingawier • Oosthem • Oppenhuizen • Oudega • Parrega • Piaam • Pingjum • Sandfirden • Scharnegoutum • Schettens • Schraard • Smallebrugge • Tirns • Tjalhuizum • Tjerkwerd • Uitwellingerga • Warns • Westhem • Witmarsum • Wolsum • Wons • Woudsend • Ypecolsga • Ysbrechtum • Zurich Hamlets Aaksens • Abbegaasterketting • Anneburen • Arkum • Atzeburen • Baarderburen • Baburen • Bovenburen • De Hel • Dijksterburen • Doniaburen • Draaisterhuizen • Eemswoude • Exmorrazijl • Feytebuorren • Galamadammen • Grauwe Kat • Grote Wiske • Idserdaburen • Jonkershuizen • Jousterp • Jouswerd • Kampen • Kleine Gaastmeer • Kleine Wiske • Kooihuizen • Laaxum • Lippenwoude • Lytshuzen • Nijbuorren • Nijeklooster • Piekezijl • Remswerd • Rijtseterp • Scharneburen • Strand • Vierhuizen • Vijfhuis • Vissersburen • Wonneburen • Wolsumerketting List of cities, towns and villages in Friesland