Sellingen

Sellingen
Sellingen
Village
	Late roman church in Sellingen
	Sellingen Location in province of Groningen in the Netherlands Sellingen Sellingen (Netherlands)
	Coordinates: 52°56′47″N 07°09′05″E / 52.94639°N 7.15139°E
Country	Netherlands
Province	Groningen
Municipality	Westerwolde
Area
• Village	29.75 km2 (11.49 sq mi)
• Land	29.28 km2 (11.31 sq mi)
• Water	0.48 km2 (0.19 sq mi)
• Urban	0.79 km2 (0.31 sq mi)
Elevation	9 m (30 ft)
Population (2021)
• Village	1,880
• Density	63/km2 (160/sq mi)
• Urban	1,045
• Urban density	1,300/km2 (3,400/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	9551
Dialing code	0599

Sellingen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈsɛlɪŋən]; Gronings: Zèlng [ˈzɛːɫŋ̍]) is a village in the Dutch province of Groningen. It is a part of the municipality of Westerwolde, and lies about 25 kilometres (16 mi) northeast of Emmen. In 2021, statistical area "Sellingen", which also includes the surrounding countryside, had a population of 1,880, and the village of Sellingen had 1,045.^[1]

Overview

Sellingen was founded in the 12th century on a sandy ridge along the River Ruiten Aa [nl]. The church dates from the 1300s,^[3] however a church in Sellingen was already mentioned around 1150 on a list of possession of the Diocese of Osnabrück.^[4]^: 30 In the 15th century, the Ter Apel Monastery was part of the parish of Sellingen.^[5]

In 1665, the bishop of Münster secretly constructed a road through the moor from Walchum in Lower Saxony to Sellingen as part of a planned invasion of Groningen. At neighbouring Jipsinghuizen, the Münster Army was attacked by the Dutch Republic, and had to retreat after the Battle of Jipsinghuizen. The road was removed afterwards.^[4]^: 33

Around 1750, the first school was built in Sellingen.^[6] In October 1964, a road was opened between Sellingen and Walchum. Despite protests by both municipalities, the border remained fenced off, because Germany did not want to establish a border post.^[7]

Sellingen used to be part of the municipality of Bourtange. In 1821, it became part of Vlagtwedde.^[4]^: 9 Many people desired a more central location of the municipal council. In 1889, the council voted to move the seat to Sellingen.^[4]^: 11 In 2017, Vlagtwedde merged into Westerwolde, however Sellingen is still one of the two seats.^[6]

Nature

There was still a raised bog to the west of Sellingen. In the 1930s, the heath was cultivated, however 600 hectares (1,500 acres) of forest remained, and is known as the Sellingerbossen.^[8] It is somewhat random landscape with forests, meadows and swamps, and is known for its variety of damselflies.^[9]

The Hasseberg [nl] is located near the German border, and is the highest point in Groningen at 14.6 metres (48 ft).^[10]

Notable people

Geert Meijer (born 1951), footballer^[11]
Anke de Vries (born 1936), children's book author^[12]

Gallery

Municipal council
Hasseberg
Sellingen (2018)
Sellingen (1927 or 28)

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2021". Central Bureau Statistics. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
^ "Postcodetool for 9551AA". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
^ Redmer Alma (1998). Sellingen (in Dutch). Zwolle: Waanders Uitgevers. p. 192. ISBN 90-400-9258-3. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d J. Engelkes (1936). Gids voor Vlagtwedde. Sellingen.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ "De Kerk te Sellingen" (in Dutch). 25 June 1927. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
^ ^a ^b "Sellingen". Plaatsengids (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 March 2022.
^ "Geen autoverkeer over nieuwe verbinding Nederland-Duitsland". Gereformeerd gezinsblad (in Dutch). 10 October 1964. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
^ "Bossen in Westerwolde" (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 March 2022.
^ "Sellingerbossen". Vlinderstichting (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 March 2022.
^ "Hasseberg". Canon van Nederland (in Dutch). Retrieved 1 March 2022.
^ "Geert Meijer". Newcastle Fans. Retrieved 1 March 2022.
^ Eefje Buenen (2014). Anke de Vries (in Dutch). pp. 1–7. Retrieved 1 March 2022.