Frisian History

Gateway to Friesland

The Frisian history in a nutshell

Long before the Roman Era, the so-called proto-Frisians were a Teutonic tribe, living on the northern coast of The Netherlands between the 'Vlie' (the sea between the Frisian islands Terschelling and Vlieland) and the river Eems (the river between the north of present Germany and The Netherlands).
In 12 B.C., the Frisians were submitted to Nero Claudius Drusus (38-9 B.C.), a Roman general, son to emperor Tiberius Claudius Nero and stepson to emperor Augustus. In the year 28, the Frisians revolted against the Roman occupants and brought them heavy losses. The Romans withdrew their troups East of the Rhine after being defeated in A.D. 9 by the Charuscan prince Arminius (Herrmann) in the Teutenburger Forest. Between 50 and 65, the Frisians tried to settle themselves more to the South and West.

During the migration of nations, Anglos and Saxons settled themselves among the Frisians and changed their culture. In the year 734, the Frisians were defeated by the Frankonians in the Battle at the Boorn (a river South of Drachten, also called 'Koningsdiep'). Although the people were still called Frisians, the territory was more Frankish. The Frisians were traders. The main centre of trade was Dorestad, from which the Frisians traded with the British, the Swedes, the Danish and several central European communities. Main products were slaves and Frisian cloth.

The Frisians were converted to Christianity under pressure of Charlemagne (742-814), king of the Frankonians, although earlier attempts to do so by St. Wilfrid (who did missionary work in Friesland in 678 and was the bishop of York), St. Willibrord (a priest, who landed in Friesland in 690, and was appointed to be Frisian archbishop in 695) and St. Bonifatius (a German archbishop, who was killed in Dokkum, in 754) were unsuccessful.
In the 9th Century, Friesland was conquered by the Norsemen. This lasted until the last one (Godfried the Norseman) was murdered in 885.

In the 10th Century, Friesland spread along the coast from the 'Schelde' (a river in the Southwest of present The Netherlands) to the Northwest of present Germany, near the Danish border. The sea entered Friesland in two places, the Middle sea (it entered Friesland North of Leeuwarden and made a curve, South of Leeuwarden, to Bolsward) and the Lauwers sea, dividing Friesland into three parts: West of the Middle sea, between the Middle sea and the Lauwers sea, and East of the Lauwers sea. The Zuider Zee (which became the Yssel lake after completion of the Afsluitdijk in 1932) did not yet exist. There was, however, a great lake (Almere). At this time, 2 Counties developed: the County Kennemerland, West of the Middle sea (which later became the heart of the County Holland), and the County Friesland, between the Middle sea and the Lauwers sea. More to the East, a city was founded, which increased it's authority over Friesland East of the Lauwers sea: Groningen.

In the 12th Century, the Middle sea had dried up, whereas Almere had opened up to the Northsea. From this time, Almere was also known as the Zuider Zee.
The County Kennemerland was gradually subjected by the counts of Holland, resulting in the acceptance of Floris V as their lord in 1289. A rich landowner who lived East of Groningen, conquered the most eastern part of Friesland (now part of Germany) by destroying the sluices in the river Eems, which caused a flood, drowning 34 villages and creating the Dollart bay , thus separating this part from Friesland.

Internal struggle between Schieringen and Vetkopers (possibly a conflict between two monastic orders: The names may derive from 'Schiere Monniken' (gray monks) and other monks, who set themselves to fattening cattle) eventually led to the separation of Groningen and its surroundings from Friesland. Friesland came under government of Charles V (1500-1558), king of the German empire. His son, Philip II (1527-1598), king of Spain, who took over in 1555, sent Spanish troops up North, to bring Catholicism, among other things. This was one of the reasons that led to the outbreak of the war, which we call Tachtigjarige Oorlog, which lasted from 1568 to 1648. Friesland revolted against the Spanish from 1572. In 1585, the University of Franeker was founded, in order to educate priests, because Calvinism was spreading fast. After the war, the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Holland, Zeeland, Utecht, Gelderland, Overijsel, Groningen and Friesland) was born.
Friesland became a province of The Netherlands, when in 1814 The Netherlands became a Monarchy.