Lutjegast

Village in Groningen, Netherlands

53°14′0″N 6°15′28″E / 53.23333°N 6.25778°E / 53.23333; 6.25778Country

NetherlandsProvince

GroningenMunicipality

WesterkwartierArea

^[1]

• Total19.89 km² (7.68 sq mi)Elevation

^[2]

2.3 m (7.5 ft)Population

(2021)^[1]

• Total1,120 • Density56/km² (150/sq mi)Postal code

9866^[1]

Dialing code0594

Lutjegast (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈlʏcəˌɣɑst]) is a village in the municipality of Westerkwartier in Groningen, Netherlands. It had a population of around 1,125 in January 2017.^[3]

History

The name Lutjegast originates from Gronings in which lutje means small or little and a ga(a)st is a higher, sandy ridge in an otherwise swampy area. The village was first mentioned in 1459 as "op de Lutkegast".^[4] Lutjegast is a road village which developed on a sandy ridge.^[5]

The Dutch Reformed church was built in 1877 and was restored in 1922. The Reformed Church is a cruciform church built in 1922 without a tower in expressionist style.^[5]

Lutjegast was the birthplace of the explorer Abel Tasman. He is memorialised in town by a monument, plaque and street name. In 2014, a museum dedicated to Abel Tasman opened in the village house.^[6]

Until 1828, a manor house named "Rikkerdaborg" stood in Lutjegast. Its most famous occupant was Bernard Johan Prott who was the commander of Bourtange in 1672. Christoph Bernhard von Galen, the Prince-bishop of Münster had allegedly offered Prott ƒ200,000.- to take Bourtange, however Prott refused the offer and von Galen was unable to take the fortress by force.^[7]

Lutjegast was home to 294 people in 1840.^[6] The village used to be part of the municipality of Grootegast. In 2019, it was merged into Westerkwartier.^[6]

Notable people

Abel Tasman (ca.1603–1659), explorer, first European to discover Tasmania.^[8]
Arjen Lubach (born 1979), comedian, author, music producer and TV presenter.
Klaasje Meijer (born 1995), singer, actress and flautist

Gallery

Rikkerdaborg
Former clergy house
View on Lutjegast
Reformed church in Lutjegast

References

^ ^a ^b ^c "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2021". Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 9 April 2022. two entries
^ "Postcodetool for 9866AA". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
^ Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2017 - CSB Statline
^ "Lutjegast - (geografische naam)". Etymologiebank (in Dutch). Retrieved 9 April 2022.
^ ^a ^b Ronald Stenvert & Redmer Alma (1998). "Lutjegast" (in Dutch). Zwolle: Waanders. ISBN 90 400 9258 3. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Lutjegast". Plaatsengids (in Dutch). Retrieved 9 April 2022.
^ "Rikkerdaborg". Groninger borgenpad (in Dutch). Retrieved 9 April 2022.
^ Beazley, Charles Raymond (1911). "Tasman, Abel Janszoon" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 26 (11th ed.). pp. 437–438.