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Ulrum (The Netherlands)

De Marne municipality, Groningen province

by Jarig Bakker, 2 Jun 2003
adopted 25 Jan 1972

Ulrum former municipality
Ulrum Coat of Arms

See also:

Ulrum former municipality

Ulrum is a village with c. 2000 inhabitants in the municipality of De Marne in Groningen province. Until 1990 it was the seat of Ulrum municipality, which then merged with Eenrum, Leens, and Kloosterburen to form the new municipality of Ulrum, renamed in 1992 to De Marne.
It was first mentioned in the 11th century as Uluringhem, the settlement of the people of Ulurin or Ulrin. The village lies on two "wierden" (man-made hills). On one wierde is the Romano-gothic church (end 12th century), on the other the demolished castle of Asingaborg, since 1988 the site of a park. Here Hendrik de Cock was vicar when he started the "Afscheiding" (secession) movement in 1834, which became the foundation of the "Gereformeerde Kerken" in the Netherlands. The "Kocksianen" were
enthusiastically persecuted (even some laws of Napoleon were used against them), and some of them migrated to Grand Rapids, Michigan (USA), where they founded Holland, Michigan.
For centuries Ulrum was the terminal of the "snik" (track-boat) from Groningen city. Between 1873 and 1916 there was on the Hunsingokanaal the "Ceres" straw-paper factory.

According to Derkwillem Visser's "Gemeentevlaggen en wapens Koninkrijk der Nederlanden", 2001, the municipal flag of Ulrum was adopted 25 Jan 1972; description: five equally wide horizontal stripes yellow - white - blue - green - white.
Jarig Bakker, 2 Jun 2003

May I assume that the Groningsen "wierden" are the same as the Frisian "terpen"?
The "terpen" were built from the 5th century A.D, till the 13th century in order to prevent sea and river waters to flood farms and churches. The height of the "terpen" varies between 2 and 6 meters, their area between 1 and 12 ha. The north of Friesland is called "Terpenland". A literal translation of "terpen" would be "mound", wouldn't it?
Ivan Sache, 2 Jun 2003

You are right: "terpen" and "wierden" are synonyms. The "Groninger Ommelanden" were part of Friesland in the Middle Ages (nowadays they still use the Frisian flag on their flag and Coat of Arms) and the landscape is about the same as the Frisian landscape - the farms are a bit bigger; in Friesland the farmers are "boeren", in Grunningen they're called "hereboeren", and their farmhouses are more stately. We don't really know how high the terpen or wierden really were, as the top was often used as very fertile soil, and "scientists" have demolished many buildings and mounds for their "research" in the 19th century. The terp
in Hoogebeintum/Hegebeintum in Ferwerderadiel is the highest known: 12,50 meters above sealevel. (its church is well worth a visit). The largest in area was 18 ha. One of the most impressive is in Ezinge (Groningen), with 17 ha. In Friesland many placenames contain *wier* or *werd* as a reference to their terpen. In the Betuwe (western Gelderland) terpen were called "woerden".
Jarig Bakker, 2 Jun 2003

Ulrum Coat of Arms

by Jarig Bakker, 19 Sep 2004, after image in Koffie Hag Album
Granted 14 Apr 1890

This coat of arms belonged to the Frisian family Aesinga, probably a branch of the Asinga's which gave their name to the Asinga-borch (manor) in Ulrum. However it is appropriate, as Zoutkamp is an important fidhing port; moon and star might refer to the position near the sea, and Ulrum being one of the northernmost municipalities in the Netherlands.