Blijham

Blijham (Dutch pronunciation: [blɛiˈɦɑm]) is a village with a population of 2,240 in the municipality of Westerwolde in the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. The origins of the settlement date back to the 11th century. Until 1968, Blijham was part of the municipality of Wedde. Until 2017, it was part of the municipality of Bellingwedde.

Blijham
Village
Dutch Reformed Church of Blijham in 2015
Blijham
Location in the province of Groningen in the Netherlands
Coordinates: 53°6′35″N 7°4′35″E
CountryNetherlands
ProvinceGroningen
MunicipalityWesterwolde
Area
 (2012)[1]
 • Total237 ha (586 acres)
 • Land235 ha (581 acres)
 • Water2 ha (5 acres)
Population
 (2017)[1]
 • Total2,240
 • Density950/km2 (2,400/sq mi)
Postal code
9697[2]
Area code0597[3]

Etymology

In the name Blijham, which is pronounced as [blɛiˈɦɑm], the part -ham means 'homestead'.[4]

History
An Oldambt farmhouse in Blijham

The first settlement dates back to circa 1000 CE. It was built on top of a horseshoe-shaped sand ridge, on the road between the cities of Groningen and Münster. At the time, the water of the Dollart reached all the way down to the settlement.[5]

The village of Blijham is formed out of the two population centres of Kerkhorn and Molenhorn, which are now completely connected.[5]

Until 1968, Blijham was part of the municipality of Wedde.[6] On 1 September 1968 the municipalities of Bellingwolde and Wedde were merged into the new municipality of Bellingwedde,[7] of which Blijham then became a part. In 2018, Bellingwedde was merged with Vlagtwedde to form the new municipality of Westerwolde.

Geography

Blijham is located at 53.1074°N 7.0765°E / 53.1074; 7.0765 in the northwest of the municipality Westerwolde, in the east of the province of Groningen, in the northeast of the Netherlands. The village is situated between the rivers Pekel Aa and Westerwoldse Aa, and amid the village of Oude Pekela (to the west), the city of Winschoten (northwest), and the villages of Oudeschans (northeast), Bellingwolde (east), Vriescheloo (southeast), and Wedde (south).

Blijham is an administrative district (Dutch: wijk) and neighbourhood (Dutch: buurt). The district Blijham is one of three districts in the municipality of Bellingwedde, the other two being Bellingwolde and Oost. The district Blijham contains the neighbourhoods Blijham, Morige, Wedde, Wedderheide, Wedderveer, and some scattered houses.[1]

Demographics

As of 2017, Blijham has a population of 3,915 (source: CBS) and a population density of 207/km2 (540/sq mi).[1]

Transportation

The provincial roads N367, N368, and N969 are connecting Blijham to the nearby settlements. The N367 goes north to Winschoten and west to Oude Pekela and Nieuwe Pekela. The N368 goes south to Wedde and Vlagtwedde. The N969 goes east to Bellingwolde and the German border.

The nearest railway is the Harlingen–Nieuweschans railway north of Blijham, with its nearest station Winschoten.

Education

There are two primary schools in the village, the public school De Wiekslag and the Christian school De Loopplank.[8] The nearest secondary schools are in Bellingwolde,[9] Oude Pekela,[10] and Winschoten.[11]

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References
  1. (in Dutch) Kerncijfers wijken en buurten, Statistics Netherlands, 2017. Retrieved on 2 December 2017.
  2. (in Dutch) Resultaten voor "Blijham,", Postcode.nl. Retrieved on 19 January 2014.
  3. (in Dutch) Netnummer zoeken, Telefoonboek.nl. Retrieved on 19 January 2014.
  4. (in Dutch) Heem (verblijfplaats), Etymologiebank.nl. Retrieved on 19 January 2014.
  5. (in Dutch) Blijham Archived 2013-05-22 at the Wayback Machine, Municipality of Bellingwedde. Retrieved on 19 January 2014.
  6. (in Dutch) J. Kuyper, "Wedde", Gemeente Atlas van Nederland, 1867. Retrieved on 19 January 2014.
  7. (in Dutch) Henk Beernink, Zitting 1967-1968-9409, National Library of the Netherlands. Retrieved on 19 Januari 2014.
  8. (in Dutch) Basisonderwijs, Municipality of Bellingwedde. Retrieved on 19 January 2014.
  9. (in Dutch) Voortgezet onderwijs Archived 2014-02-01 at the Wayback Machine, Municipality of Bellingwedde. Retrieved on 19 January 2014.
  10. (in Dutch) Voortgezet Onderwijs Archived 2014-02-02 at the Wayback Machine, Municipality of Pekela. Retrieved on 19 January 2014.
  11. (in Dutch) Winschoten Archived February 1, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Ubbo Emmius. Retrieved on 19 January 2014.
  • (in Dutch) Blijham at the website of the municipality Bellingwedde
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