Dantumadiel

Dantumadiel () is a municipality in the province of Friesland in the Netherlands. Dantumadiel is a rural municipality characterized by economic activity and agriculture.

History

The first time Dantumadiel is mentioned was in a document from 1242. At that time Dantumadiel, or Donthmadeil as it was then known, was a part of the Winninghe district, the northern part of Oostergo. The grietenij (municipality) Dantumadiel was led by a grietman (mayor) who was holding office in Rinsumageast and DantumawÃÂ¢ld. The Dutch Municipalities Act of 1851 (Dutch: Gemeentewet van 1851) abolished the grietenijen, which automatically became gemeenten (municipalities) headed by a mayor.

Population centres

The Dantumadiel municipality is composed of 11 towns with a total of 19,030 inhabitants in 2014; the towns and their 2014 populations are listed in the table.

Source: Website Dantumadiel municipality

* Including FeanwÃÂ¢ldsterwÃÂ¢l

Main sights

DamwÃÂ¢ld (DantumawÃÂ¢ld and MoarrewÃÂ¢ld) and Rinsumageast, are home to medieval churches.
The villages BroeksterwÃÂ¢ld (Grutte MÃÂ»ne and De Broekmolen) Rinsumageast and Readtsjerk are home to mills.
The Skierstins a medieval fortified house in FeanwÃÂ¢lden.

Notable people

Maria Petronella Woesthoven (1760 in Dantumawoude Ã¢ÂÂ 1830) a Dutch poet
Tjeerd Pasma (1904 in Rinsumageast Ã¢ÂÂ 1944) a Dutch modern pentathlete, competed at the 1928 Summer Olympics
Piet Jongeling (1909 in BroeksterwÃÂ¢ld Ã¢ÂÂ 1985) journalist, politician and children's books writer
Theun de Vries (1907 in FeanwÃÂ¢lden Ã¢ÂÂ 2005) writer and poet
Jannes van der Wal (1956 in Driezum Ã¢ÂÂ 1996) a Dutch/Frisian draughts player
Syb van der Ploeg (born 1966 in Dokkum) musician and composer
Theo Pijper (born 1980 in Dokkum) a Dutch motorcycle speedway rider in the UK

Politics

The Dantumadiel municipal government consists of a municipal council, board of aldermen and the mayor. has been the mayor of Dantumadiel since December 2017.