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 Dantumawâld. 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 Feanwâldsterwâl

Main sights

 * Damwâld (Dantumawâld and Moarrewâld) and Rinsumageast, are home to medieval churches.
 * The villages Broeksterwâld (Grutte Mûne and De Broekmolen) Rinsumageast and Readtsjerk are home to mills.
 * The Skierstins a medieval fortified house in Feanwâlden.

Notable people

 * Maria Petronella Woesthoven (1760 in Dantumawoude – 1830) a Dutch poet
 * Tjeerd Pasma (1904 in Rinsumageast – 1944) a Dutch modern pentathlete, competed at the 1928 Summer Olympics
 * Piet Jongeling (1909 in Broeksterwâld – 1985) journalist, politician and children's books writer
 * Theun de Vries (1907 in Feanwâlden – 2005) writer and poet
 * Jannes van der Wal (1956 in Driezum – 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. Klaas Agricola, (Dutch Wiki) has been the mayor of Dantumadiel since December 2017.