Midden-Drenthe

Midden-Drenthe is a municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. The municipality was created in 1998, in a merger of the former municipalities of Beilen, Smilde, and Westerbork. Between 1998 and 2000, the name of the municipality was Middenveld.

Population centres
• Balinge

• Beilen

• Bovensmilde

• Brunsting

• Bruntinge

• Drijber

• Elp

• Eursinge

• Garminge

• Hijken

• Hijkersmilde

• Holthe

• Hoogersmilde

• Hooghalen

• Laaghalen

• Laaghalerveen

• Lieving

• Makkum

• Mantinge

• Nieuw-Balinge

• Oranje

• Orvelte

• Smalbroek

• Smilde

• Spier

• Terhorst

• Westerbork

• Wijster

• Witteveen

• Zuidveld

• Zwiggelte.



The village of Westerbork gives its name to the Westerbork deportation and (later) concentration camp, located about 7 km north of the village, in the forests of Hooghalen.

The Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope (WSRT) array was installed near the site of the camp in 1969.

Education
There are 16 primary schools in the municipality as of 2023.

There are two secondary schools, both in Beilen:
 * Dr. Nassau College
 * CS Vincent van Gogh

Notable people

 * Carry van Bruggen (1881 in Smilde - 1932) a Dutch writer
 * Jacob Israël de Haan (1881 in Smilde – 1924 in Jerusalem) a Dutch-Jewish literary writer, jurist and journalist, killed by Haganah
 * Jan Hartman (1887 in Beilen – 1969) a Dutch fascist and collaborator during WWII
 * Hendrikje van Andel-Schipper (1890 in Smilde – 2005 in Hoogeveen) the oldest person ever from the Netherlands
 * Hans Heyting (1918 near Beilen – 1992) a Dutch poet, playwright, radio personality, children's book writer and painter
 * Henk Koning (1933 in Beilen – 2016) a Dutch politician
 * Martin van Hees (born 1964 in Beilen) a Dutch philosopher and academic
 * Eef van Breen (born 1978 in Westerbork) a Dutch jazz trumpeter, singer, arranger and composer

Sport

 * Jan Lomulder (born 1967 in Beilen) a Dutch former kickboxer
 * Adelinde Cornelissen (born 1979 in Beilen) a Dutch dressage rider
 * Jasper Iwema (born 1989 in Hooghalen) a Dutch motorcycle rider
 * Laura Dijkema (born 1990 in Beilen) a Dutch volleyball player