The County of Nassau was a German state within the Holy Roman Empire and later part of the German Confederation . Its ruling dynasty, the male line of which is now extinct, was the House of Nassau .
96-583: Nassau, originally a county, developed on the lower Lahn river in what is known today as Rhineland-Palatinate . The town of Nassau was founded in 915. Dudo of Laurenburg held Nassau as a fiefdom as granted by the Bishopric of Worms . His son, Rupert , built the Nassau Castle there around 1125, declaring himself "Count of Nassau". This title was not officially acknowledged by the Bishop of Worms until 1159 under
192-617: A Germanic settlement in the location, dated to around the 1st century, situated above a bend of the Lahn. In the Roman Era, the Lahn presumably was used by the Romans to supply their fort at Bad Ems, Kastell Ems. Here the Limes Germanicus on the borders of Germania Superior and Rhaetia crossed the Lahn. Archaeological finds are known from Niederlahnstein, as well as from Lahnau. One Lahnau site,
288-453: A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2009, are the sandbank Simonszand and the natural reserve Rottum consisting of the three uninhabited islands Rottumeroog , Rottumerplaat, and Zuiderduintjes . The national park Lauwersmeer ( IUCN category II) is located on the border between Groningen and Friesland. The province of Groningen is also called Stad en Ommelanden , which means the city of Groningen and its surrounding lands, which are
384-615: A labor force of 268,000 people and unemployment rate of 9.6%, which is the second highest unemployment for a province in the Netherlands. Groningen is home to the Low Saxon dialect called Gronings ( Grönnegs / Grunnegs in Gronings regional language), In the eastern part of Friesland variations of the Groninger 'language' is spoken. Gronings has local nuances, for example, the people in
480-521: A central flood warning system and coordination of flood control efforts through the regional council of Giessen. The Lahn, from a point between Lahnau and Dutenhofen (Wetzlar) to its confluence the Rhine, is designated as a federal waterway. In this area, it is subject to the Water and Shipping Administration of the federal government, with the responsible office being that at Koblenz. The middle and lower section of
576-669: A link between their heritage at the lower Lahn and their possessions near Siegen . In the middle of the 12th century, this relationship was strengthened by the acquisition of parts of the Hesse-Thüringen feudal kingdom, namely the Herborner Mark , the Kalenberger Zent and the Court of Heimau ( Löhnberg ). Closely linked to this was the "Lordship of Westerwald", also in Nassau's possession at
672-493: A minimum water depth of 1.60 m in the navigation channel. There are stream gauges at Kalkofen (of Dörnberg ) (normal water level 1.80 m) and at Leun . Above Dehrn there are manual locks and frequent shoals, making the passage of boats difficult. Two weirs in Wetzlar are an obstruction to shipping further upriver. Since the late 1980s, there have been increasing attempts to promote the Lahn for ecotourism and to coordinate and expand
768-666: A small section north of the dam in Gießen. The Lahn is a 245.6-kilometer (152.6 mi)-long, right (or eastern) tributary of the Rhine in Germany. Its course passes through the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia (23.0 km), Hesse (165.6 km), and Rhineland-Palatinate (57.0 km). The Lahn originates at the Lahnhof, a locality of Nenkersdorf, which is a constituent community of Netphen in southeastern North Rhine-Westphalia, near
864-596: A total area of 2,955 km (1,141 sq mi), with 2,316 km (894 sq mi) of land and 639 km (247 sq mi) of water. About 80% of the land or 1,876 km (724 sq mi) is used for agriculture . The rest of the land is: 9% or 158 km (61 sq mi) of built-up or semi built-up area, 6% or 144 km (56 sq mi) of nature, 3% or 66 km (25 sq mi) of infrastructure, and 2% or 43 km (17 sq mi) of recreational area. The land in Groningen
960-628: A total of 11,589 cargo vessels arrived at the two Groningen Seaports combined, 7,111 sea vessels and 4,478 inland vessels. The ports had a cargo throughput of 11,309,000 tonnes. The chemical industry near Delfzijl is located at the Chemie Park in Farmsum , with factories of AkzoNobel , Lubrizol , and Teijin Aramid . Both GDF Suez and Vattenfall have a natural gas-fired power plant in Eemshaven, and Essent
1056-594: A waterway from France to North Sea via the states of the Confederation of the Rhine . Upstream of Limburg, however, the work was slow, partly because the population pressed into emergency service only reluctantly cooperated. Large parts of the shore were only secured with fascines , which rotted shortly thereafter. In 1816 the Duchy of Nassau and the Kingdom of Prussia agreed to expand the Lahn as far as Giessen, where it joined
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#17328721776691152-819: Is an umbrella organization for museums and other heritage organizations in the province of Groningen and has 58 members. The Groninger Museum is the most visited museum in the province with 209,195 visitors in 2015. The other museums and heritage organizations with more than 25 thousand visitors in 2015 are Fort Bourtange in Bourtange, Noordelijk Scheepvaartmuseum in Groningen, Ter Apel Monastery in Ter Apel, Fraeylemaborg in Slochteren, Nationaal Bus Museum in Hoogezand, and Museumspoorlijn STAR in Stadskanaal. FC Groningen from
1248-631: Is building a coal-fired power plant there. The Gross domestic product (GDP) of the province was 25 billion € in 2018, accounting for 3.2% of the Netherlands economic output. GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power was 37,300 € or 124% of the EU27 average in the same year. In 1959, the Groningen gas field near Slochteren was discovered, and the NAM started to exploit the field in 1963. This caused Dutch disease and induced earthquakes . In 2013, Groningen had
1344-598: Is chairman of both branches. The Provincial Council of Groningen consists of 43 members and the Provincial Executive consists of the King's Commissioner and six deputies. The government has its seat in the city of Groningen, which is the provincial capital. René Paas , member of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), has been the King's Commissioner since 18 April 2016. He succeeded Max van den Berg who
1440-462: Is flat. A large area of the province is below sea level. The Hasseberg near Sellingen of 14.6 m (48 ft) above sea level is the highest point. The Groningen gas field near Slochteren is the 8th largest natural gas field in the world. Since 1986, the exploitation of this gas field has caused earthquakes in the region with magnitudes up to 3.6. In the Wadden Sea of Groningen,
1536-608: Is located southwest of the 624 m (2,047 ft) high Lahnkopf. In the vicinity are also the origins of the Eder (5.5 km northwest of the Lahnhof) and the Sieg (another 3 km north). Whereas the Sieg takes the shortest route to the Rhine (to the west), the Lahn first runs in the opposite direction, paralleling the Eder for many kilometers. The Lahn first flows in a northeasterly direction through
1632-553: Is situated at 53°15′N 6°44′E / 53.250°N 6.733°E / 53.250; 6.733 in the northeast of the Netherlands . To the west is the province Friesland , to the south is the province Drenthe , to the east the German districts are Leer and Emsland in the state Lower Saxony , and to the north the North Sea , Ems , and Dollart . The northernmost point of
1728-650: Is the Lahnhöhenwege along both sides of the Lahn from Wetzlar to Oberlahnstein. The first partial section of a pilgrimage route, the Lahn-Camino on the left side of the Lahn, leads from Wetzlar Cathedral to Lahnstein via Castle Lahneck and the Hospital Chapel. There are 19 hydroelectric plants using the Lahn to generate electricity. Wine is produced in Obernhof and Weinähr. The wines of the Lahn region are marketed under
1824-412: Is the most populated and most densely populated municipality, containing the largest city. The province of Groningen has an oceanic climate ( Köppen climate classification : Cfb). On 1 January 2023, the province of Groningen had a population of 596,075 and a population density of 257/km (670/sq mi), which make it the 9th most populous province and 8th most densely populated province of
1920-523: Is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands . It borders on Friesland to the west, Drenthe to the south, the German state of Lower Saxony to the east, and the Wadden Sea to the north. As of January 2023, Groningen had a population of about 596,000, and a total area of 2,955 km (1,141 sq mi). Historically the area was at different times part of Frisia , the Frankish Empire ,
2016-542: The Groninger Dagblad , and the Drentse Courant . In 2015, the newspaper had a circulation of 96,515. RTV Noord is a regional public broadcaster of radio and television based in the city of Groningen, with Radio Noord and TV Noord. Their radio station has 121,000 daily listeners and a market share of 28% (2012) and their TV station has 171,000 daily viewers and a market share of 26.7% (2012). People from
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#17328721776692112-889: The Dautphe (which flows in a side valley to the south). Shortly after the village of Caldern (of Lahn Valley), the ridgeline of the Rothaargebirge on the north ends with the Wollenberg and that of the Gladenbach Bergland with the Hungert. The Lahn leaves the Rhenish Slate Mountains for a long section and reaches the West Hesse Highlands , where it flows through the extreme south of the Wetschaft Depression , north of
2208-448: The Duchy of Nassau in 1806. After the death of Count Otto I, his county was divided between his sons in 1303: In 1504, Henry III of Nassau-Dillenburg inherited the county's estates at Breda in the Duchy of Brabant , while his younger brother William became Count of Nassau-Dillenburg in 1516. After the son of Henry III, René of Châlon died in 1544, Count William's eldest son William
2304-666: The Gladenbach Bergland , while downstream they originate in the (High) Westerwald. Much of the Westerwald, in contrast, has no significant watershed, so the streams are almost random in finding their direction. Because the highest point of the Westerwald is near the Sieg , and especially because the Taunus is very close to the Main , both Mittelgebirge are each considerably more than half drained by
2400-600: The Grand Duchy of Hesse . Little is known about the work that followed, but in the 1825 boatmen on the Lahn who shipped mineral water from springs in Selters and Fachingen addressed a letter of appreciation to the Nassau government in Wiesbaden for the rehabilitation of river systems. Overall, however, there seems to have been only repairs and temporary works accomplished through the 1830s. The earliest attempts to count ship traffic on
2496-624: The Holy Roman Empire , and the Dutch Republic , the precursor state of the modern Netherlands. In the 14th century, the city of Groningen became a member of the Hanseatic League . The provincial capital and the largest city in the province is the city of Groningen (231,299 inhabitants ). Since 2016, René Paas has been the King's Commissioner in the province. A coalition of GroenLinks ,
2592-511: The Labour Party , ChristianUnion , People's Party for Freedom and Democracy , Democrats 66 , and Christian Democratic Appeal forms the executive branch. The province is divided into 10 municipalities. The land is mainly used for agriculture . There are seaports in Delfzijl and Eemshaven . The Groningen gas field , one of the world's largest, was discovered in 1959. The province is home to
2688-1031: The Limburg Cathedral crowns such an outcropping. At Limburg, the river again enters a wider valley. Below Diez , the Lahn absorbs the Aar from the south. At Fachingen in the municipality of Birlenbach , it leaves the Limburger Basin and enters the Lower Lahntal. Its course is incised over 200 metres (660 ft) deep in the Slate Mountains. Near Obernhof , the Gelbach enters the Lahn opposite Arnstein Abbey . Then, after passing Nassau and Bad Ems , where, as in Fachingen, mineral springs (sources of Emser salt) can be found, it completes its 242 km (150 mi) run, entering
2784-566: The NHL University of Applied Sciences , and the Stenden University of Applied Sciences in the city of Groningen are the province's publicly funded universities of applied sciences ( hogescholen ). The Dagblad van het Noorden is a regional daily newspaper based in the city of Groningen and is owned by NDC Mediagroep. It was founded in 2002 by merging the Nieuwsblad van het Noorden ,
2880-719: The Napoleonic Wars , they were compensated with the Principality of Nassau-Orange-Fulda . Though they lost their German possessions in 1806, the House of Orange-Nassau , through female succession, was the reigning house of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg until 1890 and is still the royal house of the Netherlands . (Siegen, Ginsberg, Haiger, and the Westerwald), Emicho received Nassau-Hadamar and John received Nassau-Dillenburg. However, after
2976-514: The Prince-Bishopric of Münster . During the Middle Ages, central control was remote, and the city of Groningen acted as a city-state , exerting a dominating influence on the surrounding Ommelanden . In the 14th century, Groningen became one of the towns within the Hanseatic League . In the years after, Groningen expanded its influence. At its peak almost all of the current province Friesland
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3072-625: The Republic of the Seven United Provinces , precursor state of the Netherlands, to which it belonged henceforth. During World War II , the Netherlands were occupied by Nazi Germany . In April 1945, the 2nd Canadian Division fought in the Battle of Groningen , which resulted in the liberation of the city and in the death of 130, the capture of 5,212, and the fleeing of 2,000 German soldiers. In May 1945, another 3,000 German soldiers were captured in
3168-442: The Rothaargebirge , the highest part of the Sauerland . It meets the Rhine at Lahnstein , near Koblenz . Important cities along the Lahn include Marburg , Gießen , Wetzlar , Limburg an der Lahn , Weilburg and Bad Ems . Tributaries to the Lahn include the Ohm , Dill , the Weil and the Aar . The lower Lahn has many dams with locks , allowing regular shipping from its mouth up to Runkel . Riverboats also operate on
3264-405: The University of Groningen and Hanze University of Applied Sciences . Groningen was originally a part of Frisia . It became a part of the Frankish Empire around 785. Charlemagne assigned the Christianization of this new possession to Ludger . In the 11th century, the city of Groningen was a village in Drenthe that belonged to the Bishopric of Utrecht , while most of the province was in
3360-421: The Waldgirmes Forum in the community of Waldgirmes, was discovered in the 1990s and had been the site of a Roman town. Another site in the community of Dorlar has the remains of a Roman marching camp (or castra ). These Lahnau sites have significant altered the current understanding of the history of the Romans east of the Rhine and north of the Limes . During the Migration Period , the Alamanni settled in
3456-461: The Wieseck from the left, the Lahn's general direction of flow changes from the south to the west. The Gießen Basin extends a few more miles downstream to Atzbach, a suburb of Lahnau . From the 1960s until the 1980s, there was extensive gravel mining in this area. The area between Heuchelheim , Lahnau, and the Wetzlar borough of Dutenhofen was to be completely mined and a water sports center with an Olympic-suitable rowing course built. This plan
3552-411: The 17th and early 18th centuries, there were several initiatives of adjacent princes to further expand the Lahn as a waterway, but they all failed due to lack of coordination. In 1740, the Archbishopric of Trier began construction to make the mouth of the Lahn passable for larger vessels. In winter of 1753/54, bank stabilization and creation of towpaths were done along the entire length of the river. Then
3648-401: The Battle of Delfzijl by the 5th Canadian Division , after which all of the northern provinces were liberated. East Groningen was the scene of a particularly fierce class struggle in the 19th and 20th centuries. Perhaps not coincidentally, Groningen boasts the only municipality ( Beerta ) where the Communist Party of the Netherlands has ever had a mayor ( Hanneke Jagersma ). Groningen
3744-412: The Chief Construction Inspector of Kirn to make the Lahn fully navigable. In the first winter, the section of the riverside from the mouth to Limburg was stabilized, particularly so that the course could be narrowed in shallow places. It was planned in the long run to make the Lahn navigable as far as Marburg and from there to construct a canal to Fulda to connect it with the Weser . This would create
3840-421: The County of Nassau-Siegen and Nassau-Dillenburg . The boundary line was essentially the Lahn, with Otto receiving the northern part of the county with the cities of Siegen , Dillenburg , Herborn and Haiger and Walram retaining the section south of the river, including the cities of Weilburg and Idstein . Walram's son Adolf became King of Germany in 1292. His son Count Gerlach abdicated in 1344 and
3936-481: The Dutch nation do not consider it extinct. Circles est. 1500: Bavarian , Swabian , Upper Rhenish , Lower Rhenish–Westphalian , Franconian , (Lower) Saxon Lahn The Lahn is a 245.6-kilometre-long (152.6 mi), right (or eastern) tributary of the Rhine in Germany. Its course passes through the federal states of North Rhine-Westphalia (23.0 km), Hesse (165.6 km), and Rhineland-Palatinate (57.0 km). It has its source in
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4032-422: The Gleiberg, the Vetzberg, the Dünsberg, and the Schiffenberg. At Wetzlar, the Lahn is joined by its second longest tributary, the Dill , which has a length of 55.0 kilometres (34.2 mi). At this location, the valleys of the Lahn and Dill separate three parts of the Rhenish Slate Mountains from each other: the Gladenbach Bergland, the Westerwald to the northwest, and the Taunus to the south. After Wetzlar,
4128-442: The Lahn Valley is simply considered part of these mountains. Between Niederlaasphe (of Bad Laasphe) and Wallau (of Biedenkopf ), the river crosses the border between North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse. It then flows in an easterly direction through some districts of Biedenkopf (but not the central town) and the towns of Dautphetal and Lahntal . It is joined from the right by the Perf at Wallau and at Friedensdorf (of Dautphetal) by
4224-399: The Lahn could travel fully loaded only from Gießen to Löhnberg. There, they had to lighten their load in order to reduce their draft and continue the journey. Also, this was only during two to three months. In a further four to five months per year, the load had to be reduced even earlier due to the low water level. The rest of the year the Lahn was not passable. From Wetzlar to Lahnstein, where
4320-399: The Lahn dated from 1827. At the lock at Runkel, 278 vessels were counted in that year, with the state government of Nassau explicitly pointing out that most of the river traffic travelled from the mouth to Limburg, or with smaller boats from the upper reaches to Weilburg, and only a small part passed Runkel. In 1833, however, 464 vessels were counted. The main reason for the increase is likely
4416-483: The Lahn from the right. The Ohm flows from the Vogelsberg and enters from the left. It is notable that not only is the Ohm at the point of its confluence with the Lahn only one kilometre shorter from its source than the Lahn itself, but the Ohm's catchment area of 984 square kilometres (380 sq mi) is significantly larger than that of the Lahn above the confluence, 652 square kilometres (252 sq mi), or only 452 square kilometres (175 sq mi) before
4512-500: The Lahn is navigable and has a large number of locks. The waterway is used almost exclusively by smaller motor yachts for tourists, as well as paddled- and rowboats . For non-motorized watercraft, the Lahn can be used for the entire length between Roth (of Weimar ) and the Rhine. From the mouth upwards to Dehrn (of Runkel ), Lahn-km 70 (above Limburg), the river is consistently passable for larger vessels, with locks operated by personnel. The Water and Shipping Administration guarantees
4608-403: The Lahn passable as far as Gießen for boats that were significantly larger than the existing vehicles on the river. In Prussian territory, the work was largely completed by 1847, including construction of locks in Dorlar, Wetzlar, Wetzlar-Blechwalze, Oberbiel and Niederbiel. In Nassau's territory, locks were built at Löhnberg, Villmar, and Balduinstein, as well as the greatest technical achievement:
4704-424: The Lahn reverses to the west again and enters the fertile Limburger Basin, where the river is incised to a depth of about 50 metres (160 ft). Here the river is joined by two tributaries, the Emsbach coming from the Taunus and the Elbbach from the Westerwald. In this area are frequent outcroppings of Devonian limestone , the so-called Lahn Marble (German: Lahnmarmor ), such as at Limburg an der Lahn , where
4800-551: The Lahn. Given the increasing ore mining in the Lahn Valley, officials from Nassau and Prussia in 1841 made an inspection trip along the river from Marburg to the Rhine. The Prussians were the driving force behind river expansion projects, seeking to establish a connection between Wetzlar and their Rhine Province and to secure the iron ore supply for the growing industry in the Ruhr Valley. Until 1844, Hesse-Darmstadt also joined expansion efforts, while Hesse-Kassel declined participation. The participating governments agreed to make
4896-806: The Lahn. Especially the left tributaries from the Taunus flow with a strong south-north orientation. The river Emsbach runs through the Idstein Basin, which divides the (Hinter-) Taunus into two parts, while the Aar is central for the (Western and Eastern) Aartaunus. A list of all the tributaries of the Lahn, including their position relative to the main river (l = left; r = right) and length in kilometers, are listed in downstream order as follows: Source to Marburg: Marburg to Wetzlar: Groningen (province) Groningen ( / ˈ ɡ r oʊ n ɪ ŋ ə n / GROH -ning-ən , UK also / ˈ ɡ r ɒ n ɪ ŋ ə n / GRON -ing-ən , Dutch: [ˈɣroːnɪŋə(n)] ; Gronings : Grunn ; West Frisian : Grinslân [ˈɡrẽːslɔ̃ːn] )
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#17328721776694992-407: The Marburger Rücken. Where the Wetschaft flows into it from the Burgwald forest in the north (near the Lahntal village of Göttingen), the Lahn immediately changes direction by 90° to the right. The now southward-flowing Lahn then enters the Marburg-Gießen Lahntal. Shortly before Cölbe , the Ohm enters from the left at the Lahn-Knie named area. Flowing from the Vogelsberg through the Ohmtal ,
5088-405: The Netherlands is on Rottumerplaat at 53°33′18″N 6°28′41″E / 53.55500°N 6.47806°E / 53.55500; 6.47806 ; the easternmost point of the Netherlands is in Bad Nieuweschans at 53°10′49″N 7°13′40″E / 53.18028°N 7.22778°E / 53.18028; 7.22778 . Groningen is the 7th largest province of the Netherlands. It has
5184-402: The Netherlands is maintained by ProRail . There are six railways located partially or entirely in the province of Groningen. The railway station Groningen connects several of these railways. The international airport that serves Groningen is Groningen Airport Eelde , which is located in Eelde in the province of Drenthe. The airport is co-owned by the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe and
5280-639: The Netherlands. The city of Groningen is the most populous city in the province and the 6th most populous city in the Netherlands. On 1 January 2013, 92.2% of the total provincial population was born in the Netherlands; and of the 7.8% that was born abroad, the ten most common foreign countries of origin are the neighbour Germany (1.09%), the former colonies and dependencies Indonesia (0.60%), Netherlands Antilles and Aruba (0.55%), Suriname (0.54%), and other countries Turkey (0.41%), Soviet Union (0.36%), China (0.32%), Poland (0,26%), Yugoslavia (0.26%), and United Kingdom (0.18%). In 2015, 18.7% of
5376-415: The Ohm is the Lahn's longest tributary, with a length of 59.7 kilometres (37.1 mi). The river then breaks through a sandstone mesa (the Marburger Rücken to the west and the Lahnberge to the east) into a valley which encompasses the entire territory of the city of Marburg and its suburbs. The valley begins after the river passes the Marburger Rücken near Niederweimar , where the Allna enters from
5472-402: The Prussian government discussed plans for the transformation of the Lahn into a canal, which would allow the passage for larger vessels, but these plans were never implemented. Only in places was the riverbed dredged, such as around 1880 near Runkel, from 1905 to 1907 from the mouth to Bad Ems, and from 1925 to 1928 from the mouth to Steeden. In 1964, an expansion of the Lahn for 300-ton vessels
5568-420: The Rhine in Lahnstein , located five kilometers south of Koblenz at an elevation of 61 metres (200 ft). The Lahn area was settled as early as in the Stone Age , as shown by archeological finds near Diez, in Steeden in the community of Runkel , and in Wetzlar. Recent discoveries in Dalheim on the western edge of Wetzlar show a ca. 7000-year-old Linear Pottery culture settlement. There are also remains
5664-467: The Silent became Prince of Orange and Lord of Breda, Stadtholder in the Low Countries from 1559 on. His younger brother, John VI , again reunited all Nassau-Dillenburg possessions in 1561, though the county was again divided after his death in 1606. The Counts of Nassau-Dietz, descendants of William Frederick were stadtholders of Friesland , Groningen and Drenthe and Princes of Orange from 1702 on. When they lost their Dutch possessions during
5760-426: The Silent's brother, but in female line also from himself, as William Frederick, Prince of Nassau-Dietz , had married Countess Albertine Agnes of Nassau , the fifth daughter of Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange in 1652. Following defunct German laws that no longer have relevance due to the end of German nobility, the House of Orange-Nassau(-Dietz) has been extinct since the death of Wilhelmina (1962). Dutch laws and
5856-418: The Weilburg ship tunnel. The river bank reinforcement and channel deepening along Nassau's section of the Lahn, however, was slow. Moreover, when the lock at Limburg fell short of the width contractually agreed upon, Nassau refused an extension. This led to several clashes between Nassau and Prussia in the following years until Nassau had finally fulfilled its obligations in 1855. Despite the expansion, boats on
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#17328721776695952-448: The border with Hesse. The source area is situated along the Eisenstraße scenic highway and the Rothaarsteig hiking trail. The river arises in the southeastern Rothaargebirge in the Ederkopf-Lahnkopf-Rücken ridge-line natural area. This ridge is the drainage divide between the Rhine and Weser , and, within the Rhine system, the watershed between the rivers Lahn and Sieg . The source is at an elevation of 600 meters (2,000 ft) and
6048-485: The childless death of John, Nassau-Dillenburg (and the towns of Dillenburg, Herborn, and Beilstein) fell to Nassau-Siegen, which adopted the name Nassau-Dillenburg . Siegen and Dillenburg were united until 1606. Louis reunited all Southern Nassau under Weilburg, but his sons divided it again. In 1702, the Nassau-Dietz branch followed the House of Orange that had become extinct with William III of England (d. 1702). The counts of Nassau-Dietz not only descended from William
6144-457: The city of Groningen is the only football club from the province in the Eredivisie . Their home stadium Euroborg has a capacity of 22,550 seats. In the 2012–2013 competition , FC Groningen became 7th of the 18 teams. SC Veendam played in the Eerste Divisie , but filed for bankruptcy in 2013. The city of Groningen is also the base of basketball club GasTerra Flames , volleyball club Lycurgus , and korfball club Nic. The ice rink at
6240-416: The city's major employers are University Medical Center Groningen with 12,141 employees, University of Groningen with 5,591 employees, Municipality of Groningen with 3,063 employees, Education Implementation Service (DUO) with 2,000 employees, and Gasunie with 1,748 employees. The other economically important area is the Ems delta with the sea ports of Delfzijl and Eemshaven . In 2015,
6336-440: The coalition and was replaced by the ChristianUnion (CU). The Labour Party has three deputies, the other coalition parties have one deputy each. In the province of Groningen, there are three national roads ( Dutch : rijkswegen ), which are maintained by Rijkswaterstaat . The motorway A7 ( E22 ) connects the city of Groningen with the provinces of Friesland and North Holland in the west and with Winschoten and Germany in
6432-425: The county was divided under his sons in 1355 fell back to Nassau-Weilburg in 1605 In 1605, all parts of Nassau-Weilburg were again unified under Count Louis II ; however, after his death in 1627, his sons divided the county again After Nassau-Usingen had inherited Nassau-Ottweiler with former Nassau-Idstein and Nassau-Saarbrücken, it was reunified with Nassau-Weilburg and raised to
6528-446: The early 14th century and is an indication of significant shipping on the Lahn by that time. In 1559, John VI of Nassau-Dillenburg laid out a towpath on the lower Lahn. In 1606, for the first time, the Lahn was deepened to allow small scale shipping and the lower reaches became navigable for four to five months of the year. However, there were numerous weirs with only narrow gaps, so the traffic remained restricted to small boats. In
6624-487: The east. The motorway is interrupted for the ring road of the city of Groningen, where it is the expressway N7. The motorway A28 ( E232 ) starts at the city of Groningen and runs south connecting it with the provinces of Drenthe, Overijssel , Gelderland , and Utrecht . The expressway N33 runs south from Eemshaven, via Appingedam and Veendam, to Drenthe. Other roads are overseen by the province (N roads), municipalities, or water boards . Public transport falls under
6720-469: The eastern part speak Gronings with more German influence. Nowadays, many inhabitants of the province do not speak the dialect, especially in the city of Groningen where many outsiders have moved. Traditional dishes and delicacies from Groningen are boerenkoolstamppot , droge worst , krentjebrij , oudewijvenkoek , poffert , and spekdik . Traditional alcoholic drinks are boerenjongens , boerenmeisjes , fladderak , and heet bier . Museumhuis Groningen
6816-401: The elections, the member of the Party for the North (PvhN) continued as an independent under the name Free Mandate. The next provincial elections are planned for 18 March 2015. Following the 2011 elections, the Provincial Executive was formed by a coalition of the Labour Party, the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, Democrats 66 (D66), and GreenLeft (GL). In 2013, GreenLeft left
6912-827: The existing uses. There were first tourism associations at the state level, and these have now joined into the Lahntal Tourist Association. The Lahntal bike path 'Lahntalradweg' leads through the Lahn Valley, along the Lahn Holiday Road. It is accessible from the Upper Lahn Valley Railway between Feudingen and Marburg, the Main-Weser Railway between Marburg and Giessen, as well as the Lahntal railway between Giessen and Friedrichssegen. For walkers there
7008-436: The freight was unloaded onto the large barges of the Rhine, the boats took three to four days. A trip from Wetzlar to the mouth and then towed back with horses lasted for about 14 days in good conditions. At that time, there were mainly two types of transport boats in use: those with a capacity of 350 hundredweights and a larger variant with a capacity of 1300 hundredweights. In 1857 to 1863, the Lahntal railway ( Lahntalbahn )
7104-477: The historical regions of Fivelingo , Hunsingo , Oldambt , Westerkwartier , and Westerwolde . The province ( Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics or NUTS level 2) is divided into three COROP regions (NUTS level 3): East Groningen, Delfzijl and surroundings, and the rest of Groningen. The COROP regions are used for statistical purposes. The province is also divided into ten municipalities , each with its own local government. Currently, Groningen
7200-475: The increase in iron ore mining in the surroundings of Weilburg. An estimate from 1840 placed the quantity of iron ore transported on the entire river at approximately 2000 boat loads, though the river was only navigable from the mouth to Weilburg. In addition, mainly cereals and mineral water were transported downriver. Upriver, the boats carried primarily coal, charcoal, gypsum, and colonial goods. Around 1835, about 80 larger shallow- draft boats were in operation on
7296-645: The inflow of the Wetschaft only 2 kilometres upstream. Between the Lahn's source area in the Rothaargebirge and Gießen , all of the left tributaries are from the less mountainous parts of the West Hessian Bergland . After the turn towards the west or southwest near Gießen, all the left tributaries flow from the Hochtaunus. The right tributaries between the source area and the confluence of the Dill near Wetzlar come from
7392-455: The lower Lahntal. They were later ousted by the Franks . The origin and meaning of the name Lahn are uncertain; it is possible that it is a pre-Germanic word. The form of the name changed over time; before 600, variations like Laugona, Logana, Logene or Loyn are typical. The oldest known use of the current spelling of the name dates to 1365. The oldest mention of the staple right of Diez dates to
7488-413: The multi-sport center Kardinge in the city of Groningen is used for national speed skating championships, most recently the 2013 KNSB Dutch Sprint Championships . A provincial government in the Netherlands consists of a Provincial Council , the directly elected legislative branch, and a Provincial Executive , the executive branch. The King's Commissioner , who is appointed by the national government,
7584-437: The municipalities of Groningen, Assen , and Tynaarlo . Its summer destinations are Antalya , Faro , Girona , Gran Canaria , Heraklion , Kos , Palma de Mallorca , and Tenerife . Its winter destinations are Innsbruck and Salzburg . Starting on 5 June 2014, there will also be flights to London . For other international destinations, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the nearest airport. The general aviation airports in
7680-491: The population belonged to the Protestant Church in the Netherlands while 4.9% was Roman Catholic , 1.3% was Muslim and 6.7% belonged to other churches or faiths. Over half (68.4%) of the population identified as non-religious. Religion in Groningen (province) (2015) The city of Groningen is the economic center of the province. In the 14th century, the city became a member of the Hanseatic League . Currently some of
7776-742: The province are Oostwold Airport in Oostwold and Stadskanaal Airfield in Stadskanaal . The University of Groningen in the city of Groningen was founded in 1614 and is the only research university ( universiteit ) in the province. On 1 September 2013, it had 29,407 students and 5,238 full-time equivalent of staff members. The university has ten faculties: Arts, Behavioural and Social Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Medical Sciences, Philosophy, Spatial Sciences, Theology and Religious Studies, and University College Groningen. The Hanze University of Applied Sciences ,
7872-741: The right. At the valley's southern end, the Zwesten Ohm enters from the Lahnberge. The right (western) side of the valley is again formed by the Gladenbacher Bergland, from which the Salzböde enters the Lahn. On the left rises the Lumda Plateau, from which the eponymous river Lumda flows into the Lahn near Lollar . Gradually the valley widens into the Gießen Basin . In Gießen , after the inflow of
7968-741: The river between Lahnau, Heuchelheim, and Dutenhofen (of Wetzlar) in the middle Lahn Valley has developed into one of the largest nature reserves in Hesse, known as the Lahnau Nature Preserve. The two most important tributaries of the Lahn, and those with the largest catchment inflows, are the Ohm and the Dill . The Dill originates in the southwestern foothills of the Rothaargebirge (the Haincher Höhe ) and enters
8064-511: The river turns again to the south, the Lahn is entrenched canyon-like below the level of the surrounding geographic trough. The city of Weilburg is wrapped by a marked loop of the river. The neck of this noose is traversed by a boat tunnel, unique in Germany. A little below Weilburg, the Weil , originating in the High Taunus, enters the Lahn. At Aumenau in the municipality of Villmar , the course of
8160-586: The river was passable for vessels with up to 240 hundredweights of cargo downstream and up to 160 hundredweights upstream. By the end of the 19th century, over 300 castles, fortresses, fortified churches, and similar buildings were built along the river. During the French occupation , inspections of the river began in 1796, which were to be followed by a comprehensive expansion. Due to political developments, however, this expansion did not take place. The newly created Duchy of Nassau eventually began work from 1808 under
8256-568: The rule of Rupert's son, Walram. By 1159, the County of Nassau effectively claimed rights of taxation, toll collection, and justice, at which point it can be considered to become a state. The Nassauers held the territory between the Taunus and the Westerwald at the lower and middle Lahn. By 1128, they acquired the bailiwick of the Bishopric of Worms , which had numerous rights in the area, and thus created
8352-476: The rules for government procurement in the European Union . Tenders for regional bus and railway services are selected by the province of Groningen. Qbuzz is contracted for bus services in the period 2009–2015 and Arriva for railway services in the period 2005–2020. Nederlandse Spoorwegen operates the railway services from Groningen railway station southward to Drenthe and beyond. The railway network in
8448-580: The southeastern Rothaargebirge and its foothills. From about the Bad Laasphe community of Feudingen, it turns primarily to the east. The section of the Lahn below the town of Bad Laasphe is geographically known as the Upper Lahn Valley (German: Ober Lahntal). Above Bad Laasphe, where the river flows between the Rothaargebirge on the left (i.e. to the north) and the Gladenbach Uplands on the right,
8544-619: The time. At the end of the 12th century, the House acquired the Reichshof Wiesbaden , an important base in the southwest. In 1255, after the Counts of Nassau acquired the estates of Weilburg , the sons of Count Henry II divided Nassau for the first time. Walram II received the county of Nassau-Weilburg . From 1328 on, his younger brother, Otto I , held the estates north of the Lahn river, namely
8640-400: The trade name Lahntal as Middle Rhine wines. In 1999, the Lahn was classified as Biological Grade II and Chemical Grade I. Overall it is considered natural. The migrations of fish such as salmon are hindered by the river's weirs and water levels, but attempts have been made through the installation of fish ladders to reintroduce formerly native fish. After the end of gravel mining in mid-1990s,
8736-660: The valley of the Lahn gradually narrows and at Leun enters the Weilburger Lahntal. The Weilburger Lahntal belongs to the larger Gießen-Koblenzer Lahntal physiographic province, considered part of the Rhenish Slate Mountains. In the upper area of the Weilburg Lahntal (the Löhnberg Basin) are mineral springs , such as the famous Selters mineral spring in the municipality of Löhnberg . In the lower area, where
8832-403: Was built, with nine major bridges and 18 tunnels along the river. Afterward, Prussia and Nassau tried to keep shipping along the Lahn alive through the lowering of tariffs. Ultimately, however, rail gained acceptance as a means of transport and cargo shipping on the Lahn gradually declined. Several projects begun in 1854 to operate steamboats on the Lahn died in their infancy. In 1875, 1885 and 1897
8928-501: Was completed. In 1981, freight shipping on the Lahn came to an end. Today, the Lahn is used exclusively for recreational boats. In 1960, gravel mining began in the broad plains of the Lahn Valley in Marburg and Giessen. This ended in 1996 and large sections of Lahn Valley in Hesse were set aside as a nature reserve On 7 February 1984, the Lahn experienced a 100-year flood, which caused millions of German Marks in damage. This has since led to
9024-475: Was partly realized, and the Heuchelheim Lake and Dutenhofen Lake are now popular recreational destinations for the surrounding region. Nature conservation organizations, however, were able to prevent further gravel mining, so the area is now one of the largest nature reserves in Hesse. Dutenhofen Lake marks Kilometer 0 of the Lahn as a federal waterway. The Gießen Basin is surrounded by the mountain peaks of
9120-656: Was the King's Commissioner in Groningen from 2007 to 2016. In the provincial elections of 2011 , the Labour Party became the largest party with nearly 25% of the votes and 12 seats in the Provincial Council. The next three largest parties are the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and the Socialist Party (SP) with 6 seats each, and the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) with 5 seats. In 2011, two months after
9216-567: Was under the influence and control of Groningen. Shortly before 1498, Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor gave Groningen and Friesland to Albert III, Duke of Saxony , who could however not establish permanent control. In 1514/15 Groningen came to the Duchy of Guelders , and in 1536 as the Lordship of Groningen to the Habsburg Netherlands . In 1594, Groningen was conquered from the Spanish by
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