In the Dutch province of Friesland, the small village and church of Hegebeintum are located on the highest artificial dwelling hill in the Netherlands, at about 8.8 metres (29 ft) tall.
In Friesland an artificial dwelling hill is called a 'terp'.
An artificial dwelling hill is a mound, created to provide safe ground during high tide and river floods. These hills occur in the coastal parts of the Netherlands (in the provinces of Zeeland, Friesland and Groningen), where tides interfered with daily life.
This ended with the coming of dikes. During the 18th and 19th centuries, many 'terpen' were destroyed to use the fertile soil they contained to fertilize farm fields. 'Terpen' were usually well fertilized by the decay of the rubbish and personal waste deposited by their inhabitants during centuries.
The church was built in the early 12th century, as can be seen from the use of tuff, a volcanic stone from the Eiffel Mountains in Germany. The interior of Hegebeintum church differs surprisingly from the usually sober interior of Protestant Churches, and has been influenced by the aristocratic residents of the nearby Harsta State. The memorial panels form one of the richest collections in the Netherlands. These panels, in memory of the deceased aristocracy, are dated from 1689 to 1906, and differ greatly in size and design. Some are highly decorated with symbolic carvings and gilding, whilst others are quite simple.
A very steep slope is all that remains of the original, unique, Hegebeintum 'terp'.
www.hegebeintum.info
March 9, 2014
20 май 2014
