X-Nico

6 unusual facts about Frisians


Canal of Drusus

This was of strategic importance for attacks on the Germanic people living on the Frisian coasts and along the Elbe estuary in the German Bight.

Frisians

296, when they were deported into Roman territory as laeti (i.e., Roman-era serfs, see Binchester Roman Fort and Cuneus Frisionum).

These wars benefited attempts by Anglo-Irish missionaries (which had begun with Saint Boniface) to convert the Frisian populace to Christianity, in which Saint Willibrord largely succeeded.

Guynemer of Boulogne

He assembled a fleet of Danes, Frisians, and Flemings and set out from northern Europe for the eastern Mediterranean in Spring 1097.

Omrop Fryslân

Omrop Fryslân is a special broadcaster on the NPO which serves the Frisian community.

Zuiderhofje

The Frisian preacher Menno Simons was not the founder of this faith, but a later leader.


Achmea

Then the Frisian accountant, Ulbe Piers Draisma, founds the "Onderlinge Brand Assurantie Sociëteit (Achlum)" in Achlum, Frisia, the Netherlands

East Frisian peninsula

By contrast, Ost-Friesland includes, as a rule, the other traditionally Frisian parts of the peninsula: the town of Wilhelmshaven and the Oldenburg district of Friesland (Jeverland and Friesische Wehde).

East Frisians

In the narrower sense the East Frisians are the eastern branch of the Frisians, a Germanic people and belong, together with the Danes, Sorbs, Sinti and Romanies to the recognised minorities in Germany.

Frisian history

But the Opstalboom league did not consist only of Frisians, as the area of Zevenwouden and the city of Groningen were Saxon.

The free Frisians (actually petty noblemen) and the city of Groningen founded the Opstalboom League to counter feudalism.

Frisian participation in the Crusades

In 1189, as they were en route to the Siege of Acre as contingent of the Third Crusade, a fleet of Frisians, Danes, Flemings, and Germans, assisted by a small Portuguese presence, in about 50 ships attacked and took Alvor, massacring its Muslim inhabitants.

Friso-Hollandic Wars

Once across the water, in Staveren, news reached him of major set-back: Widzel tom Brok had been killed in the Battle of Detern against the Saterlandic Frisians.

Lebuinus

Lebuinus (also known as Lebuin, Lebwin or Liafwin(e)), Apostle of the Frisians and patron of Deventer (born in England of Anglo-Saxon parents, date unknown; died at Deventer c. 775).

Pepin of Herstal

In foreign conflicts, Pepin increased the power of the Franks by his subjugation of the Alemanni, the Frisians, and the Franconians.

Over the next several years, Pepin subdued the Alemanni, Frisians, and Franconians, bringing them within the Frankish sphere of influence.

Podestà

According to later tradition, it was Charlemagne who granted the Frisians the title of freemen and permitted them to choose their own podestat or imperial governor from among the chieftains, to organize and lead the defense of two of the three districts of Frisia, in Middle Frisia, from the Flie to the Lauwers and in East Frisia from the Lauwers to the Weser, later the Countship of Ostfriesland

Recknitz

In October 955 A.D. the vicinity of river was the site of famous Schlacht an der Raxa (Battle of Recknitz) between the German (Saxons and Frisians) army of Emperor Otto I of Germany commanded by Gero the Great and the Obodrite and other Polabian Slavs warriors army under prince Stoigniew, brother of prince Nakon.

Saterland Frisian language

Saterland (Seelterlound in the local language), which is believed to have been colonised by Frisians from East Frisia in the eleventh century, was for a long time surrounded by impassable moors.

Simon of Utrecht

From 1432 until 1433, he commandeered the Hanseatic fleet fighting Frisian looters, culminating in the destruction of the Frisian pirate base Sebaldusburg and occupation of their capital Emden.

Stora Hoparegränd

The name is of Dutch or Frisian origin, except being a surname also indicating a profession, hooper (e.g. maker of barrels).

Torsten Albig

SPD and CDU achieved 22 seats each, and the election result made it possible for Albig to form a coalition government with the participation of the Green Party and the SSW, which is a regional party representing the Danish and Frisian minorities.

Viglius

Viglius (October 19, 1507, Swichum – May 5, 1577), was the name taken by Wigle Aytta van Zwichem, a Dutch statesman and jurist, a Frisian by birth.

Wilbrand van Oldenburg

After a failed attempt to gain control of Coevorden with support from the Frisians in the Frisian-Drenths War, Wilbrand defeated the Drenths at Peize.

Zweihänder

Frisian hero Pier Gerlofs Donia is reputed to have wielded a Zweihänder with such skill, strength and efficiency that he managed to behead several people with it in a single blow.


see also