Online-Card - Bolsward

Bolsward, a graceful Hanseatic town. During the 12th century an alliance emerged between German marchants. This mode of cooperation steadly grew and resulted in a large league of mainly German touwns, located on sea(“Anzee”) or in some cases on a river. Some Dutch towns joined the league among which Groningen, Kampen, Deventer, Utrecht, Middelburg and Harderwijk.

So did Bolsward after a while, a reference of which can be traced to 1412. Although at the time Bolsward was no longer directly connected with open sea, many Bolsward sea merchants continued trading in the Baltic up to the sixteenth century with ships of which the main type was the so-called Cog. Together with Stavoren, Bolsward, as a member of the Hanseatic League is still mentioned as late as 1553. Membership meant much needed protection and guaranteed trade with mertchants from England, Germany, Poland and Scandinavia, thus enabling competition with other countries and towns. The Hanseatic League flourished most before 1500. Historical evidence shows Bolsward to be a full-fledged member during the league’s heyday.

In 1980, initiated by the local authority of Zwolle, many towns of the old Hanseatic League saw fit to facilitate an annual international event: The Hansadays of Modern Times. The idea is to come to an international exchange of administration, trade, sports and culture and the initiative is supported by a large number of Hansa towns. The international Hansa committee in Lübeck sees to allocation and there is a lot of enthousiasm to organise the event as applications already cover the next 24 years.

Bolsward and Stavoren are the only Hansa towns in Friesland. Modern Bolsward is a town of some 10.000 inhabitants, well worth visiting. Tourists should see the ancient town hall, the Martini-church and the Broere-church. A boat trip through the towns’s canals is delightful. Or why not visit Sonnema’s distillery where a special Frisian herb cordial is made or Us Heit, a brewery of Frisian beer. Bolsward features a lot of industry and shops. It is located on the A7(the modern equivalent of “Ansee”): a perfect little town to live, work or spend your spare time.