Oudezijl: Dike History, Shipbuilding and Railway

Oudezijl brings together a 17th-century dike settlement and later traces of shipbuilding and railways. Its name, streetscape and historic buildings each add a different dimension. When planning a stay, you can first decide whether you are particularly interested in architecture, maritime history or a guided experience.

Dike settlement and place name

Oudezijl’s history began in the course of the 17th century as a dike settlement at a lock on the Schanskerdijk, between Nieuweschans and Finsterwolde. In 1707, after the Statenzijl had been built farther north on the Westerwoldse Aa, this place was given the name Oudezijl. This sequence distinguishes the settlement’s origins from its later naming. Two events at different points in time thus anchor the history of the place: the development of the dike settlement and the naming that followed the construction of the Statenzijl.

A monument with a distinctive form

The Locomotievenloods at Oudezijl 1 is a Dutch national monument of architectural and cultural-historical significance. The single-storey building dates from 1877; it has a semicircular floor plan and is made up of twelve sections of brown brick. Its design can therefore be understood through several specific features: height, floor plan, composition and material. The semicircle describes the overall form, while the twelve sections define how the building is divided. This combination makes the Locomotievenloods a distinctive example of Oudezijl’s architectural heritage.

The streetscape also gives the place its own character. The western side of Verlengde Hoofdstraat is densely built up. Some of the houses stand perpendicular to the street, while others face it with their gables. At the junction where the road continues to Nieuw Beerta as Langeweg, the old Schanskerdijk runs past workers’ houses for a short distance before disappearing into the fields. The sequence of a densely built street, workers’ houses and fields shifts from an enclosed streetscape to open countryside. The orientation of individual houses and the continuation of the old dike thus represent two different scales of the area’s history.

Shipbuilding and railway

The maritime history comes to life through two ships and different events. The Zwanetta Gerhardina was launched on 23 January 1849 at the Viëtor and De Wijk shipyard in Oudezijl. The Clasina Aidina was built at the same shipyard in 1850. The years are close together, but the events describe different things: a precisely dated launch and the construction of another ship. The shipyard’s history is thus given concrete names and dates.

The railway adds another chapter to this chronology. The completion of the Groningen–Nieuweschans line in 1868 brought new impetus to Oudezijl. The railway connection therefore marks a later development than the two shipyard events and forms another chapter in the history of the place.

Route, sculptures and Graanrepubliek Experience

The “Van schans naar vesting” route is signposted with walking junctions. Twenty percent runs along unpaved sand and grass paths; the rest is mostly asphalt. The junctions and the surface are two different points of reference: the junctions indicate how the route is signposted, while the mix of surfaces gives a clearer sense of the path. If you include the route in your plans, you can take into account that unpaved sections alternate with asphalt.

The Cilia de la Court sculpture garden, a garden featuring ceramic sculptures, is located at Oudezijl 14. Ceramics and the garden setting add an artistic dimension alongside the place’s architectural and maritime heritage.

The Graanrepubliek Experience offers another perspective. The guided tour introduces the history, farmers, producers and products of the Graanrepubliek. It takes you through a distillery, a brewery and a bakery, and ends with a tasting platter. This puts production and products in the spotlight alongside local history. If you would like to include the experience in your plans, check the current dates in advance.

Discover more destinations: Drieborg, Nieuweschans, Scheemda, Westerlee, Nieuw Scheemda, Reiderland, Blauwestad, Nieuwolda

For the broader travel overview: Oldambt.