Friesland Through the Ages (12 BC – 2019)

Timeline

Layers

Franks, later the Empire (other lands) · Saxons · Roman Empire · Frisii · Chauci · Frisian Kingdom (Aldgisl, Radbod, Poppo) · West Frisia (Zwin–Vlie), under the Franks · Middle Frisia (Vlie–Lauwers), under the Franks · East Frisia (Lauwers–Weser), under the Franks · Danish Viking rule (Rorik, Godfrid) · Prince-Bishopric of Utrecht · Guelders (Charles of Egmond) and its conquests · Holland → Burgundian/Habsburg Netherlands → Republic → Kingdom · Royalist (Spanish) side · West Frisians (free until 1289) · Westergo · Oostergo · Zevenwouden · Stellingwerven (free peasant republic) · Saxon rule (Albert and George of Saxony) · Lordship of Frisia → Province of Friesland · Department of the Ems (1798–1802) · Department of the Old IJssel (1798–1802) · Free Lordship of Ameland · Ommelanden (Frisian lands between Lauwers and Ems) · Groningen (city) → Stad en Lande → Province · East Frisia (Frisian lands, county from 1464) · Rüstringen, Östringen, Butjadingen (Frisian lands) · Sea and lakes of the time (land today)

Events

• 12 BC, Drusus in the land of the Frisii: Drusus' fleet sails from the Rhine through the Flevo lakes and the Vlie into the North Sea. The Frisii become allies of Rome and pay a tribute in ox hides.
• 28, Revolt of the Frisii: The Frisii hang Rome's tax collectors and besiege the fort Flevum (Velsen). A Roman army is defeated at the Baduhenna Wood, whose location is unknown (perhaps North Holland).
• 47, Corbulo subdues the Frisii: Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo brings the Frisii back under Roman control, but Emperor Claudius orders him back behind the Rhine. Corbulo has a canal dug between the Rhine and the Maas.
• 300, Terps abandoned: Around 300 the old Frisii vanish from the sources. Many terps (dwelling mounds) are deserted, perhaps because the coast got wetter. The Frisians of the Middle Ages are partly newcomers.
• 690, Battle of Dorestad: Pepin of Herstal defeats Radbod (689). Radbod must give up Frisia Citerior, the land south and west of the Vlie, with Utrecht and the trading town of Dorestad.
• 716, Radbod strikes back: Allied with the Neustrians, Radbod retakes Utrecht and Dorestad, sails up the Rhine and defeats Charles Martel near Cologne (716).
• 719, Death of Radbod: Radbod dies in 719. Legend places his seat at Medemblik, whose castle was later named after him. His successor Poppo cannot hold the west.
• 734, Battle of the Boarn: Charles Martel's fleet sails into the Boarn (Middelzee) and defeats King Poppo, who falls. Frisia west of the Lauwers is Frankish; the Frisian kingdom ends.
• 754, Boniface killed: 5 June 754: the missionary Boniface and his companions are killed near Dokkum.
• 785, Lex Frisionum: After 785 Charlemagne rules Frisia to the Weser. The Frisian law (written down c. 785–802) names three lands: Sincfal–Vlie, Vlie–Lauwers and Lauwers–Weser.
• 850, Rorik takes Dorestad: The Danish Viking Rorik and his kinsman Godfrid seize Dorestad and Utrecht; Emperor Lothar must accept Rorik as ruler of most of Frisia.
• 885, Godfrid the Norseman killed: Godfrid, lord of Frisia since 882, is lured to Herispich near Lobith and killed. Scandinavian rule over Frisia ends.
• 1018, Battle of Vlaardingen: Count Dirk III of (West-)Frisia beats an imperial army. His county grows into Holland and looks north at the free Frisians.
• 1170, All Saints' Flood: The storm floods of 1163–1173 break through to Lake Almere: the Zuiderzee begins to form and the Frisian lands east and west of it drift apart.
• 1256, Battle of Hoogwoud: 28 January 1256: King William II of Holland, Roman king, falls through the ice and is killed by West Frisians.
• 1282, Floris V invades: Count Floris V of Holland attacks West Friesland, 1282–1289, and builds strongholds such as the castle of Medemblik (later 'Radboud').
• 14 Dec 1287, St Lucia's Flood: 14 December 1287: one of the worst floods in history drowns tens of thousands and widens the Zuiderzee. It also breaks West Friesland's ring dike.
• 26 Sep 1345, Battle of Warns: 26 September 1345: Count William IV of Holland lands near Stavoren to conquer Friesland. The Frisians defeat his army; the count falls.
• 1413, Holland’s Frisian wars: 1396–1401: Albert of Bavaria briefly occupies parts of Westergo. Inside Friesland the Schieringers (strong in Westergo) and Vetkopers (Leeuwarden, Oostergo, with Groningen) fight the Great Frisian War, 1413–1422.
• 1424, Ameland under the Cammingha: The Cammingha family rules Ameland as a 'free lordship' outside Friesland's quarters; Holland and Friesland dispute its status for centuries.
• 1464, County of East Frisia: Emperor Frederick III makes Ulrich Cirksena count of East Frisia.
• 21 Mar 1498, Schieringers at Medemblik: 21 March 1498: the Schieringers ask Duke Albert of Saxony, Maximilian's commander, for help. His army soon controls Westergo.
• 23 Oct 1498, Leeuwarden falls: 23 October 1498: after a nine-week siege the Vetkoper town of Leeuwarden surrenders. Albert of Saxony rules Friesland as governor (potestaat); the Frisian Freedom is over.
• 1505, Oudebildtdijk: George of Saxony has the salt marshes in the mouth of the old Middelzee diked: over 5,000 ha of new land, the Bildt. Stellingwerf is joined to Friesland.
• 1506, Groningen picks Edzard: Groningen, which never accepted Saxony, chooses Count Edzard of East Frisia as its lord.
• 3 Nov 1514, Groningen hails Charles of Guelders: 3 November 1514: Groningen accepts Charles of Egmond, Duke of Guelders, as its lord. Guelders troops pour into Friesland and by December hold everything but Leeuwarden, Franeker, Harlingen and the land around them.
• 19 May 1515, Friesland sold to Habsburg: 19 May 1515: George of Saxony sells his rights to Friesland to the future Charles V for 100,000 guilders. Guelders holds the rest of Friesland; Habsburg's stadtholder Floris of Egmond holds only Leeuwarden, Harlingen and Franeker and the grietenijen around them.
• 19 May 1515, Kimswerd burnt: January 1515: Saxon landsknechts burn Kimswerd and the farm of Pier Gerlofs Donia, killing his family. Pier gathers the 'Arumer Zwarte Hoop', the Black Band of Arum.
• 1 Jul 1516, Siege of Leeuwarden: 24 June – 15 August 1516: Guelders and the Black Band besiege Leeuwarden, which holds out. Habsburg keeps only Leeuwarden, Franeker and Harlingen with the grietenijen around them.
• 1 Oct 1516, Grutte Pier takes Workum: Early October 1516: Pier's Black Band takes Workum; the Burgundians retake it on 11 October. A skirmish at Wijckel near Sloten (30 September) precedes it.
• 25 Jan 1517, Siege of Sneek: 20–28 January 1517: Habsburg troops attack Sneek from Oppenhuizen and IJlst and are beaten off.
• 24 Jun 1517, Medemblik sacked: 24 June 1517: some 4,000 men of the Black Band and Guelders land at Wervershoof, plunder and burn Medemblik; the castle holds.
• 18 Oct 1520, Grutte Pier dies: October 1520 (18 or 28): Pier Gerlofs Donia dies in Sneek and is buried in the Martinikerk. Wijerd Jelckama leads the Black Band.
• 1 Jun 1522, Guelders rules from Coevorden: 1522: Charles of Guelders is lord of the Ommelanden and occupies Drenthe and the Oversticht, ruled from Coevorden. The burghers of Sneek and Stavoren drive out his men.
• 7 Jul 1523, Jelckama beheaded: 7 July 1523: Wijerd Jelckama and the last rebels of the Black Band are beheaded in Leeuwarden. Dokkum and Bolsward go over to Habsburg in 1523; Guelders keeps the south-west corner around Workum and Sloten.
• 15 Nov 1523, Lemmer and Sloten fall: Georg Schenck van Toutenburg takes Lemmer, then in November Sloten, the last Guelders stronghold in Friesland.
• 1524, Lordship of Frisia: All Friesland recognises Charles V as lord. He rules through a stadtholder and the Court of Friesland.
• 1528, Charles V in Utrecht: The bishop of Utrecht cedes his temporal power: Utrecht and Overijssel become Habsburg lands.
• 10 Dec 1536, Treaty of Grave: 10 December 1536: Charles of Guelders gives up Groningen, the Ommelanden and Drenthe to Charles V.
• 1543, Treaty of Venlo: After Charles of Egmond's death (1538) Guelders passes to William of Cleves, who must cede it to Charles V in 1543. The Seventeen Provinces are complete.
• 1580, Union of Utrecht: Friesland joins the Union of Utrecht after a difficult debate; the States take Schiermonnikoog. Stadtholder Rennenberg takes Groningen over to Spain (1580).
• 1594, Siege of Groningen: Maurice and William Louis take Groningen; city and Ommelanden join the Republic as 'Stad en Lande'.
• 1600, Nieuw Bildt: The New Bildt dike adds a second belt of land north of the Oudebildtdijk.
• 1704, Frisian Orange stadtholders: The Frisian Nassaus (stadtholders since 1584) buy Ameland. In 1747 William IV, a Frisian Nassau, becomes stadtholder of all provinces.
• 1744, Prussian East Frisia: The last Cirksena dies; Prussia takes East Frisia.
• 1795, Batavian Revolution: French troops and Dutch Patriots end the Republic. Friesland treats Ameland as conquered land and makes it a grietenij.
• 1798, Departments of 1798: The unitary Batavian constitution abolishes the provinces. Friesland is split: Westergo and Oostergo (with Groningen) form the department of the Ems, capital Leeuwarden; Zevenwouden joins Drenthe and Overijssel in the Old IJssel, capital Zwolle. Ameland formally joins Friesland in 1801.
• 1811, Département de la Frise: Annexed to the French Empire: Frise, capital Leeuwarden, 175,400 people in 1812.
• 1815, Province of Friesland: Province of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 1851 the 30 grietenijen become municipalities.
• 28 May 1932, Afsluitdijk: 28 May 1932: the 32 km dam closes the Zuiderzee. It becomes the IJsselmeer, and Friesland is linked by road to North Holland.
• 1 Sep 1942, Terschelling and Vlieland: 1 September 1942: the German occupiers move Terschelling and Vlieland from North Holland to Friesland. The change is kept after the war.
• 23 May 1969, Lauwerszee closed: May 1969: a dam at Lauwersoog closes the Lauwerszee. About 7,000 ha of new land; the border with Groningen is redrawn in 1972.
• 2019, Municipal mergers: 2011–2019: Súdwest-Fryslân, De Fryske Marren, Waadhoeke and Noardeast-Fryslân merge the old grietenijen into larger municipalities.