Frisia
95388
221616896
2008-06-25T09:00:04Z
92.0.59.150
/* History */ Added a reference to the Nordwestblock page.
{{Unreferenced|date=February 2008}}
{{Infobox Country
|native_name = ''Fryslân<br />Fraschlönj<br />Freesklöön<br />Freeskluin<br />Fresklun<br />Friislön<br />Fräislound<br />Freesland<br />Fraislaand<br />Friesland<br />Frisland''
|conventional_long_name = Frisia
|common_name = Frisia
|image_map = Frisians.png
|map_caption = Frisian settlement area (Frisian Coast)
|official_languages = [[Frisian languages|Frisian]] ([[West Frisian language|Frysk]], [[North Frisian|Frasch/Fresk/Freesk/Friisk]], [[Saterland Frisian language|Saterland Frisian]]), [[Low German]] (([[West Low German]]) [[East Frisian Low Saxon|East Frisian]], [[Gronings]]), [[Dutch language|Dutch]], [[German language|German]], [[Danish language|Danish]]
}}
'''Frisia''' ([[West Frisian language|West Frisian]]: ''Fryslân''; [[North Frisian language|North Frisian]]: ''Fraschlönj'', ''Freesklöön'', ''Freeskluin'', ''Fresklun'', and ''Friislön’''; [[Saterland Frisian language|Saterfrisian]] (East Frisian): ''Fräislound''; [[East Frisian Low Saxon]]: ''Freesland''; [[Gronings]]: ''Fraislaand''; [[German language|German]] and [[Dutch language|Dutch]]: ''Friesland''; [[Danish language|Danish]]: ''Frisland'') is a coastal region along the southeastern corner of the [[North Sea]], i.e. the [[German Bight]]. Frisia is the traditional [[homeland]] of the [[Frisians]], a Germanic people who speak [[Frisian languages|Frisian]], a language group closely related to the [[English language]]. Frisia extends from the northwestern [[Netherlands]] across northwestern [[Germany]] to the border of [[Denmark]] ([[Vidå]]).
==Divisions==
Frisia is commonly divided into three sections:
#'''Province [[Friesland]]''' in the Netherlands (''West Frisia'')
#'''[[East Frisia]]''' in [[Lower Saxony]]
#'''[[North Frisia]]''' in [[Schleswig-Holstein]]
The three groups of the [[Frisian Islands]] (the [[West Frisian Islands|West]], [[East Frisian Islands|East]] and [[North Frisian Islands]]) stretch more or less correspondingly along these three sections of the [[German Bight]] coast.
'''West Frisia''' corresponds roughly to the Dutch [[province]] of [[Friesland]], the northern part of [[North Holland]] province (the historical region of [[West Friesland (historical region)|West Friesland]], the westernmost portion of the traditional region of [[West Frisia (historical)|West Frisia]]), and also modern [[Groningen (province)|Groningen]] province, though the Western Frisian language is only spoken in Friesland proper. [[Dialect]]s with strong Frisian [[substratum|substrate]]s, including ([[Low German]] and [[Low Franconian languages|Low Franconian]], are also spoken in West Frisia. In the northern province of Groningen, people speak [[Gronings]], a [[Low German|Low Saxon]] dialect with a strong Frisian substrate.
'''East Frisia''' includes areas located in the northwest of the German state of [[Lower Saxony]], including the districts of [[Aurich (district)|Aurich]], [[Leer (district)|Leer]], [[Wittmund (district)|Wittmund]] and [[Friesland (district)|Friesland]], as well as the urban districts of [[Emden]] and [[Wilhelmshaven]], the [[Saterland]], the [[Land Wursten]] a former Rüstringen ([[Butjadingen]]). [[East Frisia]] is also the name of a historical county in that area. The German name "Ostfriesland" distinguishes the former county from "Ost-Friesland", which means the whole eastern Frisian area.
The portions of '''North Frisia''' within the German state of [[Schleswig-Holstein]] are part of the district of [[Nordfriesland]] and stretch along the coast, including the coastal islands from the [[Eider River]] to the border of Denmark in the north. The [[North Sea]] island of [[Heligoland]], while not part of Nordfriesland district, is also part of traditional North Frisia.
A half-million Frisians in the province of Friesland in the Netherlands speak [[West Frisian language|West Frisian]]. Several thousand people in Nordfriesland and Heligoland in Germany speak a collection of [[North Frisian language|North Frisian]] dialects that are often unintelligible to each other. A small number [[Saterland Frisian language]] speakers live in four villages in [[Lower Saxony]], in the [[Saterland]] region of [[Cloppenburg]] county, just beyond the boundaries of traditional [[East Frisia]]. Many Frisians speak [[Low Saxon]] dialects, especially in East Frisia, but also in West and North Frisia.
== History ==
Frisia has changed dramatically over time, both through floods and through a change in identity. It is part of the [[Nordwestblock]] which is a hypothetical historic region linked by language and culture.
=== Roman times ===
The Frisians began settling in Frisia around 500 BC. According to [[Pliny the Younger]], in Roman times, the Frisians (or, as it may be, their close neighbours, the [[Chauci]]) lived on [[artificial dwelling hill|terps]], man-made hills. According to other sources, the Frisians lived along a broader expanse of the North Sea (or "Frisian Sea") coast.
Frisia at this time comprised the present provinces of [[Friesland]] and [[North Holland]].
=== Kingdom of Frisia ===
[[Image:FR.jpg|right|thumb|225px|'''The Frisian Realm''' during its great expansion]]
East Anglian sources called the inhabitants of 'Frisia' [[Warnii]] instead of Frisians. In the 7th and 8th centuries, the [[Franks|Frankish]] chronologies mention this area as the kingdom of the Frisians. However, these were probably not the Frisians of Roman times. This kingdom comprised the coastal provinces of [[the Netherlands]] and the [[Germany|German]] [[North Sea]] coast. During this time, the Frisian language was spoken along the entire southern North Sea coast and, today, this region is sometimes referred to as '''Greater Frisia''' or ''Frisia Magna''. The 7th-century '''Frisian realm''' ([[650]]-[[734]]) under the kings [[Aldegisel]] and [[Redbad, King of the Frisians|Redbad]], had its centre of power in the city [[Utrecht (city)|Utrecht]]. Its end came in 734 at the [[Battle of the Boarn]], when the Frisians were defeated by the [[Franks]], who then conquered the western part up to the [[Lauwers]]. They conquered the area east of the Lauwers in [[785]], when [[Charlemagne]] defeated [[Widukind]]. This ''Frisia Magna'' was partly occupied by Vikings in the 840s, until they were expelled between 885 and 920. It has also been suggested that the Vikings did not conquer Frisia, but settled in certain parts (such as the island of Wieringen), where they built simple forts and cooperated and traded with the native Frisians. One of their leaders was [[Rorik of Dorestad]].
=== Loss of territory ===
Frisians made [[polder]]s in [[West Friesland (historical region)|West Friesland]], which became more and more separated from [[Friesland]] due to floods. The western part of Frisia became the county of [[Holland]] in 1101, after a few centuries of a diverging history than the other parts. Frisia began to identify itself as a country with free folk in the [[Middle Ages]]. The [[bishopric of Utrecht]] no longer belonged to Frisia. There were many floods in the 11th and 12th centuries, which led to the deaths of many and eventually formed the [[Zuider Zee]]. The largest flood occurred in 1322.
=== Opstalboom League ===
The free Frisians (actually petty noblemen) and the city of [[Groningen (city)|Groningen]] founded the Opstalboom League to counter feudalism. The league consisted of modern [[Friesland]], [[Groningen (province)|Groningen]], [[East Frisia]] and the [[Germany|German]] North Sea coast, and parts of the [[Denmark|Danish]] [[North Sea]] coast ([[Schleswig]]). But the Opstalboom league did not consist only of Frisians, as the area of Zevenwouden and the city of [[Groningen (city)|Groningen]] were Saxon. Some Frisians lived under the rule of the counts of [[Holland]] in [[West Friesland (historical region)|West Friesland]]. The Opstalboom League was short-lived; it collapsed after a few years because of continual internal strife.
=== 15th century ===
The 15th century saw the end of the free Frisians. The city of [[Groningen (city)|Groningen]] started to dominate [[Groningen (province)|Groningen]]. A petty nobleman in [[East Frisia]] managed to defeat the other petty noblemen and became count of East Frisia. The [[Archbishop of Bremen]]-Hamburg and the [[king of Denmark]] conquered large areas of Frisia. Only [[Friesland]] remained for the Frisian Freedom. Friesland was conquered in the 1490s by Duke [[Albrecht of Saxony|Albert of Saxony-Meissen]]. Later, the giant [[Pier Gerlofs Donia]] (Grutte Pier) would fight for his country's freedom, wielding a 2,15 meter (7-foot) sword. He had many successes, but ultimately failed to secure Frisia's independence. He nonetheless bestowed himself the title ''[[Rulers of Frisia|King of the Frisians]]''. He died a poor farmer in 1520.
=== Frisian territories ===
*[[West Friesland (historical region)|West Friesland]] remained a part of [[Holland]] and became a part of [[North Holland]] around [[1800]]. The current region of [[West Friesland (region)|West Friesland]] is smaller than historical West Friesland and there is also an official constitutional region (samenwerkingsregio) of West Friesland for coast protection, the police, and agriculture.
*[[Friesland]] got its independence back (with constitutionalized farmer representation) in [[1581]] and gave it up for good in [[1795]]. It is now a Dutch province.
*[[East Frisia]] became a part of the [[Kingdom of Prussia]] and was formerly a district of the federal state of [[Lower Saxony]] in the [[Federal Republic of Germany]].
*[[Groningen (province)|Groningen]] has been a province of the Netherlands since the 16th century.
*[[North Frisia]] was a part of the Danish duchy of [[Schleswig]] (also: ''[[South Jutland]]'') and belongs now to the German state of [[Schleswig-Holstein]].
*The Frisian islands off the coast of the Netherlands and Germany are the leftover dunes of flooded lands.
==Flag==
[[Image:All Frisian flag (Scandinavial model).png|right|200px|thumb|[[Groep fan Auwerk]]'s flag for Greater Frisia]]
Although the Frisian regions have their own separate flags, Frisia did not have a flag of its own until September 2006. The flag for united Frisia was made by the [[Groep fan Auwerk]], which supports a united Frisia as an official country.
The flag, similar to the Norse and Icelandic flags, is inspired by the [[Nordic Cross Flag]]. The four ''[[pompeblêd]]en'' (water lily leaves) refer to the seven ''pompeblêden'' on the (West) [[Friesland]] flag, but the number represents the three separate Frisian regions plus Groningen (Eastlauwersk Fryslân). The flag was not accepted by the [[Interfrisian Council]] and is just in use by the Groep<ref>[http://interfriesischerrat.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21&Itemid=1 Press release from the Interfrisian Council]</ref>.
==See also==
*[[Frisian Islands]]
*[[German Bight]]
*[[Wadden Sea]]
*[[Jutland]]
*[[Frisian languages]]
*[[Frisians]]
*[[Eala Freya Fresena]]
*[[Frise (department)|Frise]]
{{Burgundian Circle}}
==Literature==
* Albert Bantelmann, Rolf Kuschert, Albert Panten, Thomas Steensen: ''Geschichte Nordfrieslands''. 2., durchges. u. aktualisierte Aufl., Westholst. Verlagsanstalt Boyens, Heide in Holstein 1996 (= Nordfriisk Instituut, Nr. 136), ISBN 3-8042-0759-6.
* Thomas Steensen: ''Geschichte Nordfrieslands von 1918 bis in die Gegenwart''. Neuausg., Nordfriisk Instituut, Bräist/Bredstedt 2006 (= Geschichte Nordfrieslands, Teil 5; Nordfriisk Instituut, Nr. 190), ISBN 3-88007-336-8.
* Stefan Kröger - ''Das Ostfriesland-Lexikon. Ein unterhaltsames Nachschlagewerk'', Isensee Verlag, Oldenburg 2006
* ''Ostfriesland im Schutze des Deiches. Beiträge zur Kultur- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte des ostfriesischen Küstenlandes'', hrsg. im Auftrag der Niederemsischen Deichacht, 12 Bände, Selbstverlag, Pewsum u. a. 1969
* [[Onno Klopp]] -, ''Geschichte Ostfrieslands'', 3 Bde., Hannover 1854–1858
* Hajo van Lengen - ''Ostfriesland, Kultur und Landschaft'', ruhrspiegel-Verlag, Essen 1978
* Hajo van Lengen (Hrsg.) - ''Die Friesische Freiheit des Mittelalters – Leben und Legende'', Verlag Ostfriesische Landschaft 2003, ISBN 3-932206-30-4
* Franz Kurowski - ''Das Volk am Meer – Die dramatische Geschichte der Friesen'', Türmer-Verlag 1984, ISBN 3-87829-082-9
* Karl Cramer - ''Die Geschichte Ostfrieslands. Ein Überblick'', Isensee - Oldenburg
* Hermann Homann - ''Ostfriesland – Inseln, Watt und Küstenland'', F. [[Coppenrath Verlag]], Münster
* Manfred Scheuch - ''Historischer Atlas Deutschland'', ISBN 3-8289-0358-4
* Karl-Ernst Behre / Hajo van Lengen - ''Ostfriesland. Geschichte und Gestalt einer Kulturlandschaft'', Aurich 1995, ISBN 3-925365-85-0
* Tielke, Martin (Hrsg.) - ''Biographisches Lexikon für Ostfriesland'', Ostfries. Landschaftliche Verl.- u. Vertriebsges. Aurich, Bd. 1 ISBN 3-925365-75-3 (1993), Bd. 2 ISBN 3-932206-00-2 (1997), Bd. 3 ISBN 3-932206-22-3 (2001)
== References ==
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[[Category:Frisia| ]]
[[Category:Friesland| ]]
[[ca:Frísia]]
[[da:Frisland]]
[[de:Friesland]]
[[fr:Frise (toponymie)]]
[[fy:Fryslân (wengebiet)]]
[[gl:Frisia]]
[[hr:Frizija]]
[[it:Frisia (regione storica)]]
[[he:פריזיה]]
[[la:Frisia]]
[[nl:Friesland in brede zin]]
[[nds-nl:Fraislaand (regio)]]
[[ja:フリジア]]
[[no:Friesland]]
[[nds:Freesland]]
[[pl:Fryzja (kraina historyczna)]]
[[pt:Frísia]]
[[stq:Fryslân]]