The municipality of Staphorst as it is today was established as "de maire Hasselterambt" on 21 October 1811 by decree from Napoleon, and spans the territory of the former bailiffs of Staphorst, IJhorst and Rouveen. When the municipal boundaries were redrawn on 1 July 1818, the name Hasselterambt was changed to the municipality of Staphorst. The Staphorst municipal coat of arms was enacted "on behalf of the king" by order of the Supreme Council of Nobility on 24 November 1819. The description on the coat of arms reads: "being a shield of azure laden with three joined towers of gold". The meaning of the towers on the coat of arms remains a subject of disagreement. Some claim they symbolise the three parishes of Staphorst, IJhorst and Rouveen, while others believe they refer to the towers of the former Mariën monastery on the Zwarte Water. The municipal flag of Staphorst is blue with a yellow band at the top and bottom. In the blue field on the hoist side of the flag is the heraldic figure of the municipality. The flag was enacted on 27 February 1962 by order of the municipal council. The three parishes naturally came into being in the much more distant past. The villages of Staphorst, IJhorst and Rouveen are first mentioned in documents dating back to 1217, 1282 and 1292.

 

It is also quite possible that the flood of 1170 prompted the inhabitants to live on the "hursts" along the Reest River, or to relocate further along the river. The villages of Staphorst and Rouveen are known to have been relocated a number of times throughout the centuries. The inhabitants followed the reclamation of the land for a variety of reasons, and it can be said with some certainty that the villages have been relocated at least twice. A fairly strong indication of this is the relocation of the churches of Staphorst and Rouveen. The first church in Staphorst was built before 1282, the second in 1436, and the current Dutch Reformed Church in 1752, after which it was renovated in 1952 and 1990. The current church of IJhorst was built in 1823. The first church in Rouveen was built in 1282, the second around the year 1400, and the current Dutch Reformed Church in1641.

 

The Dutch Reformed Church in Staphorst as it stands today is located on the site of the old church building of 1752, which was torn down in 1952. The tower dates from 1763. An escutcheon with the coats of arms of the noble families of Twickel, Raesvelt and Averhagen hangs in the church. In 1990, the church was enlarged and the towers heightened. The Dutch Reformed Church is located on Gemeenteweg in Staphorst.

 

The church of IJhorst, built in 1823, has a freestanding belfry. The building was completely renovated in 1995, following two years of restoration work. Interestingly, the church was considered old and dilapidated back in the 14th century, as was written in a letter in 1382 by Floris van Wevelinkchoven, the 50th bishop of Utrecht.

 

The history of the municipality of Staphorst is closely linked to two monasteries, the "Dickninge" monastery built in 1325 on the banks of the Reest and the "Mariënberg", better known as the "Zwarte Water monastery", founded in 1233. Both monasteries were founded "once the peat bogs were already populated". Both monasteries were closed down and demolished after the Reformation.

 

The history of the parish of IJhorst, on the other hand, is not associated with the peat bogs. This village, whose name is first mentioned in a document from 1292, has therefore never been relocated.

 

Staphorst is also called the "gateway to the north", which is clearly apparent from the thousands of cars (as many as 100,000 every 24 hours) that drive the A28 motorway to and from the north every day. The A28 motorway became a four-lane highway in 1968 and was linked to the national motorway in the direction of Hoogeveen in 1979.

But this route had been travelled for many centuries prior to that. In 1282, a "road" was built from the one end of the peat bogs to the other, i.e. from Hasselt to De Wijk (Dickninge). As the villages of Staphorst and Rouveen were relocated, the road moved along with them, so to speak. The travel route to and from the north therefore runs through the municipality of Staphorst. Construction on the Stadsweg in Rouveen began in 1443. Prince Maurits travelled along this road with his army in 1591 and the Duke of Alva and the Bishop of Munster used the road in 1568 and 1665, respectively. The area could easily be flooded by installing flood control dams in the Zwarte Water, essential at that time for defensive reasons.

 

The hamlets of Lankhorst, Hamingen and Olde Staphorst, which fall under the municipality of Staphorst, were first mentioned in documents dating back to 1283, 1346 and 1482, respectively. Considering the name "Olde Staphorst", there was also a new Staphorst, which was established in 1346 and to which the church was relocated. The Reggersweg, with its well-known tollhouse, was constructed in 1771. Prior to this, people travelled to Meppel by way of De Wijk. The Staphorst-Meppel road was constructed during the years 1828-1829.

The population at the time of the establishment of the civil municipality in 1811 was 2,829. In 1859, the population had grown to 4,571, 5,332 in 1889, 5,660 in 1900, and 6,735 in 1930. Rapid population growth took place after World War II. In 1960, the municipality had a population of 9,901, 10,942 in 1970, 12,372 in 1980, 13,700 in 1990, and 15,245 at the millennium. The population of the municipality of Staphorst on 1 January 2009 was 16,016. This includes the parishes of Staphorst, Rouveen and IJhorst, as well as the hamlets of Lankhorst and Punthorst. The parish of Staphorst, which has the largest population by far, is clearly developing into a central town, where the municipality's most significant expansion is concentrated. Its public facilities, intended for the entire municipality, are also being expanded considerably.

The interiors are often highly decorative, although the ravages of time have taken their toll. Most of the roofs are thatched. These typical Staphorst-style farmhouses are a site to see in themselves, though naturally they are not the only sites worth seeing. Staphorst also has lovely shops (selling things like folklore fabrics and wooden toys) and its own museum farm. For more information on these places of interest, contact the VVV Tourist Information Centre in Staphorst at +31 (0)522-465058.

 

The museum farm was opened on 9 June 1982 by HRH Prince Claus. This renovated Staphorst-style farm is an excellent example of the restoration of old values. The museum houses a permanent exhibition on traditional dress and holds annual exhibitions with varying themes in the exhibition space upstairs.

The museum farm is located at Gemeenteweg 67 in Staphorst. For more information, contact the manager, Mr D. Kok, by calling +31 (0)522-462526. The farm is open from 1 April to 31 October, Monday through Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to 17:00 p.m., and is closed on Sundays and holidays.

 

The traditional dress of Staphorst and Rouveen, worn only by a handful of residents nowadays, is exceptionally beautiful. The young men of the towns no longer wear the traditional dress and only a few of the older men (all over the age of 75) still wear this attire. The women are also seen less and less frequently in traditional clothing. You will, however, see more women in traditional attire during the winter than the summer because the clothing is simply too warm for the summer months, when most of the women trade their traditional attire for "plain clothes", only to switch back to their traditional dress in the winter.

 

Please ask permission before taking any photographs and preferably not on Sundays.