Editing Ommen

{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
<!-- Name and transliteration -->| name               = Ommen
| settlement_type    = [[List of municipalities of the Netherlands|Municipality]]
<!-- Images, nickname, motto -->| image_skyline      = Old cityhall Ommen.jpg
| image_alt          = 
| image_caption      = Ommen's old town hall, the river [[Vechte|Vecht]], and the city centre in the background.
| image_flag         = Flag of Ommen.svg
| flag_size          = 100x67px
| flag_alt           = 
| image_shield       = Ommen wapen.svg
| shield_size        = 100x80px
| shield_alt         = <!-- Maps, coordinates -->
| image_map          = Map - NL - Municipality code 0175 (2009).svg
| map_alt            = Highlighted position of Ommen in a municipal map of Overijssel
| map_caption        = Location in Overijssel
| coordinates        = {{coord|52|31|N|6|25|E|region:NL|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes = 
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = [[Netherlands]]
| subdivision_type1  = [[Provinces of the Netherlands|Province]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Overijssel]]
| government_footnotes = <ref name="mayor_now">{{cite web
 |url          = http://www.ommen.nl/bestuur-organisatie/college-van-b-en-w/
 |title        = College van Burgemeester en Wethouders
 |trans-title  = Board of mayor and aldermen
 |language     = nl
 |publisher    = Gemeente Ommen
 |access-date   = 31 March 2014
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20140510081243/http://www.ommen.nl/bestuur-organisatie/college-van-b-en-w/
 |archive-date = 10 May 2014
 |url-status     = dead
 |df           = dmy-all
}}</ref>
| governing_body     = [[Municipal council (Netherlands)|Municipal council]]
| leader_party       = 
| leader_title       = [[Burgemeester|Mayor]]
| leader_name        = Tjeerd van der Zwan ([[PvdA]], acting)
<!-- Geographic information -->| unit_pref          = Metric
<!-- ALL fields with measurements have automatic unit conversion -->
<!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->| area_footnotes     = <ref>{{Dutch municipality total area|dataref}}</ref>
<!-- square km -->| area_total_km2     = {{Dutch municipality total area|Ommen}}
| area_land_km2      = {{Dutch municipality land area|Ommen}}
| area_water_km2     = {{Dutch municipality water area|Ommen}}
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name="AHN">{{cite web 
 |url = http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool
 |title = Postcodetool for 7731EE
 |language = nl
 |author = <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> 
 |work = Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland
 |publisher = Het Waterschapshuis
 |access-date = 31 March 2014}}</ref>
| elevation_m        = 6
| elevation_max_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| elevation_max_m    = 
| elevation_min_footnotes = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| elevation_min_m    = <!-- Population, demographics -->
| population_footnotes = <ref>{{Dutch municipality population|dataref}}</ref>
| population_total   = {{Dutch municipality population|Ommen}}
| population_as_of   = {{MONTHNAME|{{Dutch municipality population|popbasemonth}}}} {{Dutch municipality population|popbaseyear}}
| population_density_km2 = {{Dutch municipality population density|Ommen}} <!-- For automatic calculation: auto-->
| population_demonym = Ommenaar, Ommer
<!-- Other information -->| timezone           = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset         = +1
| timezone_DST       = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset_DST     = +2
| postal_code_type   = [[Postal codes in the Netherlands|Postcode]]
| postal_code        = 7685, 7730–7739, 8145–8149
| area_code_type     = [[Telephone numbers in the Netherlands|Area code]]
| area_code          = 0523, 0529, 0572
| website            = {{URL|1=http://www.ommen.nl}}
| footnotes          = 
}}
[[File:Gem-Ommen-OpenTopo.jpg|thumb|''Dutch Topographic map of Ommen, June 2015'']]

'''Ommen''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈɔmə(n)|-|Nl-Ommen.ogg}}) is a [[Municipalities of the Netherlands|municipality]] and a [[Hanseatic League|Hanseatic]] [[city]] in the eastern [[Netherlands]]. It is located in the [[Vechte|Vecht]] valley of the [[Salland]] region in [[Overijssel]]. Historical records first name Ommen in the early 12th century and it was officially founded as a city in 1248. The municipality had a population of {{formatnum:{{Dutch municipality population|Ommen}}}} in {{YEAR|{{Dutch municipality population|popbaseyear}}}} and covers an area of {{convert|{{Dutch municipality total area|Ommen}}|km2|abbr=on}}.

==Population centres==
Besides the city of Ommen (population: 8,710) and the town of [[Lemele]] (population: 570), the municipality consists of the following hamlets and villages:<ref name="Central Bureau for Statistics">Central Bureau for Statistics (CBS), January 1, 2006</ref>
{{columns-list|colwidth=10em|
* [[Archem]]
* [[Arriën]]
* [[Arriërveld]]
* [[Beerze]]
* [[Beerzerveld]]
* [[Besthmen]]
* [[Eerde (Ommen)|Eerde]]
* [[Giethmen]]
* [[Junne]]
* [[Ommerschans]]
* [[Stegeren]]
* [[Stegerveld]]
* [[Varsen]]
* [[Vilsteren]]
* [[Vinkenbuurt]]
* [[Witharen]] 
* [[Zeesse]]
}}
==History==
[[File:VonDemTeutschenLand.jpg|thumb|The city of Ommen on a map of Overijssel from before 1550]]

===The emergence of Ommen===
The first inhabitants of the area around Ommen were probably [[semi-nomadic]] [[hunter-gatherers]]. [[Flint]] from the [[Mesolithic|Mesolithic period]] found in between Ommen and [[Hardenberg|Mariënberg]] indicates the presence of humans around 9,000 BCE, but there seems to have been hardly any [[tillage|cultivation]] or permanent [[Human settlement|settlement]] during this period.<ref name="Nevelzel"/>

The [[Vechte|Vecht]] (sometimes called the Overijsselse Vecht, to avoid confusion with its [[Vecht (Utrecht)|namesake]] in [[Utrecht (city)|Utrecht]]) and [[Regge River|Regge]] [[river]]s determined the first settlements in the area that is now the municipality of Ommen. Most of the [[Salland]] region was [[marsh]]y but the higher banks along the Vecht and Regge provided fertile [[soil]] for [[agriculture]]. Moreover, good roads were rare, so for trade, transport and travel the rivers provided a vital infrastructure. The first sporadic agricultural settlements in [[Salland]] therefore arose along the riverbanks of the Vecht and the Regge around 5,000 BCE. Indeed, all early population centres in the current municipality of Ommen were originally built on riverbanks — with the exception of the town of [[Lemele]], which was situated on the lower slopes of the [[Lemelerberg]], free from flooding by the Regge.
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Hutkom.JPG|thumb|left|A ''hutkom'': an early Saxon dwelling]] -->

The location of Ommen itself proved particularly suitable for settlement — not only because of the fertile river soil and the higher ground of the river dune (even today the church square is visibly higher than the streets to its east and south), but also because of the [[ford (crossing)|ford]] in the Vecht facilitating trade routes between the [[Frisia]]n north and [[Twente]] to the south. Archeological discoveries indicate that the first settlement in Ommen itself emerged during the 8th century CE, and by the end of the 11th century a veritable town had developed — among the first in Overijssel.<ref name="Willem Bemboom">Willem Bemboom, [http://www.delete-it.nl/oudommen/?p=1789 ''Het maritieme cultuurlandschap van Regge en Vecht'']{{Dead link|date=August 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} (2007), Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Afdeling Maritieme Archeology. (in Dutch)</ref> The first permanent settlers in Ommen were mixed crop-livestock farmers who also engaged in river trade and [[inn]]keeping. Most of these first settlers were probably of [[Saxons|Saxon]] origin, though the [[Salian Franks|Salians]] who dominated the banks of the [[IJssel]] also influenced the region economically, politically and religiously. The first houses in Ommen were ''hutkommen'': wooden houses of which the ground floor was typically around half a meter below the ground. A church was built at the heart of Ommen around 1150 and was soon after replaced by a stone church, indicating further growth of the settlement. Written records first mention Ommen as ''de Vmme'' in 1133 and as ''Ummen'' in 1227.<ref>Steen, G. en W. Veldsink, 1948 – De geschiedenis van Ommen. (in Dutch)</ref>

[[File:Stad Ommen zegel.jpg|thumb|The official seal of the city of Ommen (15th century), depicting its patron saint, [[Brigid of Kildare|Saint Brigid of Kildare]]]]

This gradual growth, however, did not mean Ommen could also dominate the surrounding area politically, as there were many other powers in the land. Above all, the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Utrecht#Roman Catholic archbishops after Restoration of the Episcopal Hierarchy|Prince-Bishop of Utrecht]], who had obtained dominion over all of [[Oversticht]] from [[Henry II, Holy Roman Emperor]], in 1010, repeatedly attempted to increase and centralise his authority over the towns and estates of Salland. The [[bourgeoisie|burghers]] of nearby cities — especially [[Zwolle]] — were also known to interfere in the region. More locally, farming communities in the eastern Netherlands organised themselves into ''markes'' (autonomous areas) where a ''buurschap'' (rule by neighbours) formed a unique kind of grassroots local government. Last but not least, ''havezates'' (or [[castle]]s) arose in the area surrounding Ommen — especially at strategic points such as the banks of the Vecht (the [[Arendshorst]] on the northern bank and [[Beerze]] on the southern bank), the banks of the Regge (most notably at [[Eerde (Ommen)|Eerde]]) or both banks ('t Laer) — from which [[Robber baron (feudalism)|robber baron]]s dominated the surrounding area and could levy tolls on river commerce in defiance of the authority of the bishop.<ref>[http://www.laer.nl/historie.htm The History of 't Laer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090120122349/http://laer.nl/historie.htm |date=2009-01-20 }} (in Dutch)</ref> These robber barons and the ''buurschappen'' formed a check on the influence of Ommen on the surrounding region — yet it was ironically due to one such robber baron that Ommen grew to become an outright city.

===Development into a city===
[[File:Slag bij Ane Frederik Zurcher.JPG|thumb|upright|The death of Otto II of Lippe during the Battle of Ane near Ommen (Frederik Zürcher, 1825–1876)]]

On 25 August 1248, Ommen received [[city rights in the Netherlands|city rights]] and [[defensive wall|fortification rights]] from Otto III, the Prince-Bishop of Utrecht, after the town was [[pillage]]d by local robber baron Rudolf of [[Coevorden]] and his militia of freemen in both 1215 and in the aftermath of the [[Battle of Ane]] of 1227. Ommen's location at the confluence of two rivers at the heart of the region made it the bishop's strategic and logistic basis in the defence of his domain [[Oversticht]] against the rebellious [[Drenthe|Drents]].<ref>Unknown author, ''[[Quaedam narracio|Quedam narracio de Groninghe de Trentis de Covordia et diversis alliis sub episcopis Traiectensibis]]'' (a.k.a. ''Narracio''), published by Vereniging Herdenking Slag bij Ane (2000), folder.</ref> Ommen thus became the 4th-oldest officially recognised city in Overijssel, after [[Deventer]] (956 A.D.), [[Zwolle]] and [[Rijssen]].

A wall was soon erected around Ommen, including three [[town gate|gates]]: the ''Vechtpoort'' or ''Voorbruggenpoort'' (on the bank of the Vecht), the ''Varsenerpoort'' (on the western wall for traffic with [[Varsen]]) and the ''Arriërpoort'' (on the northern wall for traffic with [[Arriën]]). Even to this day, the two [[church bell|bell]]s in the church's belltower, named ''Maria'' and ''Salvator'' and cast in 1517 by Hendrick de Tremonia of [[Dordrecht]], are rung every evening at nine o'clock. These so-called ''Ave-Maria peals'' form a custom which traces its origin to the tradition of ringing the bell at the closing of the gates. Ommen never received a [[moat]], even though it was permitted one.

Ommen soon became a regional port and market for agricultural products. Due to this commercial growth and strategic commercial position, Ommen eventually joined the [[Hanseatic League]] as a smaller port, so most of its trade was not directly with the [[Baltic Sea]] region, but with fellow Hanseatic cities [[Zwolle]], [[Kampen (Overijssel)|Kampen]], [[Zutphen]] and especially [[Deventer]], of which it was a subsidiary city. A [[toll bridge]] across the Vecht (first built in 1492) further increased its wealth and commercial importance, even though the toll bridge across the Vecht was destroyed by ice floes three times through the centuries. The [[Toll bridge|toll]] levy was usually auctioned off to private tax collectors, who resided in the toll house (built in 1531) next to the bridge. A bridge toll would be levied until 1925.<ref>The historical sources about Ommen differ on many of the dates before the 17th century. Usually the difference is only one or two years, but sometimes as much as a decade. The most commonly quoted dates are used on this page.</ref>

For centuries during the Middle Ages, the ''[[Estates of the Realm|Estates]] of Oversticht'', a [[diet (assembly)|diet]] or [[feudalism|feudal]] [[parliament]] representing the quarters of [[Salland]], [[Twente|Twenthe]] and [[Vollenhove]] (and until 1527 also Drenthe) and the cities of Zwolle, Deventer and Kampen, convened just outside the city of Ommen at [[Nieuwebrug (Overijssel)|Nieuwebrug]] (or New Bridge), named after the bridge over the [[Regge River|Regge]] on the road between Ommen and [[Hellendoorn]]. Following a feud between Kampen and Zwolle in 1519, however, a gathering of the Estates was attacked by citizens of neighbouring Zwolle, who abducted three [[nobility|noblemen]] and pillaged nearby [[Ommen#Eerde|Eerde]] castle. During the years that followed, [[Guelders Wars|conflict]] escalated in Overijssel.<ref>Dieks Horsman, "Nieuwebrug, geen echte buurtschap... en toch een gezellige buurt" in ''De Darde Klokke'', No. 117, page 28 (in Dutch)</ref>

===War and disaster===
{{refimprove section|date=August 2016}}
[[File:kerk-ommen.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The Reformed Church: the oldest surviving structure in Ommen]]

In 1522, citizens of [[Zwolle]] attacked and pillaged Ommen with the aid of Duke [[Charles, Duke of Guelders|Charles]] of [[Duchy of Guelders|Guelders]] who thus conquered the city from [[Archdiocese of Utrecht (695–1580)|Utrecht]]. Only the church and women's home ''de Heilige Geest'' (the Holy Spirit) survived the pillage and fire.<ref name="Jan Lucas">Jan Lucas, [http://www.delete-it.nl/oudommen/?p=2011 ''The Town Hall'']{{Dead link|date=August 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} (in Dutch)</ref>
[[File:Vestingplan Ommen 1819 - before.jpg|thumb|Map of Ommen ca. 1818]]
Ommen remained part of [[Guelders]] until 1528, when [[Holy Roman Empire|emperor]] [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] inherited authority over the entire Duchy of Guelders, including [[Overijssel]]. A new [[town hall|city hall]] was built in 1531 in between the church and the Vrijthof square. The city was pillaged again in 1568 by Spanish troops under the 'Iron' [[Fernando Álvarez de Toledo, 3rd Duke of Alba|Duke of Alba]], fighting for Charles's successor, [[Philip II of Spain]]. This time, the pillage was not as devastating: Ommen's church, city hall and several other main buildings were spared. In 1581, the Estates of Overijssel convened outside Ommen to depose Philip and [[Act of Abjuration|proclaim the independence]] of the Netherlands.
[[File:Ommen Vrijthof 1905.jpg|thumb|Vrijthof Ommen with former city hall (in centre), 1905]]

Though a '[[Dutch Golden Age|Golden Age]]' for the young [[Dutch Republic]], the 17th century proved rather devastating for Ommen. A great fire in 1624 inflicted serious damage on the church, of which only the foundations and a few walls remained. To control traffic and to prevent military invasions from the north, the fortification of [[Ommen#Ommerschans|Ommerschans]] was constructed. In 1672, one of the most severe fires in Ommen's history raged through the entire city, destroying everything but the church. In that same year, the aptly named '[[Rampjaar]]' (disaster year), the [[Franco-Dutch War]] broke out, and until 1674 foreign troops (especially from [[Münster]]) frequently marched through Ommen, demanding passage, payment, food and lodging. It was not until 1753 that Ommen had sufficiently recovered to afford a new city hall, built at the Vrijthof square, on the same location as the previous building.

During the so-called '[[Second Stadtholderless Period#Decline of the Republic|periwig era]]' of decline in the Netherlands, discontent with oligarchical rule also increased in Ommen. In 1732, the citizens of Ommen rose up against the city council. A petition was handed to the Magistrate on May 31, in which a large share of the citizenry rejected its authority and asked it to resign. The council refused and severe riots ensued, but eventually order was restored. In 1762, a night guard was installed to maintain public order, but the unrest would remain until the [[Batavian Revolution]] of 1795.

===Ommen in modern times===
[[File:Vestingplan Ommen 1819 after.jpg|thumb|Fortification plan Ommen 1819]]

On March 2, 1809, the municipal authorities prepared a welcome for the visit of [[Louis Bonaparte|Lodewijk Napoleon]], king of the short-lived [[Kingdom of Holland]]. They were disappointed when they found out the king had already passed Ommen the day before. The three burgomasters quickly pursued the king and met with his party near [[Gramsbergen]], still receiving a gift of 1000 Dutch [[guilder]]s for the well-intended preparations for his visit.

When his brother [[Napoleon I of France|Napoleon Bonaparte]] annexed the [[Kingdom of Holland]] into the [[First French Empire|French Empire]] in 1810, he had all local government radically reformed to become compatible with French structures. Ommen too was affected: the separate jurisdictions of [[Stad Ommen]] (composed of the city of Ommen and the [[Ommen#Ommerschans|Ommerschans]]) and [[Ambt Ommen]] (which comprised most of the rest of the current municipality, [[Avereest]] and [[Den Ham]] as well) were merged into one ''Mairie Ommen'' (though [[Den Ham]] became a separate municipality).<ref>Ad van der Meer and Onno Boonstra, "Repertorium van Nederlandse gemeenten" (2006) Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen, {{ISBN|90-6984-495-8}}.</ref> This caused much controversy and discontent locally because the ''marke'' communities thus lost their ancient rights of self-governance. In 1818, shortly after [[Kingdom of the United Netherlands|Dutch independence]], Mairie Ommen was once more decentralised into the municipalities Stad Ommen, Ambt Ommen and Avereest. To ensure good coordination, one [[burgomaster]] was appointed over both Stad and Ambt from 1851 onwards.<ref>Harry Woertink, [http://www.delete-it.nl/oudommen/?p=797 Burgemeesters van Ommen]{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, in ''Ommen Historisch Belicht'' (2006), Historische Kring Ommen. (In Dutch)</ref>

To safeguard the eastern borders of the newly established Kingdom of the Netherlands, plans were drawn by order of [[Cornelis Rudolphus Theodorus Krayenhoff|Baron Krayenhoff]] in 1819 to convert Ommen into a city with fortifications. However, these radical plans (''Ontwerp ter bevestiging van Ommen 1819'') were not carried out in the end, as the [[IJssel]] river to the west was considered a more natural line of defence.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nationaalarchief.nl/webviews/page.webview?eadid=NL-HaNA_4.OPV&pageid=N20F0C |title=Plans for the fortification of Ommen in the Dutch National Archives |access-date=2010-02-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101108161414/http://www.nationaalarchief.nl/webviews/page.webview?eadid=NL-HaNA_4.OPV |archive-date=2010-11-08 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Although renovated and expanded in 1758, the toll house next to the bridge (also called the bridge master's house) was torn down in 1827 to be replaced by a new city hall, designed by the architect [[J.P. Orentzburg]]. This new building, situated on the bank of the Vecht, housed all offices of the municipal authorities — including the city council, the court, the tax and toll office, the Gentlemen's Society and the home of the burgomaster. The court moved to a new building in 1882. The burgomaster and the Gentlemen's Society moved soon afterwards. The city hall was renovated and expanded in 1925 and again in 1955. The municipal authorities left the building in 1982. It has since been converted into a museum and a restaurant.
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Ommen9.jpg|thumb|Ommen at the beginning of the 20th century]] -->
In 1923, the municipalities of Stad Ommen and Ambt Ommen were once again merged. The borders of the municipality have remained unchanged since, with the exception of the eastern part of [[Lemelerveld]] which came under the municipality of [[Dalfsen]] in 1997.

On the night of 6 February 1972, a [[Palestinian people|Palestine]] [[terrorism|terrorist]] organisation named [[Black September (group)|Black September]] attempted to blow up a [[natural gas]] [[Pipeline transport|pipeline]] at a distribution hub near Ommen, but not all explosives were detonated. A blue bag filled with explosives was found after the explosion, next to a {{convert|3|m|ft|adj=mid|-wide|spell=in|sp=us}} crater. During the same night there were also attacks in [[Hamburg]] and the Dutch village of [[Ravenstein, Netherlands|Ravenstein]] — and later that year, Black September also caused the [[Munich Massacre]].<ref>Andere Tijden, [http://geschiedenis.vpro.nl/programmas/2899536/afleveringen/4157251/items/4158576/ ''Aanslagen in Ravenstein en Ommen: De grootste sabotage-daad van na de oorlog''], October 16, 2001. (In Dutch)</ref>

===Eerde===
[[File:eerde.jpg|thumb|Eerde Castle]]

About four kilometres ({{convert|4|km|1|abbr=off|disp=output only}}) south-east of Ommen and adjacent to the hamlet of [[Eerde (Ommen)|Eerde]] lies the castle Eerde, a castle in the Dutch-classical style from 1715, surrounded by a 1,667 [[hectare]] [[estate (house)|estate]] in the [[Baroque]] style managed by the [[Natuurmonumenten]] foundation since 1965.<ref name="Natuurmonumenten">Stichting Natuurmonumenten, [http://www.natuurmonumenten.nl/natuurgebieden.jsp?n=35976 '' Natuurgebied Eerde''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060930010220/http://www.natuurmonumenten.nl/natuurgebieden.jsp?n=35976 |date=2006-09-30 }}</ref>

The name "Eerde" is a Saxon word meaning "earth". The first castle on this site was built in the 14th century, but was soon destroyed by the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Utrecht|bishop]]'s men in 1380 — along with the fortifications of the town of Ommen. In the centuries since, the [[Van Twickelo]], [[Van Renesse]] and [[Van Pallandt]] families have lived in castles on this site. The castle was used by the famous [[philosopher]] and [[spiritual teacher]] [[Jiddu Krishnamurti]], of whom Baron [[Philip van Pallandt]] was an avid follower, from about 1924 to just before the start of the [[World War II|Second World War]]. Van Pallandt granted Krishnamurti a territory at the [[Besthmen|Besthemerberg]], north of Eerde. There Krishnamurti held his [[Order of the Star in the East]] lectures and meetings in front of audiences of thousands of people from dozens of countries.<ref name="Nevelzel">Gerrit Nevenzel, [http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/laird.niven/public_html/april_45.htm '' Kasteel Eerde''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010821225326/http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/laird.niven/public_html/april_45.htm |date=2001-08-21 }}</ref>

During the Second World War, a [[Nazi]] [[Internment|concentration camp]], ''[[Kamp Erika]]'', was situated at the Besthemerberg. Only eight Jews were detained here; the camp was designated mostly for Dutchmen convicted of black market trade or resistance to the occupational authorities. The camp was notorious for the brutal behaviour of its personnel, leading Dutch judges to refuse to send convicts there in 1943. The camp was turned into an ''Arbeitserziehungslager'' mostly for those refusing to do forced labour, but in the fall of 1944 it once again became a penal camp. The camp was liberated on 11 April 1945. From 1945 to 1946, the camp was instead used to detain Dutchmen who had [[collaborationism|collaborated]] with the [[History of the Netherlands (1939-1945)|German occupiers]]. Their treatment was not much better.<ref>Guusta Veldman ''Knackers achter prikkeldraad : kamp Erika bij Ommen, 1941–1945 '' (1993) {{ISBN|90-5345-037-8}} (in Dutch)</ref>

Nowadays the castle houses the private international boarding school Eerde, which offers the [[International Baccalaureate Organization|IB]] programme.<ref name="International School Eerde">{{cite web|url=http://www.eerde.nl/|title=International School Eerde -|work=eerde.nl}}</ref>

===Ommerschans===
<!-- Commented out because image was deleted: [[File:ommerschans-.gif|thumb|80px|Sketch of the Ommerschans fortress]] -->

About ten kilometres ({{convert|10|km|abbr=off|disp=output only}}) due north of Ommen lies the former Ommerschans fortification.<ref name="Vereniging De Ommerschans">Vereniging De Ommerschans, [http://www.deommerschans.nl/framesets/index3.htm '' History of the Ommerschans''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070208025721/http://www.deommerschans.nl/framesets/index3.htm |date=2007-02-08 }} (in Dutch)</ref> The [[Ommerschans]] was a [[fortress]] built in 1628 as part of a defence line to defend the northern provinces of [[Groningen (province)|Groningen]] and [[Friesland]] from the marauding [[count]] [[Hendrik van den Bergh (count)|Hendrik van den Bergh]] (in [[Spain|Spanish]] service) after the expiration of the [[Twelve Years' Truce]]. Hendrik, a nephew of [[William the Silent|William of Orange]], then defected to the [[Dutch Republic]] in 1633.

The defences of the Ommerschans were restrengthened in the middle of the 17th century to deter and halt a possible invasion from the German states. Despite these new fortifications, the Ommerschans was captured without any resistance when Prince-Bishop [[Bernhard von Galen]] of [[Bishopric of Münster|Münster]] and Archbishop-Elector [[Maximilian Henry of Bavaria|Maximilian Henry]] of [[Archbishop-Electorate of Cologne|Cologne]] invaded in 1672, the so-called [[rampjaar]] (or disaster year) that started the [[Franco-Dutch War]]. The 146 [[musketeer]]s and 55 [[Pike (weapon)|pikemen]] stationed at the Ommerschans fled north, only to return later that year when the bishops retreated after their failed [[siege]] of the northern city of [[Groningen (city)|Groningen]].

Under pressure from the citizens of Ommen and after the [[Treaty of Utrecht|Peace of Utrecht]] of 1713, the fortress was closed down in 1715, only to be reinstated as a fortified [[arsenal]] in 1740 when [[War of the Austrian Succession|war]] reignited in [[Continental Europe]]. During the [[Patriottentijd|Patriot Revolt]] of 1787, militias from [[Zwolle]], [[Kampen (Overijssel)|Kampen]] and [[Vollenhove]] conquered and pillaged the Ommerschans, stealing all its weaponry to help them in their paramilitary struggle against the [[Dutch republic|regime]]. The Ommerschans fortification became abandoned and would never again be used for military purposes.

[[File:ommerschans2.jpg|thumb|left|Ommerschans labour camp in the 1820s]]
In the early 19th century, the Dutch government changed it into a resocialisation institution and labour camp for beggars, prostitutes and alcoholics from [[Amsterdam]] and other [[Holland|western]] cities. They were supposed to learn farming and morals by experience so they could reintegrate into society. In reality the beggars were used for semi-forced and all-but-unpaid labour to [[Land reclamation|reclaim]] the [[wetlands]] surrounding Ommerschans, eventually reclaiming an area of 4 by {{frac|2|1|2}} kilometres. Politician and novelist [[Jacob van Lennep]] visited Ommerschans during his walking tour with [[Dirk van Hogendorp (1797-1845)|Dirk van Hogendorp]] across the newly independent [[United Kingdom of the Netherlands]] in the summer of 1823, and documented his shock at the conditions at the labour camp: "These hours are certainly among the saddest I have lived through."

When the institution went bankrupt in 1859 the Dutch government managed the labour camp until 1889, when it was finally closed down. During its years in operation, between several hundred and two thousand workers would live at Ommerschans at any one time, and an estimated 5448 workers died whilst interned there.

==The city of Ommen==

===Location, economy and infrastructure===
[[File:Regge.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Regge River|Regge]] near Eerde]]

Ommen lies {{convert|20|km|0|abbr=off}} east of the provincial capital of [[Zwolle]] and {{convert|35|km|mi}} north-east of fellow [[Hanseatic League|Hanseatic city]] [[Deventer]].  It lies on the north bank of the [[Vechte|Vecht]] river, not far from where the [[Regge River|Regge river]] merges with this stream. Only smaller ships and yachts can use these waterways.

Because Ommen is a rural municipality, [[tourism]] and [[agriculture]] are the pillars of the local economy. The forests and hilly [[Heath (habitat)|heathland]]s of Ommen attract many nature-seeking visitors.{{fact|date=March 2019}} The city of Ommen has several hotels and in the surrounding area there are fifteen campgrounds. [[Gilwell Ada's Hoeve]] on the left bank of the Vecht was the first Scouting campground in the Netherlands. Ommen also has a small [[marina]].

Since 15 January 1903, Ommen has had a [[Ommen railway station|railway station]] designed by [[Eduard Cuypers]]. It is situated one kilometre ({{convert|1|km|1|abbr=off|disp=output only}}) from the centre on the opposite side of the [[Vechte|Vecht]]. The station is on the (minor) [[Zwolle]]-[[Emmen, Netherlands|Emmen]] line and trains stop roughly twice an hour. Ommen also used to have direct railway links to [[Stadskanaal]] and to [[Deventer]] via [[Raalte]], which were abandoned when they lost their importance due to the emergence of the [[automobile]]. Early plans to establish railway lines from Ommen to [[Hoogeveen]] and to [[Hellendoorn]] were abandoned for that same reason.

An important infrastructural problem is the [[Provincial road N34 (Netherlands)|N34]] road from [[Zwolle]] via [[Emmen, Netherlands|Emmen]] to [[Groningen (city)|Groningen]], which crosses the city of Ommen. One of its main crossroads, near the Vecht bridge is a [[Bottleneck (traffic)|bottleneck]] that causes frequent traffic congestion. The government is rerouting the N34 road north of the city, in order to reduce crosstown traffic.

===Local politics===
The current [[burgemeester|mayor]] of Ommen is Hans Vroomen. He started his tenure on December 18, 2017

The last municipal elections were in March 2022. The seventeen seats in Ommen's municipal council are divided as follows:
{{columns-list|colwidth=20em|
*Local Party Ommen (LPO): 4 seats
*[[Christian Democratic Appeal|CDA]]: 4 seats
*People's party Ommen Forward (VOV): 3 seats
*[[ChristianUnion]]: 3 seats
*[[Labour Party (Netherlands)|PvdA]]: 1 seat
*[[Democraten 66|D66]]: 1 seat
*[[People's Party for Freedom and Democracy|VVD]]: 1 seat
}}
==International relations==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in the Netherlands}}

===Twin towns — Sister cities===
Ommen is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:
{| class="wikitable"
|- valign="top"
|
* {{flagicon|GER}} [[Recke]], [[North Rhine-Westphalia]], [[Germany]] <small>''(since 1989)'' </small>
||
* {{flagicon|POL}} [[Żnin]], [[Poland]] <small>''(since 1991)'' </small>
|}

==Culture==

===Bissing===
{{Unreferenced section|date=December 2015}}
[[File:bissingh.jpg|thumb|Former [[burgomaster]] {{Ill|Arend ten Oever|nl}} ([[Christian Democratic Appeal|CDA]]) opening the 2006 Bissing]]

Ommen is famous for its ''Bissing'' [[fair]] and [[market (place)|market]]s. These yearly markets have been organised on the second Tuesday of July since at least 1557. The Bissing lasted three days from Monday till Wednesday. Its success was based on the wide array of products on offer and a relaxation of [[excise]]s and regulation on alcoholic consumption, attracting merchants and consumers to Ommen from far and wide. In the 19th century it became one of the main markets in the province of [[Overijssel]], and there would often be [[Brawling (legal definition)|brawl]]s and [[riot]]s. In 1918, the council of [[Dutch Reformed Church]] asked the town council to end the public events surrounding the Bissing for moral reasons. The town council complied and the Bissing activities were suspended until 1958, although the market continued.

Nowadays the Bissing has become a major [[tourist attraction]], lasting for five consecutive Wednesdays after the initial market and comprising a wide array of ceremonies, fairs, concerts, funfairs and activities.

The [[etymology]] of the word ''Bissing'' is widely discussed. Some believe it is derived from 'Bishop's day', in recognition of the granting of Ommen's town rights, whilst others believe the Low-Saxon word is related to the English word ''business''.

===Language===
[[File:Low Saxon Dialects.svg|thumb|Region where [[Dutch Low Saxon|Low Saxon]] is spoken]]

Most inhabitants of Ommen speak [[Dutch language|Dutch]], but many will also speak [[Dutch Low Saxon|Low Saxon]] or ''Plat'' — an ancient language related to [[Low German]] and [[Old English language|Old English]] which is indigenous to the north-east of the [[Netherlands]]. The dialect of Plat spoken in Ommen is [[Sallands]]. Although both the national government and the [[European Union]] recognise Plat as a [[regional language]], it is considered by many to be a mere [[dialect]] of Dutch, and its popularity is waning rapidly, even compared to [[Twents]].

The poet [[Johanna van Buren]] died in Ommen in 1962. Her Plat poetry in the [[Sallands|Salland]] and [[Twents]] dialect is still popular throughout [[Overijssel]]. The Johanna van Buren Cultural Prize is awarded once every three years to a person who contributed to the regional culture of the Eastern Netherlands.<ref name="Johanna van Buren">Streektaalzang, [http://www.streektaalzang.nl/strk/geen/overjbun.htm ''Johanna van Buren''] (in Dutch)</ref>

===Religion===
Ommen has a reasonable mix of [[Christianity|Christian]] churches, with sizable [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]], [[Protestant Church in the Netherlands|Dutch Protestant]] and Liberated Reformed (''Gereformeerd Vrijgemaakt'') congregations.

Ommen was built around the old church at its centre, built around 1150, first mentioned in 1238 and severely damaged by fires in 1330 and 1624.<ref name="Nevelzel"/> The church was converted to [[Calvinism]] during the [[Protestant Reformation|Reformation]] of the 16th century, and it was not until the constitutional reforms of 1853 that the Roman Catholicism was once again openly practiced in Ommen and not until 1860 that a new Roman Catholic church was founded in the centre of Ommen. The village of Vilsteren to the west of Ommen, however, had remained entirely [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]] throughout the centuries.

The famous preacher and [[dissenter]] [[Albertus van Raalte]] lived and worked in Ommen between 1839 and 1844, before he and his congregation moved to [[United States of America|America]] to found the [[Christian Reformed Church in North America]] and the city of [[Holland, Michigan]].

Jews in the Ommen area often were small-scale butchers. Most of Ommen's [[Jew]]ish community was murdered during [[the Holocaust]] or left soon after the [[Nazi occupation of the Netherlands]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://jck.nl/nl/page/ommen|title = Ommen - Joods Cultureel Kwartier}}</ref> The synagogue building was demolished in 1956. Jewish graveyards still exist.

==Sights==
[[File:besthemermolen.jpg|thumb|upright|The newly renovated ''Besthemermolen'']]
* The church in the centre, built in 1150 but rebuilt and renovated regularly, is by far the oldest building in Ommen.
* The National Tin Figurine Museum in the former Town Hall has over 200,000 figurines and panoramas, including four panoramas of the [[Battle of Ane]].<ref>National Tin Figurine Museum, [http://tinnenfigurenmuseum.nl/EngelsHome.htm '' National Tin Figurine Museum''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618184827/http://tinnenfigurenmuseum.nl/EngelsHome.htm |date=2013-06-18 }}</ref>
* Ommen has five [[windmill]]s, of which three are in the town itself: the Lelie (1846, still in full operation), Den Oordt (1842, operates weekly) and the Konijnenbelt (1806, out of commission). [[Vilsteren]] has its own windmill (1858, recently recommissioned), as does the hamlet of Besthem (1862, recently renovated). The Besthemermolen also houses the Nature Information Centre with expositions about Ommen's diverse [[landscape]] and [[ecosystem]]s.
* The small Regional Museum in Ommen explains Ommen's customs and history.<ref name="Regional Museum Ommen">Regional Museum Ommen (in Dutch), ''[http://www.museum-ommen.nl/ Regional Museum Ommen]''</ref>
* The estates of the [[Vilsteren]] and [[Eerde]] castles are open to the public.<ref name="Natuurmonumenten"/><ref name="Landgoed Vilsteren">Landgoed Vilsteren, ''[http://www.natuurmonumenten.nl/natuurgebieden.jsp?n=35976 Landgoed Vilsteren] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060930010220/http://www.natuurmonumenten.nl/natuurgebieden.jsp?n=35976 |date=2006-09-30 }}''</ref>
* The [[Pieterpad]] rambling trail (the most popular trail in the Netherlands) passes through Ommen.<ref>Pieterpad (in Dutch) www site: http://www.pieterpad.nl/</ref>

==Notable inhabitants of Ommen==
* [[Albertus van Raalte]] (1811 in Wanneperveen – 1876) preacher and founder of [[Holland, Michigan]]
* [[Dirk Van Raalte]] (1844 in Ommen – 1901) American [[Union (American Civil War)|Union]] soldier and politician
* {{ill|August van Groeningen|nl|August Pieter van Groeningen}} (1866 in Ommen – 1894) writer 
* {{ill|Johanna van Buren|nl}} (1881 in Hellendoorn – 1981) poet 
* [[Gerrit Bouwhuis]] (1888 in Ommen – 1957) a Dutch sports shooter, competed at the [[1924 Summer Olympics]]
* [[Philip baron van Pallandt]] (1889–1979), pioneer of Dutch Scouting
* [[J. H. A. Lokin]] (born 1945 in Ommen) jurist and academic
* [[Edward Top]] (born 1972 in Ommen), composer
* [[Malik Azmani]] (born 1976 in Heerenveen) is a Dutch politician and [[Member of the European Parliament]]

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
*{{Commonscatinline}}
*{{Wikivoyage-inline}}
*{{official|http://www.ommen.nl }} {{in lang|nl}}
*[http://www.museum-ommen.nl/ Ommen Regional Museum] {{in lang|nl}}
*[http://www.hko97.nl/ Ommen Historical Society] {{in lang|nl}}

{{Geographic location
 |Centre    = Ommen
 |North     = [[Hardenberg]]
 |East      = [[Hardenberg]]
 |Southeast = [[Twenterand]]
 |South     = [[Hellendoorn]]
 |Southwest = [[Raalte]]
 |West      = [[Dalfsen]]
}}

{{Overijssel Province}}
{{Dutch municipality Ommen}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ommen| ]]<!--please leave the empty space as standard-->
[[Category:Municipalities of Overijssel]]
[[Category:Populated places in Overijssel]]
[[Category:Members of the Hanseatic League]]
[[Category:Cities in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Salland]]
[[Category:Populated places established in the 8th century]]
[[Category:Holocaust locations in the Netherlands]]