Editing Sneek

{{Infobox settlement

| name                    = Sneek
| native_name             = {{native name|fy|Snits}}
| settlement_type         = City and former municipality
| image_skyline           = 20190529 Waterpoort1 Sneek.jpg
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           = Waterpoort
| image_flag              = Flag of Sneek.svg
| flag_alt                = 
| image_seal              = 
| seal_alt                = 
| image_shield            = Sneek wapen.svg
| shield_alt              = 
| etymology               = 
| nickname                = 
| motto                   = 
| image_map               = 
| map_alt                 = 
| map_caption             = Location in Weststellingwerf municipality
| pushpin_map             = Netherlands Friesland#Netherlands<!-- the name of a location map as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Location_map -->
| pushpin_label_position  = right
| pushpin_mapsize         = 250
| pushpin_map_caption     = Location in the Netherlands
| coordinates             = {{coord|53|01|57|N|05|39|36|E|region:NL|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint           = 
| coordinates_footnotes   = 
| subdivision_type        = Country
| subdivision_name        = {{flagicon|Netherlands}} [[Netherlands]]
| subdivision_type1       = [[Provinces of the Netherlands|Province]]
| subdivision_name1       = {{flagicon|Friesland}} [[Friesland]]
| subdivision_type2       = [[List of municipalities of the Netherlands|Municipality]]
| subdivision_name2       = {{flagicon|Súdwest-Fryslân}} [[Súdwest-Fryslân]]
| subdivision_type3       = 
| subdivision_name3       = 
| established_title       = 
| established_date        = 
| founder                 = 
| seat_type               = 
| seat                    = 
| government_footnotes    = 
| leader_party            = 
| leader_title            = 
| leader_name             = 
| unit_pref               = Metric
<!-- ALL fields with measurements have automatic unit conversion -->
<!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| area_footnotes          = <ref name="stat"/>
| area_total_km2          = 34.04
| elevation_footnotes     = <ref name="AHN">{{cite web |url = http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool |title = Postcodetool for 8601AA |language = nl |work = Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland |publisher = Het Waterschapshuis |access-date = 2 April 2022 }}</ref>
| elevation_m             = 0.8
| population_as_of        = 2021
| population_footnotes    = <ref name="stat">{{cite web |url=https://www.cbs.nl/-/media/_excel/2021/48/kwb-2021.xls |title=Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2021 |website=Central Bureau of Statistics |access-date=2 April 2022}}</ref>
| population_total        = 34,485
| population_density_km2  = auto
| population_note         = 
| population_demonym      = 
| timezone1               = 
| utc_offset1             = 
| timezone1_DST           = 
| utc_offset1_DST         = 
| timezone                = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset              = +1
| timezone_DST            = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset_DST          = +2
| postal_code_type        = [[List of postal codes in the Netherlands|Postal code]]
| postal_code             = 8600-08<ref name="stat"/>
| area_code_type          = [[Telephone numbers in the Netherlands|Dialing code]]
| area_code               = 0515
| iso_code                = 
| footnotes               = 
}}
[[Image:Sneek-plaats-OpenTopo.jpg|upright=1.35|thumb|Topographic map of Sneek, as of June 2014]]
[[File:Sneek from the air (2022).jpg|thumb|alt=Sneek from the air (2022)|Sneek from the air (2022)]]
[[Image:Blaeu 1652 - Sneek.jpg|thumb|right|Sneek on a map by [[Willem Blaeu|Willem]] and [[Joan Blaeu]] in 1652]]
[[File:Waterpoort Sneek.jpg|thumb|Waterpoort (2017)]]
[[Image:Sneek-gracht.jpg|thumb|right|Kleinzand Canal in Sneek (2006)]]
[[Image:Tonnemafabriek Sneek 03.JPG|thumb|right|[[Tonnemafabriek]] (confectionery factory) (2008)]]
[[Image:Station Sneek 04.JPG|thumb|right|[[Sneek railway station]] (2007)]]
[[Image:Houkesloot Aquaduct 06c.jpg|thumb|right|[[Houkesloot Aqueduct]] (2007)]]

'''Sneek''' ({{IPA|nl|sneːk|-|464 Sneek.ogg}}; {{langx|fy|Snits}} {{IPA|fy|snɪts|}}) is a [[List of cities in the Netherlands by province|city]] southwest of [[Leeuwarden]] and the seat of the former municipality of Sneek in the province of [[Friesland]], [[Netherlands]]. As of 2011 it is the seat of the municipality of [[Súdwest-Fryslân]] (Southwest Friesland). The city had approximately 33,855 inhabitants in January&nbsp;2017.<ref>[http://statline.cbs.nl/Statweb/publication/?DM=SLNL&PA=83765NED&D1=0-1,3-4,8,11,14,28,31-32,99-104&D2=13314-13470&HDR=T&STB=G1&VW=T Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2017] - CBS Statline</ref>

Sneek is situated in Southwest Friesland, close to the [[Sneekermeer]], and is well known for its canals, the [[Waterpoort]] (''Watergate'', the symbol of the city), and [[list of water sports|watersports]] (hosting the annual [[Sneekweek]], the largest sailing event on inland European waterways). Sneek is one of the ''[[Friese elf steden]]'' ("Eleven cities of Friesland"). The city is very important in the southwestern part of Friesland (called the [[Zuidwesthoek]], or ''Southwest Corner'').

==History==

===History===
Sneek was founded in the 10th&nbsp;century as ''Chud'' on a sandy peninsula at the crossing site of a [[levee|dike]] with an important waterway (called the ''Magna Fossa'' in old documents). This waterway was dug when the former [[Middelzee]] silted up. The dike can still be traced in the current street pattern and street names like ''Hemdijk'', ''Oude Dijk'', and ''Oosterdijk''.

Sneek received several [[city rights]] in the 13th&nbsp;century, which became official in 1456. Sneek then became one of the eleven Frisian cities. This was also the beginning of a period of blooming trade for the city that would last until about 1550. In 1492 construction of a [[moat]] and wall around the city began. In those days Sneek was the only walled city in Friesland. The [[Watergate (architecture)|Waterpoort]] and the [[Bastion|Bolwerk]] remain today.

Before 2011, the city was an independent municipality.

===Sister city Kurobe===
Since September 10, 1970, Sneek and the Japanese city of [[Kurobe, Toyama|Kurobe]] have been [[sister city|sister cities]]. In 1970, Mayor L. Rasterhoff of Sneek visited the city of Kurobe and was named an honorary citizen. Mayor H. Terade of Kurobe made a visit to Sneek in 1972. In 2000 delegations of both cities visited each other again. The Japanese showed the citizens of Sneek a "Sneekplein", which was built in Kurobe.

===Language===
Sneek has its own [[dialect]] (called ''Snekers'') that dates back to the [[Dutch language]] before 1600. Snekers is part of the [[Stadsfries dialects]].

==Trade and industry==
The clothing store [[C&A]] started in 1841 with a store in Sneek. The Candyfactory Leaf produces [[Mint (candy)|Peppermint]] under the name {{ill|KING (mint)|nl|KING (pepermunt)|lt=KING}} as well as chewing gum (Sportlife) and various other sweets. The name "KING" has nothing to do with the English word 'king'; it stands for {{Lang|nl|Kwaliteit in niets geëvenaard}} ("Quality equaled by nothing"). Sneek also has steel, machinery and rope factories. Since 1964 there is a factory of [[Yoshida YKK]] from [[Kurobe]]. Besides that, the supermarket branch [[Poiesz]], clothing brand [[Gaastra (merk)|Gaastra]] and Frisian gin called [[beerenburg]] from [[Weduwe Joustra]] are products that have their roots in Sneek.

==Places of interest==
Sneek is well known as the center of watersports with over 130 watersport companies and 13 [[Marina]]s. It also has a historic inner city replete with houses of old upper-class families.
* [[Waterpoort]] (1613)
* [[:nl:Stadhuis van Sneek|Sneek Town Hall]] (1550)
* [[:simple:Grote of Martinikerk|Grote of Martinikerk]] ([[Protestant Church in the Netherlands|Protestant]], 1498), with a [[carillon]] of 50 bells
* [[:nl:Sint-Martinuskerk (Sneek)|St. Martin's Church]] (Catholic, 1872)
* [http://www.architectureguide.nl/project/list_projects_of_typeofbuilding/typ_id/24/prj_id/2304 Tonnema Candy Factory] (1955)
* [[:nl:D%C3%BAvelsrak|Dúvelsrak]] and [[:nl:Kr%C3%BAsrak|Krúsrak]], wooden bridges across the [[A7 motorway (Netherlands)|A7 motorway]].

==Transport==
By road, Sneek is connected to the [[A7 motorway (Netherlands)|A7 motorway]] and [[Provinciale weg 354|N354]]

Buses and trains in the town are operated by [[Qbuzz]].

Sneek is connected to other cities by four main waterways: [[Houkesloot]], leading to the Prinses Margrietkanaal; River [[Geeuw (rivier)|de Geeuw]], leading to IJlst; [[Zwette|de Zwette]], leading to Leeuwarden; [[Franekervaart]], leading to Franeker.

==Art and Culture==

===Museums===
* [[Fries Scheepvaart Museum]] Frisian Maritime Museum
* [[Nationaal Modelspoor Museum]] National Model Train Museum

===Podia===
* [[Het Bolwerk]], very first [[poppodium]] of Friesland, since 1975. Member of the [[Fries Popnet]].

===Cultural Quarter===
In 2010 there will be a Cultural Quarter, The municipality has made plans to connect various Cultural areas into one big Cultural Quarter. The total costs of the plans are about €35,000,000 and include
* The Noorderchurch will house a theatre and a Center of the Arts (CvdK - Centrum voor de Kunsten)
* The Bolwerk will house another part of the CvdK
* A new Theatre (Capacity of 600 people) at the location of the former postoffice-building
* The connection between the Theatre and the Bolwerk with a walking bridge and a floating podium in the city canal. This part won't be constructed because of high costs.
* The Public library and the Martinichurch will be linked to the Cultural Quarter

===Silver Ball===
The Culture Award of Sneek is called The Silver Ball and has been awarded 11 times. The award is given annually to a person that has done an improvement/good job on the areas of Music and Culture for Sneek and its surroundings. Some of the winners are:
* [[Henk van der Veer]], writer
* 2005: [[Maaike Schuurmans]], musical actress
* 2006: Yede van Dijk, actor
* 2007: Bennie Hoogstra, 25 years playing the Drum- & Showkorps Advendo

===Events===
* [[Sneekweek]], Sailevent on the [[Sneekermeer]]
* [[Swinging Sneek]], live-music in cafés and on street

==Education==
Sneek has eleven primary schools and three high schools.

==Sport==

===Sports centres===
* Sportcentrum Schuttersveld
* Sportpark Noorderhoek
* Sportpark SWZ Sneek
* Sportpark Leeuwarderweg
* Swimming pool It Rak
* Zuidersportpark

===Sport Clubs===
* [[VV Sneek Wit Zwart|Sneek Wit Zwart]](SWZ), football club
* LSC 1890, one of the oldest football clubs in the Netherlands
* [[ONS Boso Sneek|ONS Sneek]], football club
* Black Boys, football club
* Waterpoort boys, football club
* Sneeker MHC, hockey club
* VC Sneek, volleyball club
* Neptunia'24, water polo club
* L.T.C. NOMI, tennis club
* White Cats Sneek, baseball and softball club
* FC Gescheurde Knieband, football club

===Sportevents===
* [[Elfstedentocht]] Eleven city ice skating race and tour
* [[Eleven Cities Cycling Tour|Fietselfstedentocht]] Eleven city cycling tour

==Notable people==
<!-- RANGSCHIKKING NAAR GEBOORTEJAAR -->
[[File:Dagsluiting - Kees Deenik & Phia Berghout.png|thumb|[[Kees Deenik]] and [[Phia Berghout]] in 1951]]
* [[Rienck Bockema]] (ca. 1350–1436)
* [[Pier Gerlofs Donia]] (ca. 1480–1520), Frisian freedom fighter, rebel and pirate 'Grutte Pier'
* [[Joachim Hoppers]] (1523–1576), jurist and politician of the [[Habsburg Netherlands]]
* [[Murk van Phelsum]] (1730–1799), physician
* [[Nicolaas Molenaar]] (1850–1930), architect
* [[Jakob van Schevichaven]] (1866–1935), detective writer
* [[Geert Aeilco Wumkes]] (1869–1954), theologian and historian
* [[Willem de Sitter]] (1872–1934), mathematician, physicist and astronomer
* [[Pieter Sjoerds Gerbrandy]] (1885–1961), politician
* [[Frits Wissel]] (1907–1999), pilot, discoverer of the [[Wissel Lakes]] in New-Guinea.
* [[Klaas Dijkstra]] (1895–1969), advocate of pseudoscience ([[Flat Earth]])
* [[Kees Deenik]] (1915–1993), singer, TV producer
* [[Dieuwkje Nauta]] (1930–2008), teacher, politician
* [[Bart Tromp]] (1944–2007), sociologist
* [[Wiebe Nijenhuis]] (1955–2016), strongest man of Friesland 1982–1984
* [[Joke Tjalsma]] (1957), actress
* [[Toon Gerbrands]] (1957), coach and manager
* [[Pauline Krikke]] (1961), politician
* [[Manon Thomas]] (1963), [[television]] presenter
* [[Jan Posthuma]] (1963), international volleyball player
* [[Ronald Zoodsma]] (1966), international volleyball player
* [[Monique Sluyter]] (1967), model and television star
* [[Olof van der Meulen]] (1968), volleyball player
* [[Sherida Spitse]] (1990), soccer player
* [[Nyck de Vries]] (1995), Racing Driver

==Living==
Sneek has around 14,000 houses. Half of those houses are rental houses. There are new projects in different neighbourhoods.

==Extra Information==
In 1519–1520, the Frisian warlord and freedom fighter [[Pier Gerlofs Donia]] spent his last days in Sneek. Donia died peacefully in bed at {{Interlanguage link multi|Grootzand (Sneek)|nl|3=Grootzand (Sneek)}} 12<ref>Fries Scheepvaart Museum, Object number 1992-257</ref> on 18 October 1520.<ref name="Kalma-pg50">{{cite book |title=Grote Pier Van Kimswerd |last=Kalma |first=J.J. |editor=de Tille |year=1970 |location=Netherlands |isbn=90-70010-13-5 |pages=50 }}</ref> Pier is buried in Sneek in the 15th-century Groote Kerk (also called the Martinikerk).<ref name="Geldersche1853">Geldersche Volks-Almanak Published 1853</ref> His tomb is located on the north side of the church.<ref name="KokPg17-21">{{cite encyclopedia |first=Jacobus |last=Kok |year=1791 |title=Pier Gerlofs Donia |encyclopedia=Vaderlandsch Woordenboek |publisher=Johannes Allart |volume=24 (P–R) |pages=17–21 |location=[[Amsterdam]] |id=}}</ref>

The city has a shopping center that is walker- and biker-friendly. There are high-end clothing stores, restaurants, bars, music stores, cafes, coffee shops, and an old-fashioned candy store.

[[Georges Simenon|George Simenon]]'s 1937 novel ''L'assassin'', about a doctor who murders his wife and her lover, is set in Sneek.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.sneek.nl }}
* [http://www.vvvsneek.nl/ Tourism Sneek]
* [http://www.sneekweek.nl Official website of the Sneekweek sailing event]

{{Sister bar|auto=y}}
{{Frisian cities}}
{{Dutch municipality Súdwest-Fryslân}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Sneek| ]]
[[Category:Súdwest-Fryslân]]
[[Category:Former municipalities of Friesland]]
[[Category:Populated places in Friesland]]
[[Category:Cities in Friesland]]
[[Category:Cities in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:Municipalities of the Netherlands disestablished in 2011]]