City information
Groningen is a city and municipality in the Dutch province of Groningen. Groningen is also the capital of the province of Groningen. However, this has not always been the case. Groningen used to be in Drenthe! The city is mentioned for the first time in 1040, in a letter stating that the German emperor donated goods and rights to the Utrecht church. Groningen , then called Villa Cruoninga, was at that time a small village in the county of Drenthe. Although Groningen does not yet have city rights, the year 1040 is seen as the beginning of the 'city of Groningen'. The letter shows that Groningen does not fall under Drenthe jurisdiction and can therefore be seen as an independent city. In the 13th century, the Stadjers - as the people of Groningen are also called - built a wall to demonstrate their power. In the 14th century, Groningen received city rights and became a Hanseatic city.