Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Aug 9, 2026

De Blesse

De Blesse is a village in Weststellingwerf in the province of Friesland, the Netherlands. It had a population of around 800 in 2017. Its windmill, De Mars, was rebuilt in 1997. Before 1956, the village was called Blesse.

Last revised
Aug 9, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
Length
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Citations
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Wikipedia ↗
De Blesse
Village
De Mars Windmill
De Mars Windmill
Flag of De Blesse
Flag
Location in Weststellingwerf municipality
Location in Weststellingwerf municipality
De Blesse
Location in the Netherlands
Show map of Friesland
De Blesse
De Blesse (Netherlands)
Show map of Netherlands
CountryNetherlands Netherlands
ProvinceFriesland Friesland
MunicipalityWeststellingwerf Weststellingwerf
Area
1
 • Total
2.25 km2 (0.87 sq mi)
Elevation
2
7 m (23 ft)
Population
 (2021)1
 • Total
815
 • Density362/km2 (938/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
83971
Dialing code0561

De Blesse (or Blesse3) is a village in Weststellingwerf in the province of Friesland, the Netherlands. It had a population of around 800 in 2017.4 Its windmill, De Mars, was rebuilt in 1997. Before 1956, the village was called Blesse.3

History

The village was first mentioned in 1439 as ter Blesse, and means "bare spot".5

The Blesbroggeschaans is a sconce built in 1583 along the main road of Friesland to Overijssel. In 1672 and 1673, it was besieged by Christoph Bernhard von Galen, the Prince-bishop of Münster, but did not get taken.6 The Dutch Reformed chapel dates from 1880.7

The grist mill De Mars was built in 1834. In the 1910s, an electro motor was installed and in 1958, the top of the windmill was demolished. In 1999, De Mars was restored and is frequently in commission.8 De Blesse was home to 160 people in 1840.3

  • Chapel in De Blesse
    Chapel in De Blesse
  • Linde canal
    Linde canal
  • Blesbroggeschaans
    Blesbroggeschaans
References

References

  1. "Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2021". Central Bureau of Statistics. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  2. "Postcodetool for 8397EP". Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland (in Dutch). Het Waterschapshuis. Archived from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  3. "De Blesse". Plaatsengids (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  4. Villages - Weststellingwerf municipality (in Dutch)
  5. "Blesse - (geografische naam)". Etymologiebank (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  6. "Ontdekkingsreis door de Lendevallei" (PDF). It Fryske Gea (in Dutch). p. 1. Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  7. Ronald Stenvert & Sabine Broekhoven (2000). "Blesdijke" (in Dutch). Zwolle: Waanders. ISBN 90 400 9476 4. Retrieved 2 April 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: periodical has ISBN (link)
  8. "De Mars". Molen database (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 April 2022.