GRONINGEN. The most important town in the north of the Netherlands, and capital of the province of the same name, situated at the confluence of the Hunse and the Aa, and at the converging of a number of railway lines and canals, 22 miles west of the Dollar.t Inlet (Map: Holland, E 1). It is a well-built town, crossed by numerous canals and surrounded with promenades and walks laid out on the site of the old fortifications. The market-place (Groote Markt) is one of the largest in ,Holland. The most prominent buildings are the Gothic Church of Saint Martin, surmounted with a tower 343 feet high; the town hall, built in 1810, and con taining a collection of coins; the Government buildings, the theatre, and the prison. The Uni versity of Groningen, founded in 1614, is com posed of five faculties, and has an attendance of over 400. Attached to it are a library of over 90,000 volumes, an observatory, a botanical garden, a museum of natural history, a hospital, and a number of laboratories. Among the other
educational institutions of town may be mentioned the gymnasium, the academy of archi tecture and navigation, and the deaf and dumb asylum. The town manufactures sugar, textiles, furniture. mirrors, gold and silver ware, cigars and tobacco, trimmed lumber, ships, machinery, etc. The harbor is accessible to sea-going vessels, and has considerable shipping. The trade of Groningen is chiefly in grain, rape-seed, and ani mal products. Population, in 1899, 66,537, in cluding about 7000 Roman Catholics and 3000 Jews.
Groningen was granted by the Emperor Henry Ill, in 1040, when it was known as Villa Cru oninga, to the Bishop of Utrecht. It was fortified in the thirteenth century, and joined the Han seatic League as early as 1282. In 1594 the city was taken by Maurice of Nassau, and annexed to the United Netherlands. In 1672 the town with stood the attack of the Bishop of Munster.