Saterland (German pronunciation: [ˈzaːtɐˌlant]; Saterland Frisian: Seelterlound, pronounced [ˈseːltɐˌloːunt]) is a municipality in the district of Cloppenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated between the cities of Leer, Cloppenburg, and Oldenburg. It is home to Saterland Frisians, who speak Frisian in addition to German.
Saterland
Seelterlound | |
|---|---|
 Church of Saints Peter and Paul | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
Location of Saterland within Cloppenburg district  | |
  Saterland  Saterland | |
| Coordinates: 53°2′N 7°43′E / 53.033°N 7.717°E | |
| Country | Germany |
| State | Lower Saxony |
| District | Cloppenburg |
| Subdivisions | 4 districts |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2018–23) | Thomas Otto[1] (Greens) |
| Area | |
• Total | 123.62 km2 (47.73 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Population (2022-12-31)[2] | |
• Total | 14,294 |
| • Density | 120/km2 (300/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+02:00 (CEST) |
| Postal codes | 26683 |
| Dialling codes | 0 44 92 (Scharrel, Sedelsberg) 0 44 98 (Ramsloh, Strücklingen) |
| Vehicle registration | CLP |
| Website | www.saterland.de |
The municipality of Saterland was formed in 1974, when the smaller municipalities Strücklingen (Strukelje in Saterland Frisian), Ramsloh (Roomelse), Sedelsberg (Seeidelsbierich) and Scharrel (Schäddel) were merged.
History
editIn medieval times, the Saterland was a sandy region occupying an area of about 15 km long by 1–4 km wide surrounded by marshes. It was settled between the 10th and 13th centuries by Frisians from East Frisia. Being relatively isolated, the inhabitants developed their own form of the East Frisian language, Saterland Frisian, which survives to this day. The "Saterfriesen," as the speakers of this language are called in German, are the smallest minority recognized by the federal government.
Notable places
editOn the area of the municipality of Saterland is the VLF transmitter DHO38, a large VLF transmitter of the German Navy for sending commands to submarines.
References
edit- ^ "Verzeichnis der direkt gewählten Bürgermeister/-innen und Landräte/Landrätinnen". Landesamt für Statistik Niedersachsen. April 2021.
- ^ "LSN-Online Regionaldatenbank, Tabelle A100001G: Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes, Stand 31. Dezember 2022" (in German). Landesamt für Statistik Niedersachsen.
External links
edit
Media related to Saterland at Wikimedia Commons- Official site (in Saterland Frisian)
- Official site (in German)
