Muddy Pirate on Contested Waters. GRE 11 "Korsar", Mudhehafen, Ditzum, Rheiderland, Germany
Rheiderland straddles the Dutch-German border in the relatively remote areas of Groningen and Germany to the direct west of the Ems River. Indeed, there's still a dispute today between the two countries about the exact demarcation of the border in the moveable waters of Dollart Bay and the mouth of the Ems. Germany claims that an enfeoffment of 1464 gave the count of East Frisia (now part of Germany) authority over the entire Ems and the Dollart right to the Dutch mainland, even to the coastal water line at the town of Delfzijl. The Dutch ripost is that the 'county' of East Frisia was "resolved" at the beginning of the nineteenth century when this all became French territory. And anyway, modern international law holds that the 'sea-border' runs in the middle of the river and bay and doesn't thus extend to the (muddy) coast proper. The two countries agree to disagree and in practice - especially with regard to environmental concerns - they jointly manage these waters.
Ditzum is on the southern bank of the Ems just across from Emden. With about 700 inhabitants it has a little shipbuilding wharf and the Mudhehafen (Mouth [of the river] Harbor) is home to a small fleet of fishing boats ("Buddelkutter", which translates literally as "Mud Cutters").
Here's a particularly colorful fishing vessel with nets hanging out to dry in the Cold Winter Sun. It's registered as GRE 11 and goes by the proud privateer name "Korsar". 'GRE' stands for Greetsiel, another small fishing town, just to the north of Emden. Mention of that town makes the heart of a denizen of Groningen beat slightly faster. It is the birthplace of Ubbo Emmius (1547-1625), well-known northern humanist who made his home in Stad. He's the first rector of the University of Groningen and was a great political force as well. Moreover he wrote a huge history of Frisia. In it is included a map of the area of Dollart and Ems which shows, too, the towns which were drowned in the huge floods of the later Middle Ages (1362-1509) and which now repose forever under these muddy-blue waters.
Muddy Pirate on Contested Waters. GRE 11 "Korsar", Mudhehafen, Ditzum, Rheiderland, Germany
Rheiderland straddles the Dutch-German border in the relatively remote areas of Groningen and Germany to the direct west of the Ems River. Indeed, there's still a dispute today between the two countries about the exact demarcation of the border in the moveable waters of Dollart Bay and the mouth of the Ems. Germany claims that an enfeoffment of 1464 gave the count of East Frisia (now part of Germany) authority over the entire Ems and the Dollart right to the Dutch mainland, even to the coastal water line at the town of Delfzijl. The Dutch ripost is that the 'county' of East Frisia was "resolved" at the beginning of the nineteenth century when this all became French territory. And anyway, modern international law holds that the 'sea-border' runs in the middle of the river and bay and doesn't thus extend to the (muddy) coast proper. The two countries agree to disagree and in practice - especially with regard to environmental concerns - they jointly manage these waters.
Ditzum is on the southern bank of the Ems just across from Emden. With about 700 inhabitants it has a little shipbuilding wharf and the Mudhehafen (Mouth [of the river] Harbor) is home to a small fleet of fishing boats ("Buddelkutter", which translates literally as "Mud Cutters").
Here's a particularly colorful fishing vessel with nets hanging out to dry in the Cold Winter Sun. It's registered as GRE 11 and goes by the proud privateer name "Korsar". 'GRE' stands for Greetsiel, another small fishing town, just to the north of Emden. Mention of that town makes the heart of a denizen of Groningen beat slightly faster. It is the birthplace of Ubbo Emmius (1547-1625), well-known northern humanist who made his home in Stad. He's the first rector of the University of Groningen and was a great political force as well. Moreover he wrote a huge history of Frisia. In it is included a map of the area of Dollart and Ems which shows, too, the towns which were drowned in the huge floods of the later Middle Ages (1362-1509) and which now repose forever under these muddy-blue waters.