Verhildersum is a 17th century fortified hamlet located east of the town of Leens in the Dutch province of Groningen, now a museum. Borg Verhildersum sits at the center of the estate, like a shining diamond. Over the centuries the property has been inhabited by several families and has undergone several changes, both inside and out. In 1953 the last residents left, and today the fully furnished rooms offer a glimpse into life on a 19th century estate.
Verhildersum History
The borg (fortified village) dates, as heerd (a word for farm in Gronese), to the 14th century.
In 1398 a certain Aylko Ferhildema is mentioned, the same person as Aylko Onsta of Sauwerd. It is not known whether, after Aylko Onsta, other members of the Onsta family lived in Verhildersum, but it is considered highly probable that the Onsta family maintained possession of the borg for some time. A clue to this is that the borg was destroyed in both 1400 and 1514 by the inhabitants of the city of Groningen, just like the Onstaborg.
After the death of the inhabitant Aepke Onsta in 1564, Ecke Claessen is mentioned as inhabitant of the borg in 1576. His complaints are about the problems caused by soldiers lodged with their two wives and a child, residing at the borg due to the Eighty Years War. During the war Eylco Onsta flees to East Frisia, but despite this he continues to call himself hoofdeling of Wetsinge, Sauwerd and Verhildersum. However in reality, in 1587, twenty years after Aepke Onsta's death, it is stipulated in the property settlement that not only he, but he and his sister Hidde Onsta together become owners of the borg Verhildersum. Verhildersum was then a heerd (farm) of 150 yokes (about 75 hectares) on which 'the old borg' stood.
Verhildersum is an important link between the present and the past of the area. The estate tells the story of nobility in relation to farmers and laborers, the story of flowering and withering, sowing and reaping, low and high tide.
At the Verhildersum estate, you won't discover how interesting, rich and vibrant country life used to be and how it has evolved to the present day.