Slagharen

History

In 1832, the Lutterhoofdwijk canal was dug as a side canal of the to excavate the peat in the area and the village was established along the canal, however, in 1830, a community of 81 people was recorded at the site. All except for a Frisian family were from neighbouring Germany, and were living in sod houses on the moorland. In 1844, the name Slagharen first appeared, and means "parcel [of land] on sandy ground". The predominantly German settlers resulted in the founding of a Catholic church in 1843. The church was replaced in 1967. In 1975, it was bought by the amusement park and restored. In 1952, , a mail order company, opened in Slagharen. It quickly developed into one of largest mail order companies of the Netherlands. In 1975, it moved to Zwolle, and is nowadays a large online shop. In 1963, the Ponypark Slagharen opened where you could stay in a holiday house with your own Shetland pony. In 1972, it turned into an amusement park.