The rich story of de Graanrepubliek
We take you back in time for a while. When the land of Oldambt was still governed by gentleman farmers, the days were long and grain was gold. Back to the late 19th century. Around you the many grain fields. On the fertile clay soils, front houses stood like castles with large barns behind them. Rich they were, those self-appointed gentleman farmers. The grain earned well. The many workers in the fields less so. The gap between rich and poor was visible. The success of the area all the more so. It was the granary of Europe. It was the time of de Graanrepubliek.
" ''The grain like gold' "
Insurgent Oldambt
The name 'Grain Republic' comes from Frank Westerman's book of the same name, which describes the wealth of the time. Waving grain brought prosperity to the whole region. The farmer was happy, the worker dissatisfied: fertile ground for communism. The worker finally felt heard and spoke out. At the turn of the last century, socialist foremen like Domela Nieuwenhuis were the local heroes of Oldambt. More than a hundred years later, the nods to the communist past are still visible. In Oldambt town council, the United Communist Party has no fewer than three seats. And taste the gin from the Groninger Genever Stokerij, with communist cover.
" ''Fertile ground for communism'' "
Local, national and international
When grain is doing well, you want to keep going. Sicco Mansholt also thought this way in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Also called the godfather of European agricultural policy. As an Oldambtster and politician, he made a strong case in the Netherlands and Europe to preserve and improve the region's grain economy. A local hero with his own statue too. Partly due to his efforts, economies of scale were achieved and farmers got a good price for their grain.
Resilient people
But the Oldambtsters did more with grain. They were inventive. Straw was the residual product but it was not thrown away. It was made into cardboard in the giant strawboard factory De Toekomst. Built with the characteristic Groningen red brick. The factory closed in the 1970s. Competition from abroad proved too great, margins too small. Today, however, the factory is still in use. But in a slightly different way. This time as a unique event location of, among others, music festival Grasnapolsky.
