Village in Friesland, Netherlands
Ypecolsga (West Frisian: Ypekolsgea; also IJpecolsga[1]) is a village in Súdwest-Fryslân in the province of Friesland, the Netherlands. It had a population of around 50 in January 2017.[3]
History
The village was first mentioned in 1245 as Ypekaldege. The etymology is unclear.[4] Ypecolsga is a canal village which developed in the late middle ages along the Ee [nl] river.[5] Woudsend began as a satellite of Ypecolsga, however it quickly outgrew by its parent, and became the main settlement in the region.[5][6]
Ypecolsga used to have a stins (fortified building) which was owned by Take Abbema. In 1520, it was destroyed by the Schieringers.[5] The church was burnt down in 1497 by soldiers. In 1664, a new church was built, but it was demolished in the 18th century and only the bell tower has remained. The tower was rebuilt in 1956.[5][7]
Ypecolsga was home to 103 people in 1840.[6] On 17 November 1942, an Avro Lancaster of the Royal Air Force was shot down and crashed into a field near Ypecolsga. The seven occupants of the plane died. Initially only two bodies were discovered by the Germans, and it was too difficult to salvage the plane. In 1951, a company specialising in salvaging aircraft, managed to remove the plane and discovered five more bodies inside. A memorial has been placed at the crash site, and also honours the resistance fighter Jacob Cornelis Nagelhou who was shot on 15 April 1945.[8]
Before 2011, the village was part of the Wymbritseradiel municipality.[6]
Gallery
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Bell tower of Ypecolsga
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Farm in Ypecolsga
References
External links
Media related to Ypecolsga at Wikimedia Commons