WESTERLAND

The municipality of Westerland lies south of the capital municipality of Alexanderstad and borders Koninginneland to the west, Zuiderland to the south and Markenland to the east. The city of Friescheburg is a well known city in AGL circles: in 1999 the city was Cultural Capital of the AGL and in 2003 the AGL Games were organized there. Current mayor is Geert Booman, who has been in office since 2008. Westerland has a population of about 1.3 million.

Friescheburg is one of the first settlements founded at the beginning of the seventeenth century in the area that is now known as Kronenburg. In 1627 the Republic of New Frisia was founded and Friescheburg became the capital. It was the first official city in the area, appointed so by stadtholder Johannes Pietersma. Seventeen years later however, the Republic came to an end and after the Kingdom of Kronenburg was proclaimed in 1649, the residence was moved to Kronenburg-City. In 1872, after the destruction of that city, it was considered to move the residence back to Friescheburg, but Alexanderstad was chosen instead.

The most famous attraction of Friescheburg is the Arena, a large cupola covered square that was finalised in 1999. Originally the Arena was a large pond from which the water was removed in 1823. The bottom of the pond lay of course much lower than the surrounding areas, and the present square is therefore on the same level as the city's main railway- and underground station. A complex system of escalators transports travellers and other people to the many floors of the surrounding buildings. In 2009 and 2010 the natural light that shines to the glass cupola was somewhat dimmed; due to the economic crisis, the city council apparently cut down on window-cleaners.

Other places in the city you mustn't skip when you are there, are the building of the States General, the former parliament of the Republic of New Frisia; the Mouseion, a theater and concert hall that was built in 1997, and also the city hall of Westerland, built in 1712. It is one of Kronenburg's most important pieces of architecture: especially the Willem III-Hall is worth visiting. This hall was completely restored in its original style in 1992; just after WOII the hall was refurbished in a weird post-war style that many considered very ugly. The House of Finance ('Huis van Financiën', head office of the Kronenburgish Audit Office) is one of the most beautiful buildings in the country and the Stock Exchange at the J. Fossema Jaltada-Allée, too, is generally lauded for its beauty.

Between Friescheburg and Nijenstijn lies the Royal Castle ('Koninklijk Slot'), the residence of the Grand Duke and Duchess of Alexanderstad (i.s. the former king Alexander IV Lodewijk and his wife queen Livia). The castle was built in the seventeenth century for the head of state to live in. Because however no Kronenburgish king lived in Kronenburg until 1795 and kings Willem IV, Alexander I and Alexander II didn't want to live in the castle, it remained empty for the larger part of two centuries. Queen Marianne became however fascinated by the castle's beauty in 1903 and had it restored, after which she moved in in 1916. Apart from king Jan II and now king Ernst I Frederik, all Kronenburgish sovereigns have lived in the Royal Castle since then. The castle has a large garden with a lot of fountains and some labyrinths; parts of this garden can be visited by the general public in summer.

Other settlements in the municipality of Westerland are the small towns of Ommeland and Aalburg (which used to be the capital of Koninginneland, until the town became part of Westerland after a redivision of the municipal borders), as well as the villages Juul and Papenvuur. The latter is - quite morbidly - named after a large burning of catholics by protestants in 1695. This action turned out to be completely useless; the evidence of this is the large Ursula Cathedral, that towers high above the village, rendering it almost invisible. The Ursula Cathedral is the third largest cathedral of Kronenburg.