Leeuwarden, the old capital of Friesland, lies in fertile fens country formed by the dyking of the Middelzee in the 18th century. It is the economic and cultural capital of Friesland, with various institutions and higher educational establishments. Its cattle market is the largest in the northern Netherlands. Its industrial
activity centers on the foodstuffs industries, which process agricultural produce from an extensive surrounding area. The tourist trade also makes an important contribution to the economy.
Leeuwarden developed out of three terp settlements which merged in 1435 and were granted a municipal charter. Thereafter the town grew into an important trading center. With the silting up of the Middelzee, however, the town lost its harbor and became instead an agricultural market town and the chief center of the Ostergos region. From 1524 to 1580 the town was the seat of the Habsburg Stadholder, who was succeeded from 1584 to 1747 by Stadholders of the Nassau-Dietz family. In the 16th-18th centuries Leeuwarden was famed for its fine gold and silverware. The notorious dancer and alleged spy Mata Hari (Margaretha Geertruida Zelle) was born in Leeuwarden in 1876. Suspected of espionage for Germany, she was executed by the French at Vincennes in 1917.
Architecture is a highlight for visitors including the The Achmea building, the tallest in the city, the former chancellery and the leaning tower of Oldehove.
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