title: Dantumadiel
text: # Dantumadiel
  
  Dantumadiel (West Frisian pronunciation) is a municipality in the province of Friesland in the Netherlands. Dantumadiel is a rural municipality characterized by economic activity and agriculture.
  
  ## History
  
  The first time Dantumadiel is mentioned was in a document from 1242. At that time Dantumadiel, or Donthmadeil as it was then known, was a part of the Winninghe district, the northern part of Oostergo. The grietenij (municipality) Dantumadiel was led by a grietman (mayor) who was holding office in Rinsumageast and Dantumawâld. The Dutch Municipalities Act of 1851 (Dutch: Gemeentewet van 1851) abolished the grietenijen, which automatically became gemeenten (municipalities) headed by a mayor.
  
  ## Population centres
  
  The Dantumadiel municipality is composed of 11 towns with a total of 19,030 inhabitants in 2014; the towns and their 2014 populations are listed in the table.
  
  Source: Website Dantumadiel municipality
  
  * Including Feanwâldsterwâl
  
  ## Main sights
  
  * Damwâld (Dantumawâld and Moarrewâld) and Rinsumageast, are home to medieval churches.
  * The villages Broeksterwâld (Grutte Mûne and De Broekmolen) Rinsumageast and Readtsjerk are home to mills.
  * The Skierstins a medieval fortified house in Feanwâlden.
  * De Grote Molen, Broeksterwâld, built in 1887
  * The Skierstins
  
  ## Notable people
  
  * Maria Petronella Woesthoven (1760 in Dantumawoude – 1830) a Dutch poet
  * Tjeerd Pasma (1904 in Rinsumageast – 1944) a Dutch modern pentathlete, competed at the 1928 Summer Olympics
  * Piet Jongeling (1909 in Broeksterwâld – 1985) journalist, politician and children's books writer
  * Theun de Vries (1907 in Feanwâlden – 2005) writer and poet
  * Jannes van der Wal (1956 in Driezum – 1996) a Dutch/Frisian draughts player
  * Syb van der Ploeg (born 1966 in Dokkum) musician and composer
  * Theo Pijper (born 1980 in Dokkum) a Dutch motorcycle speedway rider in the UK
  
  ## Politics
  
  The Dantumadiel municipal government consists of a municipal council, board of aldermen and the mayor. Klaas Agricola, (Dutch Wiki) has been the mayor of Dantumadiel since December 2017.
  
  