Wiuwert (Dutch: Wieuwerd), village in Littensteradiel municipality, it
used to be in the former municipality of Baarderadeel
with (1958): 218; (1974): 183 inhabitants. It is rather famous for the
tomb with four mummies, buried c.1665. In the Middel Ages it was a fishing-village
along the Middelzee with 180 houses. The Swaenwertermar (a small
lake south of the village) was so rich in fish that the fishes jumped into
the fishing boats... The Thetinga-state (fortified house) dominated the
village in ancient times; it was the center of the labadists. This
was a pietist separatist movement, founded by Jean de Labadie (1610-1674);
after his death the members went to Fryslân, where the "state" of
Cornelis van Aerssen van Sommelsdijk (Waltahuis or Thetinga state) became
a convent, lead by Pierre Yvon, ably assisted by Anna Maria van Schurman.
She was a professor's daughter, studied in Utrecht and Franeker universities,
and was a gifted artist. The movement was quite influential on the Frisian
church, and the Quaker movement. In 1732 the Labadist movement was dissolved;
in 1733, and Thetinga-state was pulled down.
In 1866 a treasure of Frankish golden ornaments was found in Wiuwert
(now to be admired in Leiden).
Village nickname: labadisten.
Wiuwert coat of arms: wavy divided a. blue; 2. in gold three black bats, placed
2 and 1; a silver heart shield charged with a tree on a meadow, all green;
the heart shield in blue with left and right a silver lozenge.
Flag: three horizontal stripes of blue, yellow, and black; the top
two embattled, the first embattlement starts at the hoist; and the two
bottom stripes wavy; the blue and the black stripe charged towards the
hoist with a white lozenge.
Wiuwert is a "terp"-village on the boards of the old Middelzee. That
is represented in the wavy division of the arms. The silver lozenges are
from the coat of arms of the Walta-family, who lived on Thetinga-state. The black
bats symbolize death, referring to the tomb. One of the most renowned
Labadists was Anna Maria van Schurman: her coat of arms is on the heart shield.
The colors blue, black and gold are from the old municipal arms of
Baarderadeel.
The flag's embattlements refer to Thetinga-state, and the wave to the
old Middelzee. The two lozenges to the Van Walta-family and the municipal
arms, one in black, referring to the tomb.
Design: J.C. Terluin and R.J. Broersma.
Source: Genealogysk Fierboekje 2001.
Encyclopedie van Friesland, 1958.
Baerderadiel: in Geakunde, 1977.
Jarig Bakker, 7 Sep 2003
Jean de Labadie (1610-1674) was a French emigrant, who had anticipated
the revocation of the tolerance edict (Edit de Nantes) in 1685. He planned
to restore the original, pure Christianity.
Anna Maria van Schurman (van Schuurman) (1606-1678) was a reputed entomologist
and drawer.
Ivan Sache, 11 Sep 2003
Wiuwert coat of arms
from Wapens en Flaggen fan Littenseradiel, booklet of the municipality.
![[Wiuwert villageflag]](../images/n/nl-fr0ww.gif)
image
by Jarig Bakker, 7 Sep 2003
![[Wiuwert Coat of Arms]](../images/n/nl-fr)wi.jpg)
from Wapens en Flaggen fan Littenseradiel, booklet of the municipality.
