Leens is a former municipality in Groningen province, since 1990 part of
De Marne municipality. There were 3.500 inhabitanta in the settlements
Wehe (seat), Barnegaten, Douwen, Ewer, Groot-Maarslag, Grijssloot, Den
Hoorn, Kattenburg, Klein-Maarslag, Leens, Leenstertillen, Mensingeweer,
Nieuwehuizen, Roode Haan, Schouwen, Schouwerzijl, Stort, Warfhuizen, and
Zuurdijk. A mainly agricultural area with stately farms and formerly with
famous manors.
Nickname: "boeskoolkoppen" - boeskool is white cabbage,
grown widely in Leens, for the production of "zuurkool" (sauerkraut)
in Leens, Winsum and Bedum; the name probably does not stand for an overly
optimist village character.
"Hai lopt van Lains noar Börger" - he is walking from Leens
to Borger (Drenthe) - "lainen" = to borrow; "borgen" = to
buy on credit.
Flag: two stripes of white and blue proportioned 1:2, with an embattled
dividing line; on blue a white key placed diagonally from bottom left to
top right.
Adopted 15 Mar 1977 by municipal resolution.
In Medieval times Leens was the capital of the region known as "De
Marne", from which Leens got its coat of arms (blue with St. Peter). In
olden days the deanery church of Leens had St. Peter as its patron saint.
Source: Derkwillem Visser: Gemeentevlagen en wapens Koninkrijk der
Nederlanden, 2001.
Jarig Bakker, 19 Sep 2004
![[Leens flag]](../images/n/nl-gr_le.gif)
by Jarig Bakker, 19 Sep 2004
