View source for Meppel

{{Infobox settlement
<!-- See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions -->
<!-- Name and transliteration -->
 | name                     = Meppel
 | settlement_type          = [[List of cities in the Netherlands by province|City]] and [[Municipalities of the Netherlands|municipality]]
<!-- Images, nickname, motto -->
 | image_skyline            = Meppel, de Meppeler toren in straatzicht foto1 2011-05-21 11.58.JPG
 | image_alt                = 
 | image_caption            = ''Meppeler toren'' (Tower of Meppel)
 | image_flag               = Flag of Meppel.svg
 | flag_size                = 100x67px
 | flag_alt                 = 
 | image_shield             = Coat of arms of Meppel.svg
 | shield_size              = 100x80px
 | shield_alt               = 
<!-- Maps, coordinates -->
 | image_map                = Map - NL - Municipality code 0119 (2009).svg
 | map_alt                  = Highlighted position of Meppel in a municipal map of Drenthe
 | map_caption              = Location in Drenthe
 | coordinates              = {{coord|52|42|N|6|11|E|region:NL|display=inline,title}}
 | coordinates_footnotes    = 
 | subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
 | subdivision_name         = [[Netherlands]]
 | subdivision_type1        = [[Provinces of the Netherlands|Province]]
 | subdivision_name1        = [[Drenthe]]
 | government_footnotes     = <ref name="mayor_now">{{cite web
   |url = http://www.meppel.nl/Bestuur_Organisatie/Burgemeester_wethouders/Leden_college/Richard_Korteland
   |title = Richard Korteland
   |language = nl
   |publisher = Gemeente Meppel
   |access-date = 9 October 2013
 }}{{Dead link|date=March 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
 | governing_body           = [[Municipal council (Netherlands)|Municipal council]]
 | leader_party             = [[People's Party for Freedom and Democracy|VVD]]
 | leader_title             = [[Burgomaster|Mayor]]
 | leader_name              = Arjen Maathuis
<!-- Geographic information -->
 | unit_pref                = Metric
<!-- ALL fields with measurements have automatic unit conversion -->
<!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
 | area_footnotes           = <ref>{{Dutch municipality total area|dataref}}</ref>
<!-- square kilometers -->
 | area_total_km2           = {{Dutch municipality total area|Meppel}}
 | area_land_km2            = {{Dutch municipality land area|Meppel}}
 | area_water_km2           = {{Dutch municipality water area|Meppel}}
 | elevation_footnotes      = <ref name="AHN">{{cite web
 |url=http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool 
 |title=Postcodetool for 7941BJ 
 |language=nl 
 |work=Actueel Hoogtebestand Nederland 
 |publisher=Het Waterschapshuis 
 |access-date=9 October 2013 
 |url-status=dead 
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053543/http://www.ahn.nl/postcodetool 
 |archive-date=21 September 2013 
}}</ref>
 | elevation_m              = 2
 | elevation_max_footnotes  = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
 | elevation_max_m          = 
 | elevation_min_footnotes  = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
 | elevation_min_m          = 
<!-- Population, demographics -->
 | population_footnotes     = <ref>{{Dutch municipality population|dataref}}</ref>
 | population_total         = {{Dutch municipality population|Meppel}}
 | population_as_of         = {{MONTHNAME|{{Dutch municipality population|popbasemonth}}}} {{Dutch municipality population|popbaseyear}}
 | population_density_km2   = {{Dutch municipality population density|Meppel}} <!-- For automatic calculation: auto-->
 | population_demonym       = Meppeler
<!-- Other information -->
 | timezone1                = [[Central European Time|CET]]
 | utc_offset1              = +1
 | timezone1_DST            = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
 | utc_offset1_DST          = +2
 | postal_code_type         = [[Postal codes in the Netherlands|Postcode]]
 | postal_code              = 7940–7949, 7965–7969
 | area_code_type           = [[Telephone numbers in the Netherlands|Area code]]
 | area_code                = 0522
 | website                  = {{URL|1=http://www.meppel.nl}}
 | footnotes                = 
}}

'''Meppel''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈmɛpəl|-|Nl-Meppel.oga}}; [[Drèents dialects|Drents]]: ''Möppelt'') is a [[List of cities in the Netherlands by province|city]] and [[Municipalities of the Netherlands|municipality]] in the Northeastern [[Netherlands]]. It constitutes the southwestern part of the [[Provinces of the Netherlands|province]] of [[Drenthe]]. Meppel is the smallest municipality in Drenthe, with a total area of about {{convert|57|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}. As of 1 July 2021, it had a population of 34,506 with over 30,000 inhabitants within city limits.

People born in Meppel are occasionally referred to as ''Meppeler Muggen'' in Dutch;<ref>{{cite web|title=CBOEK363 - EENIGE SCHELDNAMEN VAN DE EENE PLAATS OP DE ANDERE.|url=http://www.verhalenbank.nl/items/show/39385|website=Nederlandse Volksverhalenbank|access-date=28 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170428162804/http://www.verhalenbank.nl/items/show/39385|archive-date=28 April 2017}}</ref> this translates as 'mosquitoes from Meppel'. The nickname comes from a traditional folk tale. The people of Meppel thought the church tower was on fire, but after closer inspection, they realised it was only a swarm of mosquitoes.<ref>{{cite web|title=De toren|url=http://www.grotekerkmeppel.nl/toren|website=Vrienden van de Grote of Mariakerk|access-date=28 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161230231218/http://www.grotekerkmeppel.nl/toren|archive-date=30 December 2016}}</ref>

== History ==
[[File:Meppel-plaats-OpenTopo.jpg|left|thumb|2014 topographic map of the city of Meppel]]
Meppel developed in the 16th century as an inland harbour for [[peat]] transport and distribution.{{Citation needed|date=March 2017}} There used to be a lot of waterways in the town, but now only one remains. Meppel received [[City rights in the Low Countries|city rights]] in 1644. On 1 October 1867, [[Meppel railway station]] opened to service, drastically improving connectivity in the region. On 1 January 1998, the municipality of [[Nijeveen]], northwest of Meppel, was merged with that of Meppel, retaining the latter name.

== Geography ==
Meppel is located at {{coord|52|42|N|6|11|E}} in the southwestern part of the province of [[Drenthe]] in the northeastern part of the [[Netherlands]].

The [[Meppelerdiep]], the [[Drentsche Hoofdvaart]] and the [[Hoogeveense Vaart]] connect Meppel to [[Zwartsluis]], [[Assen]] and [[Hoogeveen]]. To offload professional transport vessels the [[Omgelegde Hoogeveense Vaart]] was dug out south of the city. The [[Meppelerdiep]] is accessible for boats with a size of 2,000 ton.

The streams [[Reest]] and [[Wold Aa]] run through the city. The Reest end in the Meppeler Diep.

The population centres in the municipality are:
{{div col|colwidth=10em}}
* [[Nijeveen]]
* [[Nijentap]]
* [[Havelterberg]] (part)
* [[Broekhuizen, Drenthe|Broekhuizen]]
* [[Rogat]]
* [[De Schiphorst]]
{{div col end}}

==Transportation==
{{Main article|Meppel railway station}}
Meppel is served by national and regional train connections with [[Zwolle]] to the southwest, which leads to the rest of the country, as well as [[Leeuwarden]] and [[Groningen]] to the northwest and northeast respectively. The city's station is located on both the [[Arnhem–Leeuwarden railway]] (''Staatslijn A'') and [[Meppel–Groningen railway]] (''Staatslijn C'').

There are regular and frequent bus lines within Meppel and towards [[Zwolle]], [[Hoogeveen]] and [[Assen]].{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

==Twin towns – sister cities==
Meppel is [[Sister city|twinned]] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Stedenband Most|url=https://www.meppel.nl/Bestuurenorganisatie/Statistiek_historie/Stedenband_Most|publisher=Meppel|language=nl|access-date=2023-09-14}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|CZE}} [[Most (city)|Most]], Czech Republic
*{{flagicon|Morocco}} [[Al Hoceima]], Morocco

==Notable people==
[[File:Fresco Louise Foto Henk Thomas.jpg|100px|thumb|Louise Fresco]]
[[File:Petrus Kiers (1807-1875).jpg|100px|thumb|Petrus Kiers]]
* [[Jan Jansen Bleecker]] (1641–1732) a merchant and political figure, [[List of mayors of Albany, New York|Mayor of Albany, New York]]
* [[Arent Magnin]] (1825–1888) a Dutch politician in the administration on the [[Dutch Gold Coast]]
* [[Petrus Johannes Waardenburg]]  (1886 in Nijeveen – 1979) a Dutch ophthalmologist and geneticist; [[Waardenburg syndrome]] is named after him
* [[Ben Nijboer]] (1915–1999) a Dutch physicist and academic in [[optics]] and [[solid-state physics]]
* [[Louise Fresco]] (born 1952) a Dutch scientist and writer on globally [[sustainable food production]] 
* [[Catrien Santing]] (born 1958) a Dutch [[Medieval studies|medievalist]]
* [[Erik Kwakkel]] (born 1970) a Dutch scholar who specialises in medieval manuscripts, [[paleography]] and [[codicology]]
* [[Albert van der Haar]] (born 1975) is a Dutch former footballer with almost 500 club caps

===The arts===
* [[Petrus Kiers]] (1807–1875) a Dutch painter, graphic artist and photographer
* Sir [[Joseph Joel Duveen]] (1843–1908) an art dealer and benefactor of art galleries.<ref>{{Cite DNB12 |wstitle= Duveen, Joseph Joel |volume= 1 |pages= 539-540 |last= Roberts |first= William |author-link= |short= 1}}</ref>
* [[Henry J. Duveen]] (1854–1919) an art dealer
* [[Eduard Frankfort]] (1864–1920) a Dutch Jewish painter 
* [[Jan Mankes]] (1889–1920) a Dutch painter, sometimes categorized as a symbolic realist
* [[Jelle Taeke de Boer]] (1908–1970) a Dutch art collector
* [[Roelof Frankot]] (1911–1984) a Dutch painter, a strong relation with the [[CoBrA]] movement
* [[Emmanuel Ohene Boafo]] (1993) a Dutch-Ghanaian actor, and winner of the Louis d'Or 2021
* [[Marcel Vos]] (born 1997) a Dutch [[YouTuber]]<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=3&v=1vFoUnlQInU&feature=youtu.be |title=Meppel's Kwartiertje - Marcel Vos |date=2025-03-03 |last=Meppel's Kwartiertje |language=Dutch |access-date=2025-03-08 |via=YouTube}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery mode=packed>
Image:MeppelStadsomroeper2020.jpg|Statue in the city centre
Image:Stadhuis (city hall) Meppel, Drenthe, Netherlands - 20100306.jpg|City hall
Image:Meppel, molen de Weert RM526385 met andere twee molens op de achtergrond IMG 2886 2018-04-20 17.43.jpg|Windmill (''de Weert'') 
Image:Meppel, twee ophaalbruggen foto1 2011-05-21 11.36.JPG|Two drawbridges 
Image:Meppel, het beurtscheepje de Vereeniging III bij het Oosteinde met twee ophaalbruggen foto6 2016-04-09 09.18.jpg|Ship ''de Vereeniging III'' 
Image:Meppel, de watertoren PM1-0171 IMG 2121 2018-04-07 16.35.jpg|Watertower
Image:Historisch Centrum Meppel.JPG|Historical centre of Meppel
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[http://www.meppel.nl Official website]

<!--Please note that not all directions need to be filled-->
<!--Please note that preferably only neighboring municipalities or bodies of water should be used-->
{{Sister bar|auto=y}}
{{Geographic location
|Centre    = Meppel
|North     = 
|Northeast = [[Westerveld]]
|East      = [[De Wolden]]
|Southeast = 
|South     = [[Staphorst]]{{space}}([[Overijssel|OV]])
|Southwest = 
|West      = [[Steenwijkerland]]{{space}}([[Overijssel|OV]])
|Northwest = 
}}
{{Dutch municipality Meppel}}
{{Drenthe Province}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Meppel| ]]
[[Category:Municipalities of Drenthe]]
[[Category:Populated places in Drenthe]]