King's Day in Dokkum

His Majesty the King, together with members of the Royal Family, will attend the celebration of King's Day – Keningsdei – in Dokkum in the province of Fryslân on Monday, April 27, 2026. From the very first step King Willem-Alexander and his family take in Dokkum on Keningsdei at 11:00 AM, they will move from one surprise to another during the festive walk through Dokkum. They and the public will see the story of Dokkum, the region, and Fryslân pass before them. Through the historical and lively backdrop that Dokkum already is, we show who we are: open and hospitable. Dokkum and Noardeast-Fryslân are ready to give the King and his family a festive welcome. Do you know Dokkum, and have you visited Dokkum before? Perhaps during the Elfstedentocht?

Did you know that?

For the first time, King Willem-Alexander is celebrating his birthday in the province of Friesland. On April 27, he is taking his family to Dokkum for a King's Day in a Frisian atmosphere. The Royal Family has traveled to Friesland on Queen's Day three times before: to Harlingen in 1982, to Vlieland and Sneek in 1993, and to Makkum and Franeker in 2008.

 

If we analyze the locations on April 27, it appears that King's Day has never been celebrated in Zeeland and Flevoland. So, it is time for Friesland to be visited in 2026. If you search for the history of the House of Orange, it turns out that the Oranges are directly descended from the Frisian stadtholders. Just Google it.

 

Royal Walk (approx. 1,5 hours)

The birthday party for the King and the Royal Family costs 3 million euros. Paid for by sponsorship from the Municipality of Dokkum (1,5 million euros) and the Province of Fryslân (1,5 million euros). But then you also get the best form of city marketing, with television coverage watched by millions of people. That is good for tourism and the local economy after the King's visit. By way of comparison, consider the previous host cities for King's Day: Doetinchem (2025) and Emmen (2024), at 2,8 million and 2,3 million euros respectively. Everything has become more expensive over the years. That applies to King's Days as well. Doetinchem's goal was to introduce the rest of the Netherlands to 'naoberschap' (neighborliness), innovation, connectedness, and the best of the Achterhoek. The municipal government of Emmen wanted to show that it is unfair that the city languished at the bottom of all the lists and wanted to promote Emmen. Did you visit Doetinchem and Emmen as a tourist after the King's visit?

The program begins at the Bonifatius Chapel. From there, Frisian horses escort the bus carrying the royal family to the starting point of the route. It is not an unfamiliar setting, as eight Frisian horses pull the Glass Coach every other year on Prinsjesdag; the alternate years, it is the turn of the horses from Gelderland.

Since 2016, the King has once again ridden in the Glass Coach . In a video message on January 13, 2022, King Willem-Alexander stated that the coach would not be used for the procession on Prinsjesdag or other official occasions for the time being. In it, he said: “We cannot rewrite the past. We can, however, try to come to terms with it together. That also applies to the colonial past. The Golden Coach will only be able to ride again when the Netherlands is ready for it. And that is not the case right now.” … “It makes no sense to condemn and disqualify what has happened through the lens of our time. Simply banishing historical objects and symbols is certainly not a solution either. Instead, a joint effort is needed that goes deeper and lasts longer. An effort that unites us instead of divides us.”

During the walk towards the water, the King and Queen encounter the following water sports:

• Bouncing (Ball sport): Kaatsen is a ball sport in which the ball is struck with the palm of the hand. Its origins lie in the monastic courts of Northern France, where the jeu de paume originated in the 12th century. It is now played all over the world in various forms under different names. It can be played between teams ranging from one to nine people. The playing technique is aimed at striking the ball with the palm of the hand in such a way that the opposing team cannot return it legally.

 

• Fierljeppen (pole vaulting): Pole vaulting, better known by the Frisian name fierljeppen, is a sport in which an athlete attempts to cover the greatest possible distance across a ditch using a pole. It is a traditional Frisian sport. The meaning of fierljeppen is to jump far (from fier, “far” and ljeppe, an archaic word for “to jump”, which is related to the English to leap and the Dutch lopen). Making a pole vault jump consists of various components that together must lead to the greatest possible distance. The jump begins with a short, fierce sprint of approximately 30 meters to the pole, followed by a good jump to the pole, the take-off, climbing to the top of the pole (which is not allowed in high pole vaulting), to finally land in a sandpit with a take-off.

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• Skûtsjesilen (sailing): Skûtsjesilen are the Frisian sailing competitions with skûtsjes, in particular the competitions organized by: Sintrale Kommisje Skûtsjesilen (SKS) and Iepen Fryske Kampioenschippen Skûtsjesilen (IFKS).

Skûtsje races were already being organized in the nineteenth century, such as in Sneek in 1820. At that time, sailing was primarily done when farmers had no cargo and the skippers could occasionally earn a cash prize. It was often innkeepers who organized a race, for example during a fair, so that the prize-giving ceremony could be held in the pub afterwards. In the second half of the nineteenth century, associations were founded to organize sailing. At that time, the concept of amateur sport also gained popularity, and races for money were virtually no longer organized. Because the skippers could not spare the time, the number of participants began to decline. When cargo shipping became increasingly motorized in the first half of the twentieth century, the number of skûtsjes also began to decrease. During the Second World War, a shortage of fuel provided skûtsje skippers with more work again. Consequently, sailing became more popular once more. The race was even held in Grou in 1943, which was captured in photographs by Cobie Douma. Due to this increased sailing activity, the Sintrale Kommisje Skûtsjesilen (Central Skûtsjesilen Committee), abbreviated SKS, was founded in 1945.

The walk, which lasts approximately 1,5 hours, ends with a performance of the hit ' In nije dei' ( = A New Day). The song is a Frisian-language song by the Dutch pop group De Kast. The track was written by Syb van der Ploeg, Kees Bode, Sytse Broersma, Nico Outhuijse, Peter van der Ploeg, and Piet van der Kolk. It is the fourteenth track on the album Niets te verliezen. In July 1997, the live version was released as a CD single. The song was used as the title track for the 1996 film De Gouden Swipe.

 

40 years 14th Elfstedentocht (1986)

The fourteenth Elfstedentocht was skated on February 26, 1986, just over a year after the thirteenth Elfstedentocht. As in 1985, Evert van Benthem from Sint Jansklooster won the race, this time in a time of 6:55:17. It was not a unique occurrence for someone to win the race of races twice; Coen de Koning and Auke Adema preceded him. Rein Jonker finished second, and Robert Kamperman was the surprising third. Tineke Dijkshoorn was the fastest woman. Perhaps even more famous is that the 18-year-old Crown Prince Willem-Alexander completed the race under the pseudonym WA van Buren with start number 1. It was only announced during the race that he was participating. He was met at the finish by his proud parents. His participation stemmed from a bet and the desire to compete incognito. He used the name Van Buren, referring to the historical title of the House of Orange-Nassau. The 1986 Elfstedentocht was held under favorable weather conditions. A total of 16.999 recreational skaters and 317 competitive skaters started the tour, and 14.989 medals were awarded. 115 foreigners and 862 women participated.

Dokkum is the turning point of the Elfstedentocht. During the walk on King's Day along the Kleindiep, 1986 comes to life, the year in which WA van Buren skated the Elfstedentocht. Past and present meet. A section of the Kleindiep features an ice rink. Will the King skate this part of the walk?

 

Two benches in the shape of a Frisian long-distance runner

The benches have been placed where the skaters of the Elfstedentocht turn around in Dokkum. The benches are sponsored by UNOX. This is thanks to a campaign by UNOX, which they describe on their own Facebook page as follows: 'In 1997, we spontaneously decided to hand out coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and free pea soup to skaters and volunteers at the rest stop in Dokkum. A great success. Yet we made history here in yet another way. With the Unox Beanie. It was introduced here for the first time. You saw our beanie everywhere along the route and in the villages. It looked like a genuine Elfstedentocht outfit. A super Dutch atmosphere, and here at Unox, we secretly refer to it as *our* Elfstedentocht.'

 

Dokkum

Dokkum is a city in the municipality of Noardeast-Fryslân in the Dutch province of Friesland. On January 1, 2026, the city had 13.046 inhabitants. Dokkum is situated south of the Wadden Sea and to the (south)west of the Lauwersmeer, between Damwoude and Aalsum, located on the border between the Clay Region and the Frisian Woods. The city centre lies around the point where the Dokkumer Ee and the Dokkumergrootdiep meet.

The town is one of the Eleven Frisian Cities and serves a regional service function for Northeast Friesland. Dokkum is the fifth largest shopping city in Friesland (56.688 m² of retail floor space). The North Frisian dialect is spoken around Dokkum. Since 2016, thanks to the Central Axis (N356), Dokkum has been connected to a renewed road network towards Leeuwarden, Drachten, and Groningen.

 

History of Dokkum

Dokkum is historically known primarily because, according to tradition, the Anglo-Saxon missionary and saint Boniface was murdered in the vicinity of this place in 754.

There are various explanations regarding the etymological origin of the name Dokkum. Some suggest a combination and contraction of the Frisian male name 'Docko', who is said to have owned an estate or 'heim/hiem' here. Others associate the name Dokkum with 'Tockingen', meaning a 'settlement on a waterway or stream'. Spellings for the place name included 'Dockinga' and 'Dockynchirica'. Since the Middle Ages, there has been a monastery in Dokkum, where monks of the Norbertine order have been based since the 13th century. Olivier van Keulen preached the Crusade in Dokkum in 1214, in which Dokkumers also participated. This history is commemorated by means of a crescent moon on the coat of arms of Dokkum.

In 1298, Dokkum became the fourth city in Friesland to be granted city rights, following Stavoren, Harlingen, and IJlst. During the Great Frisian War, the Allied army led by Focko Ukena launched an attack on Dokkum in 1418. After several skirmishes with the Schieringer defenders, they surrendered, and the city was captured. Dokkum was plundered and the city militarily neutralized. In the Eighty Years' War against Spain, Dokkum was an important pawn in the struggle. In 1572, the city was in the hands of the Geuzen for a few hours. Dokkum was severely punished for this with the Walloon Fury in Dokkum. After 1579, when Dokkum joined the Union of Utrecht , an era of peace began. The Roman Catholic monastery and the monastery church were demolished in 1589; the church tower continued to dominate the cityscape until 1832.

In earlier years, the city was in open connection with the sea via the Dokkumergrootdiep. In 1597, the Frisian Admiralty established itself in Dokkum. From here, various matters concerning the security of merchant shipping and naval warfare against Spain were managed. Dokkum was of great strategic importance, as evidenced by the construction of the city walls in 1581–1582. Nevertheless, the Admiralty did not remain in Dokkum for long. Due to the silting up of the waterways, it moved its office to Harlingen in 1644. In 1729, the open connection with the Lauwerszee was permanently closed off by the construction of the Dokkumer Nieuwe Zijlen. This also replaced the old 16th-century sea lock under the Zijl. Dokkum increasingly developed into a land-oriented city. The construction of the Stroobossertrekvaart in 1654–1656 led to Dokkum's bankruptcy. In local tradition, Dokkum was and is known as “Poor Dokkum”. Until 1925, the municipality remained within the boundaries of the fortifications; subsequently, parts of East and West Dongeradeel and Dantumadeel were added to the municipality of Dokkum. At the end of the Second World War, a reprisal took place in Dokkum on January 22, 1945.

Until 1984, Dokkum was also an independent municipality. Through a merger with the municipalities of West and East Dongeradeel, the municipality of Dongeradeel was formed , of which Dokkum became the capital. To the south of Dokkum lies a spring which, according to tradition, is linked to (the death of) the aforementioned Boniface. As a result, it has become a Catholic pilgrimage site. In Dokkum, Fedde Sonnema started his distillery and liqueur factory, still known for Sonnema Berenburg . The old factory still stands in Dokkum. The small square in front of the former factory is named Sonnemapleintje after Sonnema, where a statue of Fedde Sonnema was also unveiled in March 2026. The Berenburg is now distilled in Bolsward.

In the nineteenth century, an increasing shortage of space arose in Dokkum. This was due to the ramparts, which hampered outward expansion, as construction was not permitted within the firing range of the cannons on the bastions. All new construction was crammed into the inner city, leading to the loss of many old historic buildings. Fortunately, the inner city of Dokkum – as one of the first places in the Netherlands – was declared a protected townscape in 1974, making it one of the protected town and village landscapes in Friesland.

A train used to stop in Dokkum, the "Dokkumer lokaaltje ". The train service was discontinued before the Second World War, and freight transport only in the mid-1970s. There was also a pub in Dokkum called "Dokkumer lokaaltje". On November 18, 2017, the national arrival of Sinterklaas took place in Dokkum. In 2019, the municipality of Dongeradeel merged with the municipalities of Ferwerderadiel and Kollumerland ca to form the municipality of Noardeast-Fryslân.

In 2004, Dokkum extensively commemorated the fact that the missionary Boniface was murdered near the city exactly 1250 years earlier, in the year 754. This historical fact, often referred to as “754: Boniface murdered near Dokkum”, provided the impetus for large-scale festivities and events as part of '1250 years of Boniface'. Because 754 is the first time in history that Dokkum is mentioned, this year was chosen as the founding year of Dokkum. Dokkum (754-2004): 1250 years. In 2004, that was 1250 years ago, and because of that anniversary, 2004 was a year of festivities for Dokkum. Among other things, the quadrennial city festivals were celebrated on a grand scale this year. A standard work on the history of Dokkum also appeared, entitled *Geschiedenis van Dokkum, hart van noordelijk Oostergo* (History of Dokkum, heart of northern Oostergo).

 

Well-known companies / products

Dokkumer Vlaggen Centrale (DVC)

Dokkumer Vlaggen Centrale (DVC) in Dokkum is a family business for the production and sale of flags and banners. It was founded in 1936 and employed around 80 people in 2022. The company is a continuation of a textile trade started in 1833 by Hermanus Demes. He was the son of Joannes Demes, who came to Dokkum with his family from Westphalia, Germany, in 1798 as a weaver's apprentice. In 1936, the then owner of the textile trade, Johan Demes, decided to make small waving flags for the engagement of Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard. The flags proved to sell so well that Demes decided to focus henceforth on the trade in flags and small pennants. The Dokkumer Vlaggen Centrale was founded in December 1936 as a department of the Dokkumer Manufacturenhandel H. Demes.

However, the Second World War brought an abrupt end to trade, but after the liberation, the flag trade picked up enormously again. Johan Demes remained a retailer in his Dokkum Textile Trade until 1955. His motto was 'Deo Volente Celcius' (God willing, ever higher) and became the name of his new company. After the war, DVC was able to grow into a substantial company. National and international flags, in particular, were manufactured there. In the 50s, the sale of banners and advertising flags was added. Around that time, it was also time for the sixth generation of Demes to take over: Joop and Gerhard focused entirely on flag production. Previously, flags had been sold from the Kloostersingel in Dokkum for a long time. Initially, only sewn flags were sold; printed flags were outsourced. In 1961, an in-house textile printing facility opened on the Keppelstraat in Dokkum. Here stood a 12-meter printing table on which the first in-house flags were printed.

In 1967, the printing company moved to the then-new Betterwird industrial estate in Dokkum. In 1981, the warehouse and sales department joined them. The Demes family remained in charge of the company until the death of Gerhard Demes in 1990. However, the company remained owned by the Demes family. In 1993, the Vlaggencentrale did not fare well due to a stagnating market, and significant cuts had to be made to the workforce of 130 jobs. Since then, the market has grown again, and today the company serves both business and private clients. The Dokkumer Vlaggencentrale was named Frisian Company of the Year in 2004.

 

 

Newspaper of North-East Friesland

Het Nieuwsblad van Noord-Oost Friesland is a subscription newspaper that has been published since 2010. The newspaper originated from two predecessors, the Kollumer Courant and the Nieuwe Dockumer Courant . In 2010, publisher Banda decided to merge the newspapers, and the editorial office was established in Dokkum. The newspaper is published on Mondays and Fridays, while on Wednesdays the old titles appear as door-to-door papers. In 2012, the three newspapers were acquired by the NDC Media Group.

 

Watership The Wadden

Wetterskip De Waadkant was one of the water boards formed in Friesland in 1997 during the second major consolidation of water boards in that province. In 2004, the last five polder water boards merged into Wetterskip Fryslân. Its headquarters were located in Stiens. The water board was formed from the two former water boards Tusken Waed en Ie and Noardlik Westergoa.

 

Dokkum Gasworks (Van Aitzemadwinger)

In 1905, the municipality of Dokkum took over the gas factory and moved it from the Hanspoortdwinger to the Van Aitzemadwinger. This factory gas was produced by heating coal in iron retorts. The factory was active until the early 60s.

Jan Pieter Minckelers (1748–1824) was a Dutch scientist and inventor. In 1783, he discovered that a combustible gas (lighting gas) could be produced by heating coal. His invention was applied to gas lighting. He was born and died in Maastricht, where a famous statue of him stands. In 1983, the 200th anniversary of gas was celebrated.

Conclusion: The gasworks in Dokkum (on the Van Aitzemadwinger) produced gas in the manner that became popular in the 19th century, partly thanks to Minckelers' discovery in 1783. There is no direct link between Jan Pieter Minckelers and the city of Dokkum itself.

 

Wilhelmina peppermint

Wilhelmina is part of Fortuin. The company started in 1842 as a confectionery and was founded by Willem Hendrik Fortuin in Lemmer. Not long after, the confectionery moved to Dokkum , where we are still located today. Over the years, we evolved from a luxury confectionery into an innovative sugar factory. Wilhelmina therefore has a long history that we are incredibly proud of. Refreshing is timeless, and we see this clearly reflected in that rich history. In 1977, we released our first Wilhelmina tin. Not only could the peppermints be stored well in this way, but the tins also looked beautiful. We could not have foreseen at the time that we would still be using those tins years later. After that first tin, many variations followed featuring different images of members of the Dutch Royal Family. Consider, for instance, the tin for Wilhelmina's inauguration, or the special tin commemorating the wedding of Willem Alexander and Maxima.

 

Thanks to Peter Janssen of www.frankeerstempel.nl for the stamps in this blog.

 

<strong> More info: </strong>

King's Day in Dokkum: https://keningsdei.frl/

King's Day flag: https://dvc.nl/vlaggen/themavlaggen/koningsdag

Wilhelmina peppermint and tins:

https://www.wilhelminapepermunt.nl/blikken/

https://www.facebook.com/wilhelminapepermunt.nl/

Dokkum Tourism:

https://www.eropuitinfriesland.nl/nl/ontdekken/dokkum

https://www.friesland.nl/nl/ontdek/de-elf-steden/dokkum

https://dokkum.nl/

https://www.museumdokkum.nl/

The Houses of Orange and Nassau: https://www.dehuizenvanoranjeennassau.nl/

Previous King's Day blogs: https://www.postzegelblog.nl/tag/koningsdag/

Previous Royal House blogs: https://www.postzegelblog.nl/tag/koninklijk-huis/