Opinion

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Ghost town or golden opportunity

Tuesday 26 February 2008

Last weekend a survey into why Dutch nationals still emigrate to the wide open spaces of Canada and Scandinavia showed that the search for peace and quiet was one of the main driving forces.

So it is strange to read of an entire village in rural Groningen which is so unloved that the local council is recommending it be demolished.

That, says news agency ANP, is the fate awaiting the romantically-named village of Ganzedijk (goose dike). The village has some 60 houses but has become so run-down and unpopular that council officials say the land should be given back to nature - and that means bringing in the demolition men.

The village lies due east of Groningen, very close to the Eems estuary and near to the German border - perfect for people looking for peace and quiet.

Ganzedijk has the remains of a medieval church, its own mill and achieved notoriety at the end of the last century when it emerged that writer Richard Klinkhamer had killed and buried his wife there - and then wrote a book about it.

Sidelines would like to bet that it will not be long before some wily developer buys it up and turns it into some holiday park. The Dutch not only like peace and quiet, but are very good at making a fast buck.

For more on Ganzedijk click here