Harich, Friesland

Harich is a village in De Fryske Marren municipality in the province of Friesland, the Netherlands. It had a population of around 470 in 2017.^[3]

Harich
Village
Harich church
Location in the former Gaasterlân Sleat municipality
Harich Location in the Netherlands Show map of Friesland Harich Harich (Netherlands) Show map of Netherlands
Coordinates: 52°54′10″N 5°33′58″E
Country	Netherlands
Province	Friesland
Municipality	De Fryske Marren
Area [1]
• Total	17.23 km2 (6.65 sq mi)
Elevation [2]	2 m (7 ft)
Population  (2021)[1]
• Total	485
• Density	28/km2 (73/sq mi)
Postal code	8571[1]
Dialing code	0514

History

The village was first mentioned in 1245 as Harich, and means holy place.^[4] Harich developed on a sandy ridge around the church. The tower of the Protestant church probably dates from the 12th century. The church itself was rebuilt in 1663 after a storm.^[5] In 1840, it was home to 279 people.^[6] In 1942, the forced labour camp Wyldemerk Harich was opened in the forests near Harich.^[7]

Before 2014, Harich was part of the Gaasterlân-Sleat municipality and before 1984 it belonged to Gaasterland.^[6]

Gallery

• 
  An illustration depicting the village c. 1710–1735, from the Atlas Schoemaker, currently held at the Koninklijke Bibliotheek
• 
  Houses around the church
• 
  Butterfly statue garden
• 
  Harichster Forest