Smilde
village in Midden-Drenthe, Netherlands
Smilde is a town in the Netherlands' northern province of Drenthe and lies about 10 kilometers (6.2 mi) southwest of the province capital of Assen. Smilde was a separate municipality until 1998, when it became a part of Middenveld. However, that name changed in 2000 and was renamed the municipality of Midden-Drenthe.
History
The village was first mentioned in 1846 as Smilde. The etymology is unclear. Smilde is an elongated canal village which developed around 1770. Between 1767 and 1780, the Drentsche Hoofdvaart was dug to excavate the peat in the area. The first settlement was called Kloosterveen and was later renamed to Smilde.
The Dutch Reformed church was built between 1780 and 1788 in Louis XVI style. It was restored in 1963.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Smilde” is village in Midden-Drenthe, Netherlands. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Smilde, village and Midden-Drenthe, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “village in Midden-Drenthe, Netherlands” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 27, 2025. The linked authority identifier is Q2165973. VIAF identifies the subject as 150418443. Authority coordinates are 52.949, 6.448. 1 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1998, 2000, 1846 and 1770.
Modern boundaries and familiar names can conceal earlier jurisdictions or structures that do not align with the present site. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Smilde”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Smilde primary sources, Smilde archive and Smilde research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Smilde”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Smilde” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.