The editorial team put considerable effort into finding the
right title for the book before you. It had to be anything but dull—yet still
capture the essence of the content. At the same time, it needed to appeal to a
broad audience, not just the residents of the Veenkoloniën.
Colonists, Canals, and Taverns has a familiar ring to
it, even though it contains no words in the Gronings dialect. In the text,
however, author Harm van der Veen does make use of it. He couldn’t avoid it, as
you’ll soon notice. After all, this is a historical overview of the Groningen
peat colonies, presented in short, concise, and easy-to-read chapters.
Should any words remain unclear, a glossary has been added
at the back of the book for clarification.
This publication is not intended as a repetition of earlier
works, but rather as a supplement to what already exists—enriched with images
of museum objects. Providing additional context to the scenes and artifacts on
display at the Veenkoloniaal Museum in Veendam is considered its primary
purpose. In this way, the book can serve as a museum guide, though it also
functions well as a history book.
After visiting the museum, readers can revisit the stories
at home and reflect, for example, on how the Veenkoloniën came to have such a
thriving shipping industry.
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