Verleden van Groningen (3/8) [29-10-2008] - RTV Noord

An eight-part series that examines the province's history in detail, from its origins to the present. The program is part of the Groningen Past event. This week, presenter Roel Dijkhuis reveals a different side of the Middle Ages. A central authority is absent in the northern provinces. The emperor and pope are located far away in Rome. This allows all sorts of local, wealthy farmers, sometimes called chieftains, to rule over their local territories. This nobility of the Groningen countryside fights numerous feuds among themselves. Roel Dijkhuis uses the unfortunate Yda to illustrate how complex such feuds can be. Throughout the Middle Ages, Groningen gradually becomes part of the European theater of war. The city and its surrounding areas are constantly engaged in conflict and choose different allies as the situation demands. They find these allies in the East Frisian, Gelderland, and Holland counts, who see Groningen as an expansion of their dominions. Ultimately, Groningen becomes involved in the Eighty Years' War. Disputes, violence, and especially the lack of central authority are the central themes of this episode of Groningen's Past. Visit our website: http://www.rtvnoord.nl/