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Essen is a small hamlet in the municipality Haren in the province Groningen. It lies between the city of Groningen and the village of Haren.
Map of Essen, Netherlands
In 1215 a monastery was founded in Essen (or Yesse). It existed until 1594. During the Protestant Reformation it was closed down by the province of Groningen. It was known for having a miraculous statue of Mary (mother of Jesus). Only the terrain on which the monastery was built is recognisable.
Today Essen counts twenty farms in a very rural countryside; it is hard to imagine that the centre of the city of Groningen is only 5 km (3 mi) away.
The existence of Essen is being threatened by plans to build a new beltway, the Zuidtangent. The municipality of Haren has so far resisted these plans.
References
Essen, Groningen Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA