The municipality the Bildt is situated in the Northwestern corner
of Friesland, the so called Frisian claysoil region.
Saint Annaparochie is thecapital of the Bildt
To the North the municipality the Bildt borders on the Waddensea
(Dutch wadden shallows) and on the Eastern, Southern and Western border you'll
find the municipalities Ferwerderadeel, Leeuwarderadeel, Menaldumadeel and
Franekeradeel.
Within a short distance the Cities of Harlingen, Franeker and
Leeuwarden are situated.
Where the inhabitants of the Bildt live at the present time was in
the former days called the Middelzee. It was the Duke George of Saksen, who
after negotiations with four Dutch Nobles : Thomas Beuckelaar, Brothers Jacob,
Floris and Dirk van Wijngaarden, came to a agreement to embank the first part
of the present Bildt.
In 1505 the job was completed. Very soon three
settlements came into existence, known as Wijngaarden, Altoena and Kijfhoek.
These names came to be because the labourers, who embanked the land had named
the new settlements after the region or village where they originated from.
Later these settlements had their own small Churches, dedicated to
St.-Jacobus, St.-Anna and our Lieve Vrouwe. Shortly after that they changed the
original names of the settlements into: St.-Jacobiparochie, St.-Annaparochie
and Vrouwenparochie.
Through the input of so many "Dutch" labourers an entirely
different language originated.
This language - called the "Bildts language" is
a mixture of Dutch and Frisian.
Up to this day the Bildt language is used
beside the Frisian and Dutch in every day use.
In 1600 the "new Bildt" was impoldered and in 1715 once again they
empoldered a piece of land that was "aangeslibd" (added on through mud, silt),
which was called the Bildtpollen.
In three centuries the total embankment of the present settlement
was completed.
A gigantic piece of work if you realize that it all had to be
done with shovel and wheelbarrow.
The statue "De Slikwerker" (The mud labourer)
at Zwarte Haan near the Wadden coast has been erected to give honour to all
those diligent workers.

The latest large extension of the Bildt took place in 1984, not
through impoldering but through the municipal redivision of Friesland.
Since January 1st 1984 the municipality of the Bildt consists of
the core in St.-Annaparochie, St.-Jacobiparochie, Vrouwenparochie,
Oudebildtzijl, Westhoek en Minnertsga.
At the present it is a municipality of about 10.000 inhabitants
with an excellent level of provisions.
Travel time to Leeuwarden - via the
S10 - takes only ten minutes.
Each village has a variety of shops, sport and
social cultural provisions.
In regard to Sports activities there are many sport
fields with soccer accommodations, ice rinks, Dutch hand-tennis (kaatsen)
courts, tennis courts, gymnastic facilities, sports hall, indoor swimming pool,
leaping-pool terrain, manege etc.
Also the social, cultural provisions are well represented. You
will find: club houses, societies, playgrounds for toddlers, libraries,
concerthalls, a music school etc.etc.
There are plenty of schools for primary and advanced
education.
In short a municipality where people love to live!

The text was copied and translated from the information guide Municipality the Bildt 1992

