Essen, Groningen
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.
In 1215 a monastery was founded in Essen. 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. 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 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.
