Hijken is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Midden-Drenthe, and lies about 13 km south of Assen, the province capital of Drenthe.
History
The village was first mentioned in 1370 as "civibus de Hyken". The etymology is unknown.[3] Hijken developed as an esdorp originally without a church in the Early Middle Ages as a satellite of Beilen. In 1858, the Oranjekanaal [nl] was dug which cut the village into two halves.[4] It used be a village of shepherds. In 1563, there were 70 sheep for every building.[5]
Hijken was home to 417 people in 1840.[5] In 1906, a Reformed Church was built. In 1915, a steam dairy factory which doubled as grist mill was built. Between 1928 and 1960, it was used as a Dutch Reformed church and is nowadays used by a fodder and fertilizer company.[4] In 2018, the municipality wanted to demolished the bridge over the canal, however protests have resulted in the construction of a new bridge in 2019.[5]
The village is also known for its surrounding Neanderthal settlements. Late Neolithic Hat graves have been discovered dating to a Bronze Age settlement near Hijken.[6]
Sheep in Hijken on a street with appropriate warning sign
