Iwema-Steenhuis in Niebert Steenhuis Bunderhee in Bunde
A stone house (Gronings: stainhoes, Fries: stins, Oostfries: steenhus) is an early form of a castle or castle, as was found in the provinces of Friesland, Groningen and East Frisia. For example, only in Friesland have been around the seven hundred stinks.
When in the Middle Ages the country-nobility gathered more power and wealth, the need for safe housing emerged. This was found in the so-called stone house.
It is a nearly square building with sides of 9 to 12 meters, built of brick. The walls were thick, often more than a meter, and the building often had at least three floors. The entrance was on the first floor and was reached via a staircase that could be removed.
When in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries the reinforcement continued to ensure that stone houses were no longer safe, the residents eventually agreed to build them into farms or shelters - often richly exported.
In some preserved remains, the old stone house is still recognizable. The only remaining stone house in the province of Groningen is the Iwema-Steenhuis in Niebert. In East Friesland there is, among others, the Steenhuis Bunderhee near Bunde and the Harderwykenburg near Leer, and in Friesland the Schierstins is located at the place of Veenwouden.
Satellite programs like Google Earth and Virtual Earth found many foundations of stone houses unprecedented in the province of Groningen. Amateur historian Johan Feikens discovered several in the area around the Dollard, in Oldambt.
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