IJlst (Frisian: Drylts) is a town in the municipality of
Súdwest-Fryslân, in the Dutch province of Friesland, which lies
north of Heeg and southwest of the larger city of Sneek. The river
Geeuw runs through the city, which flows into the city with the
river Ee. De Geeuw is part of the connection Sneekermeer - Sneek -
IJlst - Heeg - Heegermeer and is a busy waterway, especially in
summer.
IJlst is one of the Frisian eleven cities. In 2020
the city had 3,055 inhabitants. The city also includes a part of the
village / hamlet of Nijezijl. Until 2011, IJlst was the capital of
the former municipality of Wymbritseradeel. The inhabitants of IJlst
are also called kypmantsjes, after a type of biscuit.
There are several theories about the origin of the
name IJlst. It may come from the Ylostins, the stins that once stood
in the southwestern part of IJlst. The name is also sometimes
associated with the Ee or IJslot, the stins that lay on the water
that flows through IJlst. The original name of IJlst was Ylike,
which was later corrupted to Ylts or Fries Drylts. Y or Ee means
water and leke in Ylike is the Frisian verb like, which means 'to
flow slowly'.
IJlst has had city rights since 1268. This
makes it the fourth city (after Stavoren, Hindeloopen and Harlingen)
in Friesland to receive city rights. The city was known for its
shipbuilding and trading position. It originated on the Oude Ee or
Ye, a river between the Zuiderzee or its predecessor and the
Middelzee. The city owes its name to this river.
Only
fragments of the Ee remain. One of them forms the central axis of
the city and has the character of a canal. The street runs right
past the houses, and the gardens are just across the street on the
side of the Ee. These gardens bordering the water, called "bleaches"
or "overtuinen", belong to the houses situated on the canals and
were used to bleach the laundry in the past. Some of the gardens are
still privately owned.
On November 8, 1885, IJlst got a
station on the Leeuwarden-Stavoren railway line. A beautiful station
building was built and demolished in 1954. In 1938 there were plans
to close the station in IJlst, but until 1941 there was still a
regular train connection with IJlst. From 1941 to 1985 no more
trains stopped in IJlst. The IJlst stop was reopened on 28 September
1985, at the place where the railway crossing used to be. To this
day there is a train connection between Stavoren and Leeuwarden.
IJlst was an independent municipality until it was merged with Wymbritseradeel during the major reorganization of January 1, 1984. IJlst became the new capital. In 1985, a new town hall was completed on the north side of IJlst. The old town hall, which had become too small, was used as a police station. A few years later it was sold to private individuals as a home.
The Nooitgedagt company was
established in IJlst, which manufactured tools, wooden toys and
skates. Around 1990 the factory moved to the industrial estate.
Parts of the old factory have since been demolished. There is still
one old building, the so-called 'giele stientsjes' building, the
first Nooitgedagt factory. This building has been renovated. The
last authentic factory building built - the first in the Netherlands
to be made entirely of concrete - was demolished in mid-October
2004.
A few years earlier, the Nooitgedagt company ceased to
exist due to a takeover. Another company was established in the new
building. A salient detail is that about ten years of discussions
about the completion of the site. All this time the building was
empty and impoverished.
Since October 2004, there has been a
debate about preserving the old factory chimney. The chimney was
renovated in 2007, bringing it back to its original height. However,
not bricked as before, but in the form of a steel skeleton (work of
art). In mid-2005, a new residential area was built on the old
factory site. In addition, five more buildings have been built for
the old Nooitgedagt factory.