Leons

Leons is a small municipality in the Dutch Low Saxon province of Frisia in Saxony, member of the Seafaring Confederation. With 25 inhabitants as of 2016, it ties with Koehoal for the third least populated municipality of the state, and with its total area of 2.33 km² it is one of the fifty smallest municipalities by area.

Description


Located in the municipality is only the village of Leons, which consists of 8 houses in a circle around the church in the centre. All 25 inhabitants live here, with the remainder of the municipality naught but fields and ditches.

Leons borders the municipality of Winsum, Baaium en Húns to the north and west, Hilaard, Hoptille en Hesens to the northeast, Jorwert en Fûns to the east, and Baard to the south. Its western and northern border are formed by the Boalserter Feart, whilst the rest of the borders are formed by various smaller streams and ditches.

Leons is intrinsically connected socially with Húns, which merged with Winsum and Baaium into a single municipality. Leons was also offered the possibility of a merger, but denied. Nevertheless the two villages maintain close relationships, and even have a shared village association.

The municipality is led by a municipal council consisting of seven councillors. These are elected through a so-called doarpsgearkomste, a form of, every four years. The mayor is appointed by the King's Commissioner of the province of Frisia, though by convention the municipality of Leons puts forth its own candidate from the village, who is then ordained as mayor by the King's Commissioner.

History
Leons' history is largely obscure, though there has been found proof of inhabitation from at least the Roman times. Archaeological excavations have unearthed, for example, a figurine of the Roman Goddess.

The oldest building in Leons is the Church of, which is located centrally in the village. The church was built in the 14th century and renovated between 1968 and 1970. The church is now mostly used for concerts and weddings, although a weekly Sunday mass is provided and all those interested to attend are welcome.

Leons is also mentioned on the of 1968, where it is called Lyons.

Future
The future of an independent municipality of Leons is uncertain. Its small size, both in area and population, may proof untenable in the future. Though Leons' official position on the matter is that they prefer to remain independent, the municipality has conceded that if it were to have to merge with another municipality it would prefer to merge with Winsum, Baaium en Húns. The municipality of Easterlittens has proposed a merger of Easterein, Itens, Rien en Hinnaerd, Easterlittens, Baard and Leons, but this proposal was rejected by the latter.

Roads
Only one road runs through the municipality, which changes names at the entrance road to the village proper: the road running towards Húns is called Húns, and the road running towards Baard is called Tongerwei.

The road providing access to the upon which the church is located has no name and is locally known simply as "the Road". It divides up in the centre near the church and runs towards the separate houses of the village.

Bus
The closest-by bus stop that provides a regular bus service is Húns, Provincialeweg, which is located half a kilometre to the north of the northern border of the municipality along the. It is called at by line 92, which provides a connection to Boalsert on one side and Ljouwert on the other.

Located within the village proper, next to the church, is the bus stop Leons, Leons. This bus stop is only called at by a serve-on-call bus service, and reservations need to be made at least 90 minutes in advance. Line 719 goes directly to, line 733 goes directly to the bus station at Winsum.