DEUTSCHLAND	GERMANY
Bundesland: Niedersachsen	Lower Saxony
Landkreis: Friesland

map →

Zetel is situated at an altitude of 10 m on a geest hill, an Old Drift landscape, characterised by the sandy depositions of the Ice Age, approximately 15 km southwest of Wilhelmshaven, and 12 km west of Varel. The municipality has a population of about 11,700 (2015).

The oldest written mention of Sethle dates from 1423; however, the place had already been inhabited long before. Situated on a geest hill, the place was never afflicted by storm floods, contrary to other places near the coast. In 1481, the counts of Oldenburg had to cede Zetel to East Frisia, but in 1517 Zetel was finally returned to Oldenburg. Due to wise tactics of the counts of Oldenburg, the area did not suffer significantly during the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648). During 1811 and 1815, Oldenburg (since 1774/77 a duchy, 1815 grand duchy) was occupied by Napoleonic France (part of the Département des Bouches-du-Weser). Zetel was connected to the railroad system in 1894. Transport of passengers on the railway line from Neuenburg via Zetel and Bockhorn to Varel was disontinued in 1954 while transport of goods continued until the early 1990s; the line was finally closed in 1993. After the dissolution of the district Friesland in 1977, Zetel, Bockhorn and Varel were part of the district Ammerland; however, the district Friesland was re-established in 1980. The formerly independent municipality of Neuenburg was incorporated into Zetel in 1972.

The church of St. Martin [bottom left] was completed in 1249, i.e. long before the first documented mention of Zetel. Archeological studies uncovered remains of an even older chapel.

The soldiers' monument [bottom right] was erected after the French-German War of 1870/71. The monument was enlarged after both World Wars to commemorate the soldiers who died in those wars and, after World War II also to commemorate the prisoners of war who had died. Today, the place is named Friedensgarten ('Peace Park').

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zetel, https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zetel; http://www.nwzonline.de/friesland/wirtschaft/ort-der-trauer-fuer-opfer-sinnloser-gewalt_a_3,0,3614439391.html; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geest]