Historical background

Like most of the Frisian manor-houses, present-day Dekema State has evolved from a simple rectangular stone house, called 'stins'(Fr.) that would be easy to defend. Originally it was called Fetsa State but this name was changed to Camstra State when a Camstra acquired it.

In the 16th century a Camstra heiress married Hette van Dekema who gave the house his name which has stuck despite the fact that since then there were several other owners like Van Unia, Doys, Houth and finally Van Wageningen. In 1791 the heiress Juliana Lucia Elizabeth Houth married Gerardus van Wageningen and from then on till 1996 the house was lived in by successive generations of the Van Wageningen family.

In 1996 the house was taken over by the Dekema Foundation which has close links with the Old Burger Weeshuis ( old civic orphanage) in Leeuwarden.

The fabric and the structure of the house have been extensively restored (1996-2000) and now it has become an example of a traditional Frisian State (manor house) furnished in the style and fashion of the period just before World War II. The aim has been to create the impression that the owners have just stepped outside for a moment and will soon be back. The museum shows all the things the owners might have been using and have left lying about.

The original furniture and paintings have been supplemented with loans from the Fries Museum and other sources.

The garden

The name "State" does not refer only to the house but also to its grounds.

From the 17th cent. onwards these grounds, the gardens, were modernised to fit in with the changing fashions.

With Dekema State this did not happen because here the yield of the grounds was more important than fashion. The gardens were intended foremost to supply the basic needs of the owners.

Nevertheless it is possible to recognise various styles of garden-design. The garden had a simple design and was laid out in a basic way. Avenues, an orchard and a vegetable garden made it complete.

Mr J.G. Semler, who later was headgardener of the Stadtholder and had the supervision over the "Prinsentuin" in Leeuwarden, is supposed to have worked at Dekema from 1702 to 1706.

Stinzenflora

The environment in which the "stinzenflora " started to thrive originated in the 18th century landscape style gardens. Because of human activities like levelling and digging and bringing in new garden soil when the gardens were laid out the cultivated garden soil differs from the surrounding soil. Special plants and bulbs were brought in and very often left to run wild. The plants that are now collectively known as the "stinzenflora" flower conspicuously in consecutive periods in spring.

The local varieties we find here are snowdrop, hollow root, bird in a bush, blue bell, wild tulip, lords and ladies, ramsons, (drooping star of Bethlehem), spring crocus, spring snowflake and yellow anemone.

An article about Dekema State by Ruud Spruit, West Fries Museum