In the year 1672 the new walls and moats of
Groningen were severely tested. The
bishop of
Münster, Bernhard van Galen, marched with his armies trhough the wetlands and came quite close to the city walls.
There he halted and started a huge offensive in which bombs (canonballs) were his greatest weapon. Thus the people of
Groningen refered to him as "Bommen Berend" (Bombing Berend)!
On the 28th of august "Bommen Berend" retreated. The people of Groningen and the surrounding areas (the so-called "ommelanden") had been able to stand united against the threat of "Bommen Berend"! However, after the Bishop dissapeared the conflicts between the surrounding areas flared up once more...
"Bommen Berend" exists nowaday as a holiday in Groningen.
Every year on august 28th Groningen celebrates the day on which the bishop of Münster was defeated by the people of Groningen and 'Ommelanden'!