Diever is a village in the Dutch province of Drenthe. It is a part of the municipality of Westerveld, and lies about 18 km northwest of Hoogeveen.
Diever is located near the Drentse Hoofdvaart, a major north-south route for pleasure boats in the province of Drenthe. Diever lies next to the Drents-Friese Wold, one of the major national parks in the Netherlands, and a major attraction for tourists. In the centre of Diever there is the brink, a square with old buildings surrounding it. The Dutch Reformed Saint Pancratius-church is a 15th-century building, and considered one of the most beautiful churches of Drenthe.
Diever was a separate municipality until 1998, when the new municipality of Westerveld was created.
In 2001, the town of Diever had 1941 inhabitants. The built-up area of the town was 0.80 km², and had 810 residences. The statistical area "Diever", which also can include the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 2580.
Shakespeare
In July and August some of the local people of Diever perform in dramas written by William Shakespeare. Diever is also known as "Shakespeare-town". The plays are being performed in an open-air theater and are famous in the Netherlands. Even in Stratford-upon-Avon people apparently know that the local people of Diever perform in Shakespeare's plays. The local amateur theater group was formed in 1946 by a local medical doctor, Mr. Derp Broekema. Thus in 2006 we celebrated the 60th anniversary of this annual event with the performance of Henry IV.
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