Verstedelijking en migratie in het Oost-Groningse veengebied 1800-1940

The main question in this thesis is how urbanisation took place in the East Groningen peat area, an area of economic specialisation. The hypothesis at stake is the idea of a mutual influence of economic specialisation and the adoption of central functions in a settlement. Earlier some research has been done in other industrial specialisation areas, for example by Buursink. A specific industrial branch developed in a specific settlement due to comparative advantages. This industrial development was supported through new infrastructure. So new markets opened up for this specific industry. As a consequence of industrialisation, employment grew, which lead to an in-flow of migrants to this specific settlement. As a result of the in-flow of people, central functions emerged, at first to satisfy the needs in the specific settlement, later on this local function turned into a regional one, so the old regional capital was threatened by this new settlement. In the East-Groningen peat area developments took a different path. The regional capital, the city of Groningen, was never threatened by the process of urbanisation in the peat area. Furthermore, the pattern of central places developed before industrialisation took place. That is why this book covers the period before industrialisation as well as the two phases of industrialisation