, 1969 statue The historical Stavoren was granted
city rights between 1060 and 1067, making it the oldest city in
Friesland. It is mentioned in early texts as the burial place of the early kings of Friesland, including the first Christian king Adgil II (d. 730), who was a son of
Redbad, the last pagan king who lived from about 670 to 719. Stavoren was the site of a memorable battle on 26 September 1345 where the count of Holland William IV "the Bold" lost his life. Stavoren began to decline in the
late Middle Ages after a sandbank formed outside the harbour, blocking ships from entering and exiting. The appearance of the sandbank is the topic of the
Dutch Renaissance folk-tale of the
Lady of Stavoren. In 1657, the entire town was submerged in a great flood. Before 2011, the city was part of the
Nijefurd municipality and before 1984 Stavoren was an independent municipality. ==Notable people==