Ter Apel is a town in the municipality Vlagtwedde in the northern Netherlands, in the province Groningen in the region Westerwolde. The town lies on the stream Ruiten Aa, which has the valley that together with the Ter Apeler forest belongs to the national network of nature reserves, the Ecologische Hoofdstructuur. An accommodation centre for refugees is located at Ter Apel, functioning as a "departure centre" for rejected refugees and a registration point, operated by the Centraal Orgaan opvang Asielzoekers. Ter Apel lies on the roads N366, N976 and N391. It forms the southern point of the border between Groningen and Drenthe, the Semslinie.
History
The town was founded at a monastery, which from the thirteenth century was a chief work of the Premonstratensians and from 1465 an institution of the Order of the Holy Cross. It was closed in 1594 due to the Protestant Reformation. In 1619 ownership of Westerwolde passed to the city of Groningen, with the monastery and its grounds included. Over time the city planted forests on these grounds. In 1931-1933 the remaining parts of the monastery were restored. In 1976 ownership of the monastery and the forests passed to the state forest managers, Staatsbosbeheer. The agricultural land was also purchased after 1976.
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