Slagharen is a village in the municipality of Hardenberg, which is located in North Salland in the Dutch province of Overijssel, with approximately 3000 inhabitants. Slagharen was formed as a painter's settlement around 1840, when German peat workers (male chauffeurs) moved towards East Netherlands.
Through Slagharen the canal passed the Lutterhoofd district of Lutten towards the Crimea and Coevorden. This channel was built in the middle of the 19th century. By 1884, 10,729 ships passed the bridge in Slagharen. After the Second World War, the channel lost its importance to shipping and the part in Slagharen was muted. The N377 was built over the canal route.
Slagharen is known for the Ponypark Slagharen, founded by Henk Bemboom. This park has now been renamed Slagharen Amusement Park. In the park itself is another attraction: the Pioneer, a mill from 1859, also the only national monument that Slagharen counts. In addition, Slagharen has another municipal monument: the Saint Antonius monastery.
The name Slagharen comes from 'battle', which means piece of land or land, combined with 'haare', which means higher area. The latter is still reflected in the fact that older Slagharenaren still say 'on Slagharen' when they mean something within the village limits.
Slagharen is a predominantly Roman-Catholic enclave in a predominantly protestant environment. Slagharen has therefore celebrated its many years of carnival tradition as one of the few villages in this area. The village is called Turfgat.
