Saint Walfridus

Walfridus of Wolfryt was an inhabitant of Bedum in the province of Groningen who lived in the 10th and possibly the 11th century. According to his vita, Walfridus brought Christianity to Bedum and established a legal system. He also initiated the reinforcement of the Wolddijk, the dike surrounding Bedum. The oldest church in Bedum is named after him. The founding of this Walfridus Church is linked to the reburial of Walfridus between 1025 and 1050. He and his son Radfridus were reportedly murdered during a Viking raid. Walfridus's body had to be ransomed by his family in order to be buried, while Radfridus's body was found in the vicinity of Bedum. A chapel was erected on the site of their graves, and both were venerated as martyrs. Remains of a Walfridus chapel dating to around 1200 have been found on a site at Kapelstraat 2 in Bedum. Another source mentions a Radfridus chapel on the Kapelstraat, the remains of which were uncovered in 1934. It is not entirely clear whether the same chapel is intended. The legend recounts various miracles that occurred at Walfridus's grave. Because of this pilgrimage site, Bedum became one of the largest places of pilgrimage in the Northern Netherlands. Walfridus is said to have made a daily journey on foot with his son to the Saint Martin's Church in the city of Groningen. Because this required crossing the Hunze river, he built a bridge over it near the later Noorderhoogebrug: the Walfridus Bridge. This bridge was an extension of the road along the Kleisloot, also known as the Walfridusweg (later Bedumerweg). The name Walfridus Bridge was given in 2003 to the railway bridge over the Van Starkenborgh Canal on the Groningen Noord–Sauwerd line, which was built that year by Victor Buyck Steel Construction of Eeklo.