Boniface Chapel Dokkum - Dokkum

Around the year 672, Boniface was born in Exeter, Southwest England. His birth name was Winfrid or Wynfrith, a name given to him due to his noble lineage. On one of his first missions, he left England to travel to Friesland. However, due to political circumstances, it was not advisable to travel to the Frisians at that time. He decided to continue his journey to Rome, where the pope assigned him the task of converting the area east of the Rhine to Christianity. It was then that he received his new name: Boniface. After some time, Boniface returned to Friesland. The Frisians had not forgotten him and murdered him in Dokkum in 754 by beating him with clubs.

Around the Boniface Chapel, there are several water sources. The water originates from a spring near the chapel, surrounded by various legends. One story tells that Boniface’s horse once stamped its hoof on the ground, causing water to gush forth from a well. Another legend claims that while searching for fresh water, Boniface struck the ground with his bishop's staff, and a spring emerged. A final tale states that the spring was discovered when the mound was raised shortly after Boniface's murder. As the leader of the Franks circled the hill with his group, one of the horses sank into a hole in the ground, revealing the water spring.

The spring has been of great importance to Dokkum's water supply for centuries. Even breweries favored the clear and clean water from this fountain.