Fransum

Fransum () is an old church hamlet in the municipality of Westerkwartier, Netherlands. The village in the north-east of the country contains an early 13th century Romanesque church, a farm and a house.

The hamlet was first mentioned in 1285 as Frenchem in Hunesgonia, and probably means "settlement of Frank (person)". The explanation "settlement of the Franks" is unlikely due to the k → s shift. Archaeological excavations have discovered artefacts from the 5th until the 8th century in the terp. Also bodies have been discovered which are older than the 13th century church. The church is currently in use for weddings, expositions and concerts due to the excellent acoustics.