Aftershock: The Giant Gas Field That Rocked the Netherlands Decades of production from Europe's biggest gas field has brought a new menace to this quiet part of the Netherlands: earthquakes that have left residents grappling with insecure buildings and falling property values. Scroll

The old village of Bedum is known for its slanting church tower. The tilt on the 11th-century church isn't related to the earthquakes, but residents fear the threat tremors pose to such historic buildings.

Annemarie Heite and her family live just outside Bedum. In the summer of 2012 they returned from holiday to find floor-to-ceiling cracks in the walls of their historic farmhouse. For years, the family lived in a "Kafkaesque" nightmare, Ms. Heite said, wrangling over compensation and uncertain about the stability of their home, which in the end they weren't able to save. "It's a pain that will stay with me to the end of my life that the government in the 21st century can treat people like this," she said.

Iron struts prop up Siemon Winter's badly damaged house in the village of Middelstum. Mr. Winter says the gas company paid €31,000 to leave the family "living between scaffolding." They are fighting for compensation to rebuild.

Mr. Winter's daughters in their damaged house. "We are very scared about the stability," Mr. Winter said. He continues to fight, but worries about his chances taking on powerful multinationals.


In the wake of the earthquakes, property values in Groningen have fallen and residents often struggle to sell their homes. The gas venture has a process to compensate residents for lost property value, but is also appealing a lawsuit brought by residents and housing associations on the subject.

Five years ago, Martin and Pieta Ettema decided to sell their home in the village of Loppersum and buy a smaller one for their retirement. But after the earthquake of August 2012--the biggest ever in the region--offers for the classic 19th-century house dried up. To sell it they figure they could face a loss of up to €100,000. "We can't afford that. We are prisoners in our home," Ms. Ettema said.

Cees de Vries runs the Hotel Spoorzicht in the village of Loppersum. Mr. de Vries sees benefits from the investment the province is getting to help mitigate the earthquakes, but he says the situation has also created uncertainties for his business. "For two years I've been doing my business with the brakes on," he said.

Architectural engineer Jur Bekooy works for the Groningen Old Churches Foundation, which has restored and conserved many of the old churches that help give this region character, but the gas-induced earthquakes have brought a new challenge. The 15th-century church in the village of Middelstum is laced with cracks. Many churches need to be strengthened to withstand future tremors, fueling concerns that precious cultural heritage will be lost. In many of Groningen's villages, "the church is part of the identity of those living in that society," Mr. Bekooy said.

In Loppersum, newly strengthened houses, right, stand alongside those damaged by quakes and patched up with wood. Many residents have been forced to move to temporary accommodation while their homes are reinforced. In the town hall, the gas company's name is never uttered. "It's like Voldemort," said Sandra Beckerman, a local member of parliament.

The old farmhouse that once stood in this clearing has been demolished to make way for a new building that will be more resilient to earthquakes. The residents' association Groninger Bodem Beweging estimates more than 70% of the region's historic buildings have been damaged by earthquakes.