Hem ( West Frisian: ''Him'') (population estimate: 1230) is a village in the municipality

Drechterland Drechterland () is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland and the region of West-Frisia. The municipality was formed in 1979, in a merger of the former municipalities of Hoogkarspel, Westwoud and Oosterblokker. Its o ...

, located in the north west of the Netherlands, in the province of

North Holland North Holland ( nl, Noord-Holland, ) is a province of the Netherlands in the northwestern part of the country. It is located on the North Sea, north of South Holland and Utrecht, and west of Friesland and Flevoland. In November 2019, it had a ...

and the region of West-Frisia. The village was first mentioned around 1312 as Hem, and means "silted land in a bend of a stream". Hem developed in the 12th century as a peat excavation settlement. The tower of the Dutch Reformed church dates from around 1500. The

baluster A baluster is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its cons ...

and spire were constructed after a 1897 fire. The matching church was demolished in 1972 after a fire. The Catholic St Lucas Church is an aisleless church from 1930. Hem was home to 591 people in 1840.

Notable people

Alice Besseling Alida Cornelia Maria "Alice" Besseling (23 October 1944 – 22 January 2014) was a city council member for the Christian Democratic Appeal, CDA in the Dutch city of Alphen aan den Rijn, and a local and social activist who was instrumental in the ...

, politician

Gallery

File:Hemmerbuurt 243, Hem.JPG, Farm Elba Hoeve File:Hem4.jpg, Former forge File:Hemmerbuurt 125, woonhuis, Hem.JPG, Farm in Hem File:Overzicht toren met balustrade en een achtzijdige naaldspits - Hem - 20406694 - RCE.jpg, Tower of the former church

References

Populated places in North Holland Former municipalities of North Holland Drechterland {{NorthHolland-geo-stub