Molkwerum ( fry, Molkwar) is a village in

Súdwest-Fryslân Southwest Friesland ( fy, Súdwest-Fryslân ) is a municipality in the Northern Netherlands, located in the province of Friesland. It had a population of 84,092 in August 2017. Sneek is the municipal seat. With a total area of 841.56 km2, Sú ...

municipality in the province of

Friesland Friesland (, ; official fry, Fryslân ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia, is a province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen, northwest of Drenthe and Overijssel, north of ...

, the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. It had a population of around 390 in January 2017. Molkwerum used to be called Friese Doolhof (Frisian Maze), because it is built on numerous little islands dissected by canals in a random fashion. The village used to contain 27 bridges.

History

The village was first mentioned in 1398 as Molkenhuzen. The etymology is unclear. Molkwerum used to be located to the north of the former

Zuiderzee The Zuiderzee or Zuider Zee (; old spelling ''Zuyderzee'' or ''Zuyder Zee'') was a shallow bay of the North Sea in the northwest of the Netherlands, extending about 100 km (60 miles) inland and at most 50 km (30 miles) wide, with an o ...

and to the south of the former Staverse Meer which was '' poldered'' in the 17th century. The village was populated by sea traders who sailed to the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and ...

, and had its own office in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

. The current Dutch Reformed church was built in 1850 and has a tower from 1799. The maritime past lasted until the 16th/17th century, and Molkwerum turned into a fishing village. Molkwerum was home to 301 people in 1840. In 1885, a shared

Koudum-Molkwerum railway station Koudum-Molkwerum is a railway station located near Molkwerum and Koudum, Netherlands. The station was opened on 28 November 1885 and is on the Leeuwarden - Stavoren railway line. The train service is operated by Arriva. The station was closed betw ...

with Koudum opened. In the 1960s, the harbour was filled up, and the sluice was demolished. In 2000, an

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

museum opened in the village, and contains authentic clothes worn by the King and an autographed guitar. Before 2011, the village was part of the

Nijefurd Nijefurd () is a former municipality in the northern Netherlands, in the province of Friesland. History It was formed in 1984 from the old municipalities of Hindeloopen, Stavoren, and Workum, and part of Hemelumer Oldeferd. In 2011, it formed to ...

municipality and before 1984 it belonged to Hemelumer Oldeferd municipality.

Gallery

File:8722 Molkwerum, Netherlands - panoramio.jpg, View on Molkwerum File:C.F. Bendorp - Sight of Molkwerum, 1790.jpg, Drawing of Molkwerum (1790) File:Elvis Presley Museum Molkwerum 3.JPG, Elvis Presley museum File:HUA-150480-Gezicht op de perronzijde van het besneeuwde N.S.-station Koudum-Molkwerum bij Molkwerum.jpg,

References

External links

{{Authority control Súdwest-Fryslân Populated places in Friesland