Vuurtoreneiland ("Lighthouse Island") is a small island in the

IJmeer The IJmeer is a 'bordering lake' (''Randmeer'') in the Netherlands. It lies between the De Nes polder (in Waterland), Pampushaven, Hollandse Brug and the mouth of the IJ in IJburg, straddling the provinces of North Holland and Flevoland. It is a ...

, Netherlands, just off the coast of

Durgerdam Durgerdam is a village in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Amsterdam, and lies about 7 km east of the city centre, along the dyke of the IJmeer. Durgerdam is a part of the ''deelgemeente'' (sub-munici ...

. The island's main function is as a base for a lighthouse; a military

fort A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

on the island was abandoned in the 1930s.

History of lighthouse and fort

The island's lighthouse has been in operation since 1700; it is named for the opposite point on the mainland, ''Hoek van 't IJ'', or "Corner of the IJ." The first lighthouse was a square, stone building. Then, in 1809, the island was equipped with a military post, which, in 1844, was expanded to a real fort, which, in 1883, became a part of the

Stelling van Amsterdam The UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Defence Line of Amsterdam (in Dutch named ''Stelling van Amsterdam'', ) is a ring of fortifications around Amsterdam. It has 42 forts that are from the centre and lowlands, which can easily be floode ...

. Finally, the lighthouse was replaced with a cast-iron construction in 1893, which is still standing. At the end of the nineteenth century, a bomb-proof building and

artillery battery In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to fac ...

were built on the island, but its five guns were moved to

Den Helder Den Helder () is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Den Helder occupies the northernmost point of the North Holland peninsula. It is home to the country's main naval base. From here the Royal TESO fe ...

in 1904. In 1959, it was delisted as a stronghold, but the last soldiers had left long before. In 1981, the island was listed as a

Rijksmonument A rijksmonument (, ) is a national heritage site of the Netherlands, listed by the agency Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (RCE) acting for the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. At the end of February 2015, the Netherlands ...

, and in 1996, a bridge was built, which connected the island and the mainland. The fog signal was deactivated in 2001, and the light was extinguished in 2003 when the last lighthouse keeper retired. It was rekindled in 2005.

Current status

The island is a

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

. It is owned by the Dutch state, and is managed by

Staatsbosbeheer Staatsbosbeheer, founded in 1899, is a Dutch government organization for forestry and the management of nature reserves. Staatsbosbeheer currently oversees over 250,000 hectares of land in the Netherlands. Usually this land is open to the public ...

. Since a few years, a restaurant is located on the island, with a daily ferry service from Amsterdam

References

External links

Artillery at Durgerdam"Ondernemers gezocht voor uniek eiland"
on

Radio Netherlands Worldwide Radio Netherlands (RNW; nl, Radio Nederland Wereldomroep) was a public radio and television network based in Hilversum, producing and transmitting programmes for international audiences outside the Netherlands from 1947 to 2012. Its services i ...

{{Authority control , additional=Q2921152 Artificial islands of the Netherlands Forts in the Netherlands Geography of Amsterdam 19th century in Amsterdam 20th century in Amsterdam 21st century in Amsterdam Lighthouses completed in 1893 Lighthouses in North Holland Stelling van Amsterdam Rijksmonuments in Amsterdam Towers in Amsterdam Amsterdam-Noord

History of lighthouse and fort

Current status

See also

References

External links