Beemster () is a former municipality in 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 ...

, 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 ...

. The Beemster is the first so-called

polder A polder () is a low-lying tract of land that forms an artificial hydrological entity, enclosed by embankments known as dikes. The three types of polder are: # Land reclaimed from a body of water, such as a lake or the seabed # Flood plains s ...

in the Netherlands that was

reclaimed Land reclamation, usually known as reclamation, and also known as land fill (not to be confused with a waste landfill), is the process of creating new Terrestrial ecoregion, land from oceans, list of seas, seas, Stream bed, riverbeds or lak ...

from a lake, the water being extracted from the lake by

windmills A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy using vanes called sails or blades, specifically to mill grain (gristmills), but the term is also extended to windpumps, wind turbines, and other applications, in some par ...

. The Beemster polder was drained between 1609 and 1612. It has preserved intact its well-ordered landscape of fields, roads, canals, dykes and settlements, laid out in accordance with classical and Renaissance planning principles. A grid of canals parallels the grid of roads in the Beemster. The grids are offset: the larger feeder canals are offset by approximately one kilometer from the larger roads. Beemster merged into the existing municipality of

Purmerend Purmerend () is a city and municipality in the west of the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland and in the region of West Friesland. The city is surrounded by polders, such as the Purmer, Beemster and the Wormer. The city became the tra ...

on 1 January 2022.

Population centres

The former municipality of Beemster consisted of the following cities, towns, villages and/or districts:

Topography

''Map of the former municipality of Beemster, 2015.''

History

Around 800 AD the area of the modern

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

of Beemster was covered in

peat Peat (), also known as turf (), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. The peatland ecosystem covers and is the most efficien ...

. The name "Beemster" has been derived from "Bamestra" (see Groenedijk, 2000), the name of a small river in the area. In the period 1150-1250 peat-digging by people, and storm floods, enlarged that small river into an inland sea, a lake in open connection with the

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 ...

. Around 1605 private investors started to drain the Beemster lake. In 1610, this was almost complete, but the lake re-filled because of a break in the Zuiderzee

dike Dyke (UK) or dike (US) may refer to: General uses * Dyke (slang), a slang word meaning "lesbian" * Dike (geology), a subvertical sheet-like intrusion of magma or sediment * Dike (mythology), ''Dikē'', the Greek goddess of moral justice * Dikes ...

s. It was decided to make the ring-dike a meter high above the surrounding country. In 1612 the polder was dry and the country was divided among the investors. In the earlier days of the polder, farmers occupied its lands for growing the crops necessary for long sea journeys by the

VOC VOC, VoC or voc may refer to: Science and technology * Open-circuit voltage (VOC), the voltage between two terminals when there is no external load connected * Variant of concern, a category used during the assessment of a new variant of a virus ...

to the East Indies. It turned out that the farmland was so good that the project was considered then to be an economic success, in contrast to e.g. the

Heerhugowaard Heerhugowaard (; West Frisian Dutch: ''Heerhugoweard'', ''Heregeweard'' or ''De Weard'') is a city in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland and the region of West Friesland. Heerhugowaard was previously a municipality, which merged w ...

. Since 1999 the entire Beemster

has been on the UNESCO world heritage list. The Beemster polder is home to CONO Kaasmakers, maker of the Beemster brand of cheeses. This co-op was formed in 1901 to create cheese made from milk that comes from the Beemster polder. Today Beemster Cheesewww.beemstercheese.us
/ref> is sold in Europe, as well as the U.S., Canada, Japan, and China.

World Heritage Site

Because of its historical relevance, and because the original structure of the area is still largely intact, the Beemster was inscribed on the

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 ...

list in 1999. Justification for Inscription is as follows: *Criterion (i): The Beemster Polder is a masterpiece of creative planning, in which the ideals of antiquity and the Renaissance were applied to the design of a reclaimed landscape. *Criterion (ii): The innovative and intellectually imaginative landscape of the Beemster Polder had a profound and lasting impact on reclamation projects in Europe and beyond. *Criterion (iv): The creation of the Beemster Polder marks a major step forward in the interrelationship between humankind and water at a crucial period of social and economic expansion. In addition in the Beemster Polder there are five fortresses as 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 ...

, another

. The Beemster Polder combines two

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

Local government

The municipal council of Beemster consisted of 13 seats, which were divided as follows since 2014: Last mayor was Joyce van Beek (CDA).

Notable people

Carel Fabritius - Self-Portrait - Google Art Project

Carel Fabritius Carel Pietersz. Fabritius (; bapt. 27 February 1622 – 12 October 1654) was a Dutch painter. He was a pupil of Rembrandt and worked in his studio in Amsterdam. Fabritius, who was a member of the Delft School, developed his own artistic style ...

(1622 in Middenbeemster – 1654) a Dutch painter *

Barent Fabritius Barent or Bernard Pietersz Fabritius (or Fabricius) (16 November 1624 (bapt.) – 20 October 1673 (buried)), was a Dutch painter. Fabritius was born at Middenbeemster, North Holland, the son of Pieter Carelsz. Fabritius. He studied with his brot ...

(1624 in Middenbeemster - 1673) a Dutch painter *

Johannes Fabritius Johannes Fabritius (30 November 1636 – after 1693) was a Dutch Golden Age painter. Fabritius was born in Beemster as the son of Pieter Carelsz Fabritius.Dutch Golden Age The Dutch Golden Age ( nl, Gouden Eeuw ) was a period in the history of the Netherlands, roughly spanning the era from 1588 (the birth of the Dutch Republic) to 1672 (the Rampjaar, "Disaster Year"), in which Dutch trade, science, and Dutch art, ...

painter * The Reverend

Nanne Zwiep The Reverend Nanne Zwiep (3 August 1894 in Beemster, North Holland – 24 November 1942 in Dachau concentration camp, Dachau) was a pastor of the Dutch Reformed Church in the town of Enschede. He was arrested by the Nazis during the Germany, ...

(1894 in Beemster – 1942 in Dachau) a pastor of the Dutch Reformed Church *

Harry Droog Henricus Antonius "Harry" Droog (born 17 December 1944) is a retired Netherlands, Dutch Rowing (sport), rower. He competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics and won a silver medal in the double sculls event, together with Leendert van Dis. In 1975 he ...

(born 1944) a retired Dutch rower, competed at the

1968 Summer Olympics The 1968 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1968), officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XIX Olimpiada) and commonly known as Mexico 1968 ( es, México 1968), were an international multi-sport eve ...

Erik Postma Erik Postma (15 December 1953, Rotterdam - 25 September 2002, Middenbeemster) was a Dutch politician of the Democrats 66 party. In 1992 he was elected as city manager (''gemeentesecretaris'') of Budel. After the municipal reorganization of North ...

(1953 - 2002 in Middenbeemster) was a Dutch politician, Mayor of Beemster from 1998

Gallery

File:Inlaatsluis nabij Zuiddijk 14 - Beemster - 20335089 - RCE.jpg, Inlaatsluis nabij Zuiddijk 14 - Beemster File:Tuinderswoning Beemster, NOM, 05.11.jpg, Tuinderswoning Beemster File:Say cheeeeese..... (34160805296).jpg, Say cheeeeese..... File:Inlaatsluis nabij Volgerweg 20 - Beemster - 20335090 - RCE.jpg, Inlaatsluis nabij Volgerweg 20 - Beemster

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

*Van de Ven, G. (redactie) (1996). "Leefbaar laagland" (4th, revised reprint). Uitgeverij Matrijs. p. 33-35, 55 en 131-136. *Groenedijk, T. (2000). "Nederlandse plaatsnamen". Slingenberg Boekproducties, Hoogeveen, Netherlands 2000.

External links

*
Official website
{{Authority control Former municipalities of North Holland Polders of North Holland World Heritage Sites in the Netherlands Former lakes of the Netherlands 1612 establishments in the Dutch Republic Municipalities of the Netherlands disestablished in 2022 *