Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The exhibit explains that this isn't the first time this area has
been dry land. From prehistoric times through the Middle Ages,
much of what is today the Northeast Polder was farmed (many
old tools have been discovered). In 1100, medieval engineers
even attempted a primitive (and ultimately unsuccessful) effort
to reclaim the land. Other remains from former residents include
bones from mammoths and other prehistoric mammals, and a
primitive 2,450-year-old canoe.
Then you'll head into the
Schokkerhuisje
to learn about the
people who lived here (called
Schokkers
) until they were evacu-
ated in 1859. Up to 650 people at a time lived on Schokland,
residing in settlements on hills called
terpen
while they farmed
the often-flooded land below. Like the rest of the Netherlands,
this little island was divided in half by religion: part Catholic,
part Protestant. This museum holds artifacts from the former
town of Middelbuurt. You'll see traditional
Schokker
costumes
(abandoned when they left the island) and a map of the entire
island.
Back outside, go into the former
town church,
with a ceiling
like the hull of a ship, a pulpit like a crow's nest, and a model ship
hanging from the ceiling—appropriate for the seafaring residents
of a once practically submerged island.
Finally, follow the path (below the church) to walk around the
base of the former island—now surrounded by
farm fields.
When
farmers first tilled their newly reclaimed soil a half-century ago,
they uncovered more than just muck and mollusks. You'll see a pair
of rusty anchors and a giant buoy that used to bob in the harbor—
now lying on its side and still tethered to the ground. Examine the
stone dike and black wooden seawall built by residents in a futile
attempt to stay above water. The post with the blue strip helped
residents keep an eye on the ever-rising water level.
If you're intrigued by all of this, you can walk a six-mile path
(with posted information)
that covers the entire length
of the former island (get
a map from the museum).
Or, for a quick look, drive
to the forlorn old
light-
house,
improbably perched
overlooking a vast f ield of
grazing cows—without a
coastline in sight. In fact, the lighthouse marks the far tip of what
was Schokland Island—and, because it was situated along a major
trade route, this lighthouse was once extremely important. Today,
this white elephant is an evocative symbol of Holland's complex
relationship with the sea. To get there by car, leave the museum
