Marken
Created | Updated May 3, 2006
Marken, Noord-Holland, The Netherlands.
Marken is a former island situated in the " Zuiderzee" which is now called the "Markermeer". Marken ceased to be an island in 1957. A long "dyke" was built to connect it to the mainland. Marken belongs to the county "Waterland" which in its turn is part of the province of "Noord-Holland".
History
Marken became inhabited when in the 13th century Jezuiet monks from Friesland founded a monastery on its soil. They earned their living from the profits of pasturing and trading books with the surounding villages. To protect themselves from the ever endangering presence of a sea in turmoil the monks surrounded the island with strong dykes. Even with the dykes occasionally the flood broke through and so the monks built their houses on poles and artificial hills they called "Terpen" and "Werven". By this time other people moved to Marken to work the fields and seek protection at the monastery, thus creating a larger community.
After a continuous battle against the raving seas the citizens of Marken gave up on rebuilding their dykes and started to live solely on the Terpen and Werven. The salt water had free game on the fields and bit by bit destroyed the crops. The fields lay fallow and the Markers slowly evolved into a fisher-community. For centuries the population of Marken grew until it reached 2000 souls. Then ,years later, before the threat of the Nazis washed over Europe, the Dutch government built a huge dyke to close of the Zuiderzee. When, in 1932 this project was finished, Marken was protected from the tides. The days of flooding where gone. With the closure of the Zuiderzee it became the Markermeer. With that the fishing business ground to a halt and the citizens of Marken searched their luck in other trades. When in 1957 Marken became connected to the mainland it ceased to be an island at all and is now called a peninsula.
Nowadays
Nowadays Marker villagers earn their money in various trades. Because it's situated near Amsterdam most Markers work in the big city. Some have resolved into Tourism though, for Marken is much known all over the world.
Tourism
The main income from villagers working in Marken is tourism. Marken is known for its wooden houses and traditional clothing-style. Those small characteristics are dwindling now though. The all-consuming disease some like to call "Californication" is swallowing Old Dutch ways.
Lighthouse
Another remarkable feature of Marken is the lighthouse. It is called "Het Paard van Marken". Roughly translated it says "The Horse of Marken". In its original shape it resembled a horse, or so a drunk fisherman once remarked. Originally built in 1700 to guide huge trade-ships, it now serves as a safety precaution for recreational sailor men. The original shape was altered in 1884 to its former shape. In 1919 the last adjustments to the structure where made when a fog-horn was fitted.
Recreation
At the harbor, there are several pubs and cafes. For the youth there is a small discotheque called "The Zonnewijzer".
Marken is a former island situated in the " Zuiderzee" which is now called the "Markermeer". Marken ceased to be an island in 1957. A long "dyke" was built to connect it to the mainland. Marken belongs to the county "Waterland" which in its turn is part of the province of "Noord-Holland".
History
Marken became inhabited when in the 13th century Jezuiet monks from Friesland founded a monastery on its soil. They earned their living from the profits of pasturing and trading books with the surounding villages. To protect themselves from the ever endangering presence of a sea in turmoil the monks surrounded the island with strong dykes. Even with the dykes occasionally the flood broke through and so the monks built their houses on poles and artificial hills they called "Terpen" and "Werven". By this time other people moved to Marken to work the fields and seek protection at the monastery, thus creating a larger community.
After a continuous battle against the raving seas the citizens of Marken gave up on rebuilding their dykes and started to live solely on the Terpen and Werven. The salt water had free game on the fields and bit by bit destroyed the crops. The fields lay fallow and the Markers slowly evolved into a fisher-community. For centuries the population of Marken grew until it reached 2000 souls. Then ,years later, before the threat of the Nazis washed over Europe, the Dutch government built a huge dyke to close of the Zuiderzee. When, in 1932 this project was finished, Marken was protected from the tides. The days of flooding where gone. With the closure of the Zuiderzee it became the Markermeer. With that the fishing business ground to a halt and the citizens of Marken searched their luck in other trades. When in 1957 Marken became connected to the mainland it ceased to be an island at all and is now called a peninsula.
Nowadays
Nowadays Marker villagers earn their money in various trades. Because it's situated near Amsterdam most Markers work in the big city. Some have resolved into Tourism though, for Marken is much known all over the world.
Tourism
The main income from villagers working in Marken is tourism. Marken is known for its wooden houses and traditional clothing-style. Those small characteristics are dwindling now though. The all-consuming disease some like to call "Californication" is swallowing Old Dutch ways.
Lighthouse
Another remarkable feature of Marken is the lighthouse. It is called "Het Paard van Marken". Roughly translated it says "The Horse of Marken". In its original shape it resembled a horse, or so a drunk fisherman once remarked. Originally built in 1700 to guide huge trade-ships, it now serves as a safety precaution for recreational sailor men. The original shape was altered in 1884 to its former shape. In 1919 the last adjustments to the structure where made when a fog-horn was fitted.
Recreation
At the harbor, there are several pubs and cafes. For the youth there is a small discotheque called "The Zonnewijzer".
