The year after the polder was reclaimed (1931) people came from across the country to build a village: Wieringerwerf. Homes, shops, churches and schools suddenly appeared on the flat lowland. A mound was built beside the village for the villages to take cover in the event of a dike breach. That mound was put to good use in 1945, when the dike was blown up by the Germans and the polder lay underwater within two days. At the end of the war the dike was repaired and the villagers returned. A monument and a wheel mark the spot where the dike was blown up (locally known as the ‘hole in the dike’).
With such a rich history, Wieringerwerf is certainly worth a visit. Also pay a visit to the Visitors Farm ‘Living from the Wind’. You can see there how modern farmers from this polder region live and work. Not only are potatoes, onions, wheat and sugar beet grown on these farms, but farmers also generate their own power using wind turbines and solar panels. An interesting glimpse into daily life in a farming business! Make the day complete and take your children for a dip in De Terp indoor swimming pool.
Photo: Marlies Rademaker