Of all islands described on this site, Schokland is the only one that has completely lost its ties with the water. For more than half a century already it is lying in the flat land of the Noordoostpolder as an indefinite, elongated elevation. The murmur of the sea has given way to the rustle of the leaves of the trees that have been planted to mark the former coastline of the island. The words of the well-known 'Zuiderzee ballad' "Waar is het water, waar is de haven? (Where is the water, where is the harbor?)" were conceived here.

Yet, this overview of Dutch islands would not be complete without Schokland. For this very place is the ultimate token of the never-ending struggle of man against the sea. A struggle that began in prehistoric times and that here, more than in any other place in the Netherlands, has become visible, as a result of the land reclamation in this area. It is for this reason that in 1995 Schokland, as the first Dutch landmark, was placed on Unesco's World Heritage List.

So, the struggle against the water is a thing of the past. Nowadays not the water but, ironically enough, the lack of it forms the major threat to Schokland. Since the Noordoostpolder was reclaimed in 1942 the island has sunk already two meters, as a result of dehydration of the peat in its subsoil. If no action is taken the whole island is feared to sink away completely within a century. In the past couple of years an amount of five million euro has been invested in measures for a better management of the groundwater level. Time will tell whether this will succeed in stopping this process.

Schokland's loss of its island status took place in several stages, the first one ending in 1859 when the population of slightly over 600 souls were forced to give up their age-long struggle against the water and were evacuated by order of the Dutch government. Permanent inhabitation of the island had become too dangerous in the view of the authorities.  

At that time, the situation was so bad that with every storm the island was largely flooded, forcing the population to retreat in three villages that were built on 'terps' (mounds): Middelbuurt, Zuidert and Emmeloord. They used wooden foot planks to move between those villages, as most of the time the soggy land was impassable. But in very heavy storms even the terps did not provide a safe place, as became clear in 1825 when a hurricane flooded the whole island and killed 13 islanders.

Schokland was not completely abandoned in 1859. A few people stayed on the island, like the harbor master of Emmeloord who was also responsible for operating the foghorn. And at the Zuidpunt (South Point) a light keeper was living, who had to maintain the beacon light serving the heavy shipping traffic on the Zuiderzee. 

To prevent people from returning illegally to their former homes after the forced evacuation, the authorities had ordered the demolition of nearly all structures on the island. Some people took their wooden homes down to rebuild them at their new domicile. That explains why Schokland is so empty nowadays. Only the church of Middelbuurt, the island's 'principal town', was allowed to stay, and it is still there. And of old Emmeloord the harbormaster's residence and the little foghorn building remained.

After the evacuation Schokland was not completely left to itself. As the island served as a 'breakwater' for the mainland coast, the most necessary maintenance work on the coastal defenses was still being carried out. For that purpose, groups of seasonal workers temporarily lived on the island, being lodged in the church of Middelbuurt. The completion of the Afsluitdijk in 1932 heralded the end of this period. The Zuiderzee became IJsselmeer, the fierce sea was tamed and did not threaten the deserted island any longer.

The next stage in the 'embedding' of Schokland started in 1940, when the dike of the Noordoostpolder was completed. This polder was part of the extensive Zuiderzee works, a project for the reclamation a large part of the former Zuiderzee that was developed by the hydraulic engineer and minister Cornelis Lely (see also the Wieringen page). From now on, Schokland was lying within the dike of an enclosed lake. The lighthouses had lost their purpose and the last light keeper left Schokland in 1940.

On the 9th of September 1942, in the middle of World War II, the Noordoostpolder was officially declared to be clear of the water and Schokland had actually become part of the mainland. In a certain sense this restored the situation as it was before the year 1000, when the Zuiderzee did not exist yet. So, finally man prevailed in the struggle against the water!

Schokland in the 'Digital Replica of the Netherlands' 
by TerraDesk.

The first view of Schokland from a distance is a bit disappointing. It just looks like an elongated group of trees in the flat polder landscape. I had expected it to be more dominantly present, more dramatic maybe. But when approaching along the Schokkerringweg, the road that divides the former island in two, the difference in level with the surrounding polder land is clearly noticeable.

Coming from the motorway A6 you turn right here towards the Museum Schokland, at the location of the former village of Middelbuurt. The old church of Middelbuurt, nicely restored, is now part of the museum. This is the starting point for my walk around the island, an 8-shaped tour of about ten kilometers long. 

From Middelbuurt I start walking southward along the eastern coast towards Zuidpunt (South Point). It's hard to imagine that once at your left hand the sea was waving, as the difference in level with the former sea floor is barely two meters here. But you should consider that this used to be one of the lowest parts of the island. Additionally, since the polder stood clear of the water in 1942 the whole island has subsided between one and two meters on average as a result of settlement. 

I continue my walk along the east coast towards Zuidpunt. The church that once stood here goes all the way back to the fourteenth century, with several extensions in later periods. In 1717 it had decayed to such an extent that it had to be abandoned, although the vaults remained in use as the parish cemetery until the evacuation of the island, even after the hurricane of 1825 mentioned earlier had destroyed the building almost completely. The foundations of the church have been restored in recent years.  

In 1940, 81 years after the first abandoning of Schokland, a second evacuation took place. In the summer of that year the remains of the islanders that were buried here in the church were excavated and moved to the University of Amsterdam for anthropological examination. As the 'Schokker' community, because of its isolation, barely had mixed up with other population groups, the islanders were supposed to be relatively unspoiled representatives of the native inhabitants of our country. It is rumored that the study was carried out to support the Nazi racial doctrine. Anyway, results have never been published. 

Near the church you'll find the likewise reconstructed foundations of a round lighthouse that once stood here, as an important shipping route was skirting Schokland's South Point. More contemporary is the steel view tower standing slightly further onwards. From that tower you have a nice view of the whole island. And when you look southward you can see the water of the Ketelmeer lake, behind the Noordoostpolder dike, the pathetic remains of the once so tempestuous Zuiderzee. 

In the meantime I have rounded Zuidpunt and I am now walking back north along the west coast. This used to be the sea side of the island that suffered most from the elements, reason why the villages were all built on the east coast, the land side. It may not have made much difference, as the distance between the east and the west coast is just a few hundred meters.

The paved (cycle) path now descends to the former sea floor, but fortunately there is an alternative sandy track that keeps on following the coastline at the island level. Schokland is here at its widest, about half a kilometer, and there is small-scale agricultural activity. The fields offer a nice, colorful look on this day in July.

During my walk around the southern part of Schokland, also dubbed Ens, the church of Middelbuurt serves me as a reference point, as it is visible all the time. When I have progressed along the west coast until I an on a level with that church, I turn right and straightly cross the island along a path running between the fields towards Middelbuurt. Time for a coffee with apple cake in the museum restaurant, where pictures hanging on the wall show queen Beatrix and prince Willem Alexander with princess Máxima, taken during their recent visits to Schokland.

An information panel alongside the path marks the location of the former boundary ditch between the southern part of the island named Ens, and the northern part, Emmeloord. It was a very strict separation, not only geographically, but also in a social, religious and administrative respect. Ens was protestant, while Emmeloord was catholic. Different dialects were spoken in the north and in the south. And Emmeloord was governed by Amsterdam, while Ens fell under the province of Overijssel. Only in 1795 both parts were joined to one single municipality named Schokland. What remains visible of the boundary, at the spot of a prehistoric arm of the river IJssel, is not more than a faint depression in the terrain. 

I cross another road that cuts across the island and I am now near the place that used to be Emmeloord, the strangest part of all of today's Schokland. Here the island's harbor was situated, and it's still there but... there is no water anymore! Bollards, facings, jetties and moles, it's all still there, neatly preserved, a perfect scene of aimlessness. But at the lowest point in the harbor a small puddle of water has left behind, as a stilled memory of the times that you could always hear the words "We gaan aan boord (we go aboard)" here, words from the widely known 'Zuiderzee ballad', that was written by Willy van Hemert in 1959. 

On the grass-covered floor of the harbor basin some horses are grazing. That surely must be seahorses! Between the moles still bearing their light stands you are now overlooking the vast fields of the Noordoostpolder. Once the women of Schokland were standing here to look after their husbands and sons when they put out to sea, in anxious uncertainty about if and when they would return. Nowhere else on the island the atmosphere of times long past is so tangible as here, at this place. 

It's hard to break away from this peculiar place that leaves an indelible impression. It makes the return trip to Middelbuurt seem less spectacular, although the detour that I make through the Gesteentetuin (Rock Garden) is surely worthwhile. A pleasant walking route leads along all kinds of Scandinavian rock that were deposited here by the glaciers during the last Ice Age and that were found in the sea floor after the reclamation of the Noordoostpolder.

The way back to Middelbuurt leads through the Schokkerbos, a small forest that has been planted on the sea floor along the west coast of Schokland. You cannot see anything of the island here. The forest is luxuriantly green and damp, as if a bit of the former sea still lingers in the trees. 

Less than half an hour later I am back at my starting point, the museum and the church of Middelbuurt. I leave Schokland as I came, by car. That virtually brings me back into the present, after an interesting tour that has led me back in time for a couple of hours. 

More about Schokland and related information

www.schokland.nl
Official website of the Former Island of Schokland. Dutch language, with some content in English.

www.natuurlijk-schokland.nl
Website of the booking office "Natuurlijk Schokland", offering guided tours on Schokland, lectures etc. (Dutch language only).

www.schokkervereniging.nl
Website of the Schokkervereniging (Schokker society) consisting of descendants of the former inhabitants of Schokland, with much historical information about the island (Dutch language only).

www.rtvnh.nl
Website of the regional radio- en television channel RTV Noord-Holland. View here a TV documentary (in Dutch) about Schokland that was aired recently on this channel (unknown how long it will be available on this site). Real Player needed.

whc.unesco.org
Unesco World Heritage website (English and French language).

www.worldheritagesite.org
Private website by Els Slots with reports of visits to Unesco World Heritage sites, among which Schokland (English language only).

 
July 2003