Fishermen can be found on any coast. No coastal town with a port that doesn't count at least a couple of fishermen under its population. That surely applies to the islands that are described on this site. But among all those islands there is none that has so deeply-rooted historical ties with fishing as Urk has.

That was already true when it was still a real island. But while, after the completion of the Afsluitdijk in 1932, in most other places in the area of the former Zuyder Zee fishery languished and often even completely disappeared, the Urk people continued fishing. They couldn't help it; fishing runs in their blood. And so it could happen that nowadays Urk is still one the most important fishing centers in Western Europe, with the largest fishing fleet. Even though it is no longer situated on the open sea since more than seventy years!

In the course of time the hard and perilous fisherman's life has created here a close-knit society where faith and religion play a major role. This is illustrated by the fact that Urk, on a population of slightly less than 17,000 souls, counts not less than 19 churches.  

That close connection with the sea and with the faith contributed to the arising of a strong tradition in choral singing. This phenomenon can also be found at other places around the former Zuyder Zee, but nowhere as strong as here. The 'Urker Mannenkoor Hallelujah' and the 'Urker Zangers' are real names in this tradition. That the repertoire of these groups gives a great deal of prominence to the spiritual song is evident. 

A well-known history

The history of Urk is closely connected with that of the other Zuyder Zee islands: Marken and in particular the nearby Schokland with which formed a whole for centuries. Yet there is an important difference. Urk is a natural rise of the terrain, a boulder clay hill that was pushed up by the arctic glaciers during the second-last ice age, roughly 130,000 years ago, while those other islands are flat. That makes Urk look more similar to Wieringen, although it is considerably smaller. 

At the beginning of our era Urk was lying as a prominent dry hill in the wet bog land surrounding Lake Flevo, later dubbed Lake Almere, a freshwater lake that grew larger with the centuries as a result of the settlement of the soil and the digging of peat. Heavy storms in the twelfth and the thirteenth century made the salt sea water pour inland and wiped out much of the land in the area. So Lake Almere became the Zuyder Zee and Urk, Marken, Schokland and also Wieringen became islands.

Through the ages Urk has been a refuge for its surrounding area because of its elevated position. As early as in the tenth century it was a place of permanent residence, as is proven by a document from 966 mentioning the island as belonging to the property of two monasteries. In the thirteenth century Urk came into the possession of the counts of Holland and after some more changes of ownership it came under the rule of Amsterdam in 1660.

The Amsterdam interest in Urk was not surprising. The island was strategically situated along the busy shipping routes across the Zuyder Zee. The possession of the island, where Amsterdam had already established a fire beacon in 1615, presented the city a major advantage in the competition with other Zuyder Zee ports like Enkhuizen, Hoorn and Medemblik.

Urk remained under Amsterdam rule until 1792. In 1814, after the period of French occupation had ended, it became a separate municipality belonging to the province of Noord-Holland. Only in 1950 Urk's prolonged relationship with Holland came to an end as the Noordoostpolder, which was reclaimed in 1942 and now included the former island, was assigned to the province of Overijssel. Only for a short while, as on January 1st, 1986 Urk became a part of the newly-founded province of Flevoland.

Urk and the Zuyder Zee Project

For Urk, the end of its island status came a few years earlier than for its sister island Schokland. That was because the planners of Rijkswaterstaat (Department of Public Works) in fact had incorporated the island in the outer dike of the new Noordoostpolder that was to be constructed. When the northern branch of that dike, connecting Urk with town of Lemmer on the Frisian coast, was closed on the 3rd of October 1939, it officially ceased to be an island. In the following year also the southern dike was completed and draining of the polder could begin. At that moment Schokland, although completely surrounded by the polder dike, was technically still an island. A situation that lasted until the 9th of September 1942, the day that the Noordoostpolder was officially declared to be clear of the water.

After the reclamation of the Noordoostpolder Urk, in contrast with Schokland, continued to be situated by the sea. But the impact of the Zuyder Zee works on the island life still was dramatic. The completion of the Afsluitdijk in 1932 quickly put an end to offshore fishing in the Zuyder Zee, which had been the Urk population's main source of livelihood. But the Urk fishermen did not resign themselves to the situation and shifted their activities to the North Sea in order to keep on fishing. And they managed to survive.

Initially the fishermen stuck to their home port on Urk. But nowadays sailing time has become too expensive to make the long trip from the North Sea, via the Afsluitdijk locks near Den Oever and then across the IJsselmeer to the island, over and over again. Moreover, the fishing boats have become larger and larger with the years, which in fact made them outgrow their old home port. Nowadays the Urk fishing fleet is landing its catches at North Sea ports like IJmuiden and Lauwersoog. But the fish still goes to the auction on Urk, though now transported by refrigerator trucks. As a result, the new Urk fish auction is no longer situated at the harbor, but hidden somewhere on an industrial estate. 

Urk is (partly) missing in the  'Digital Replica of the Netherlands' by TerraDesk, while on the satellite images of NLR / ESA it is too small to see any details. Therefore an aerial photograph from digitaalurk.nl as an alternative.

The damming of the Zuyder Zee brought about other inconveniences. The salt sea water gradually became brackish and then fresh, which resulted, particularly during the early years following the enclosure, in vast swarms of mosquitoes, sometimes so thick that cars were forced to stop. They were followed by masses of huge spiders that were attracted by the mosquitoes. In the end the mosquito and spider plagues were controlled by planting carp in the IJsselmeer, which would eat up the mosquito larva. 

Of course there were also positive effects. Urk in fact consists of two parts, the elevated 'mountain' and a piece of low-lying grassland, that before the construction of the Afsluitdijk was flooded by the sea every now and then. After the reclamation that did not happen anymore and the land became available for development. That was good news, given the chronic lack of space on the island. Nowadays the grassland has been completely filled with buildings and the development even has crossed the boundaries of the original island, till well onto the bottom of the former Zuyder Zee. As a result, very little green is left on Urk. For a bit of nature the Urk people have to go into the polder, to places like the Urkerbos (Urk wood) that has been laid out just north of the former island.

For comparison: an aerial photograph of Urk in 1932, when it still was an island. The vacant, low-lying grassland is clearly visible.
(source: digitaalurk.nl).

Most visitors nowadays arrive on Urk by car, although there is also a ferry service connecting the island with Enkhuizen across the IJsselmeer. But that service is mainly of tourist importance and at this time in the season - it is mid-May when I am visiting the island - it is not running yet. Too bad, as arriving on Urk by car is far from spectacular.

When you leave the motorway A6 via exit 13 towards Urk there are no signs of approaching an island at all. At your left hand side you see the dike of the Noordoostpolder coming nearer and at the right you see an industrial estate than can be found everywhere in the country. It is named 'Domineesweg' (Clergyman's Road') here, quite appropriate. A little bit upwards, along the pumping station named 'Vissering', across the drawbridge spanning the Urkervaart and before you are aware of it you are already there. I follow the signs to the harbors and park my car at the vast and almost completely deserted parking near the IJsselmeer fishing market. 

< click on an image to enlarge

It is clearly evident that Urk is a very industrious place. On the wharfs of the Werkhaven (Working Harbor) people are busy welding, drilling, grinding, hammering and painting, or to put it shortly working hard on various fishing vessels that are lying here. These are not the little fishing boats from the romantic tourist pictures but sturdy, seaworthy vessels. The dented steel  and the battered painting show that these ships earn their money under harsh conditions. The buildings along the quay bear signs like "Oil Business", "Machine Parts" and "Ship's Supplies" instead of "Souvenirs" or "Boutique". No, this is not a holiday island.

The West harbor quay counts several cafes and restaurants, with terraces that look out onto the water. These must be nice places to stay in summer, but today they are still deserted. At the end of the West Harbor is a little old shipyard, that was excavated from the mountain of Urk by hand in the nineteenth century and that was walled later. The wall at the west side was build up by Belgian military who stayed here during the First World War, when the Netherlands remained neutral. At that time there was on Urk an internment camp for Belgian, French and English officers who, for some reason, had ended up in the Netherlands. On the isolated island, under strict surveillance of the Dutch authorities, they had little chance to escape and return to the war. 

The old shipyard appears to be still in use. There are several small vessels on its slipways that are being worked on. A grey heron strolls to and fro in the shallow water just in front of the slips, as if it is the boss of it all. The presence of this kind of bird emphasizes that nowadays Urk belongs to the land rather than to the sea.

Beyond the shipyard I deviate from my itinerary for a moment to take a look at the beach, across the West Harbor. Initially there was a narrow strip of sand here, formed under the lee of the breakwater, but the beach has been substantially enlarged in later years for recreational purposes. On a warm summer day there are lots of people milling around here, but today it's still too cold and the beach is empty. The iron frames for the plastic refuse bags, neatly aligned like the gravestones on a cemetery, lend the scene a bit desolate appearance. But from here you have a splendid view of the 'Cape of Urk', with the lighthouse on top of it. This is the place on Urk where the 'island feeling' is more noticeably present than anywhere else.

Urk is often compared with Marken and that's not really surprising, as the islands have much in common. Their location in the former Zuyder Zee, the fishing, the little houses in the narrow alleys that do not have their own street names but are named Wijk 1, Wijk 2 etc here on Urk, like Buurt 1, Buurt 2 etc on Marken (the Dutch words "Wijk" and "Buurt" both have the meaning of "district" in a town) and, of course, the traditional costumes. But if there is one place that emphasizes the difference between the two islands then it must be here, near the lighthouse. While the famous 'Horse of Marken' lighthouse is standing with its feet in the water, we see the Urk lighthouse standing on a true 'cape' which, twelve meters high, protrudes into the sea. What a contrast with flat Marken!

Stone stairs lead to the foot of the almost nineteen meters-high tower, that was built in 1844 at the location of an earlier fire beacon. It got electrical light in 1920 and in 1989 its operation was automated, making the lighthouse keeper redundant as happened, unfortunately, in many other places as well.

The view from the cape is splendid on this clear day in May; to the south you see the bridge that carries the A6 across the water of the Ketelmeer, and beyond the wind park and the power station of Lelystad in Flevoland are clearly visible. To the north you can see, beyond the Urkerbos, the wooded cliffs of Gaasterland on the Frisian south coast. 

From the lighthouse I walk along the Vuurtorenstraat (Lighthouse Street) to a small square where, hidden behind the trees, the 'Chapel by the Sea' stands, the oldest church on Urk. It was built in 1786, or actually rebuilt as the original church that goes back to 1714 had fallen into ruin and had to be pulled down. The coat of arms of the city of Amsterdam crowning the entrance door, with the three Saint Andrew's crosses that stand for Valiant, Determined and Merciful, show the narrow ties of Urk with the capital of Holland at that time.

Just a few steps away from the Chapel by the Sea is the Fishermen's Memorial, erected in remembrance of the Urk fishermen who perished at sea in the course of the years. It is a statue of a fisherman's wife who is waiting in vain for her husband or son to return. She is standing with her back to the sea, her skirt billowing in the wind, looking back one last time to see if, after all, they are returning. An impressive sculpture, that was unveiled here in 1968 by Juliana, the then Queen of the Netherlands.

On panels in the balustrade the names of the perished fishermen have been engraved, with their age and the year of death. Often you read the same names on one single plaque. No wonder; fathers and sons, brothers and cousins often sailed on the same fishing boat and if such a boat foundered the family was struck badly. The latest names that were added bear the year 1999, which proves that also in recent years the sea continues to take its toll. That the victims are still being remembered by the Urk population is shown by the wreaths that have been laid at the foot of the monument, as part of the forthcoming Week of the Fishery.

The Fishermen's Memorial is situated at the very north point of Urk. Here the island ends and the polder begins, which was originally to be named 'Urkerland' but finally got the prosaic name 'Noordoostpolder' (Northeast Polder), heaven knows why. The difference of the island level with that of the polder is substantial here, much more than in the more recently built parts of Urk where the former island blends almost into the sea floor almost imperceptibly. Parts of the urbanization have even passed beyond the original island boundaries there.

More or less following the itinerary of Tourist Information I wander round the oldest part of Urk, back in the direction of the harbors. I notice that many of the historic houses have been beautifully restored, while others look a bit neglected and scraggy. At some places completely new houses have been built, giving the district a somewhat cluttered appearance.

The messy impression is intensified by the many cars that are parked everywhere in the streets and on the little squares. I find it almost impossible to take a picture of a nice little street without some cars standing disturbingly in my way. Another big difference with Marken, where cars are usually left on one of the central parking lots. In any case, Marken has an air of tidiness, like an open-air museum while Urk, on the other hand, looks more like a place where people are living and working.

Once back on the West Harbor quay I walk into the restaurant 'De Zeebodem' (The Sea floor) for a coffee with a piece of cherry flan. I am the only guest there. "It will be much more busy later on this afternoon" the friendly waitress says, almost apologetically. With her blond curls, her flushing cheeks and her robust figure she could have easily been model for the statue of the Fishermen's Memorial.  

The coffee and the flan are delicious, but I decide not to wait for the promised crowds and depart. When I leave Urk the same way as I came, past the pumping station and along the Domineesweg to the A6 highway, I muse on how different it is to depart from here than from, let's say Terschelling or Vlieland. The feelings that you have when leaving an island tells much about its character. Urk, the most densily populated of all islands described on this site has a lot to offer, but unfortunately much of its 'island feeling' has got lost. 

More about Urk and related information

www.urk.nl
Official website of the Municipality of Urk. Dutch language, with some content in English. 

www.digitaalurk.nl
Website with lots of interesting visual material about Urk. Dutch and English language.

www.urkpromotie.nl
Website of the Stichting Urk Promotie (Urk Promotional Foundation), with information on history, places of interest and pictures of Urk. Dutch language, with some content in English and in German. 

museum.opurk.nl
Website of the Urk Museum 'Het Oude Raadhuis' ('The Old Town Hall'), with much historical information about the island. Dutch language only

www.visserijweek.nl
Report of the 'Week of the Fishery' in 2004, with pictures. Dutch only. 

www.urkerdag.nl
Report on the 'Day of Urk' on Whit Saturday 29 May 2004, paying special attention to the traditional Urk costumes. Dutch only.

www.urkerzangers.nl
Official website of the  men's choir 'Urker Zangers'. Dutch only.

www.noordoostpolder.nl
Official website of the Noordoostpolder Municipality. Dutch only.

May 2004