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Dieren en planten

Water en land

Dutch wadden region   Wieringen   Archaeology   Nature and culture   

Mens en Milieu

Wieringen

number of residents:

8600

main village:

Hyppolytushoef

total surface area:

170 square kilometers

surface area water:

147 square kilometers

surface area land:

23 square kilometers

important sources of income:

tourism, farming

unusual fauna:

brent goose

unusual flora:

eelgrass (in the past), seakale

unusual landscapes:

glacial moraines, several natural sea barriers which are not dunes, Polder Waard-Nieuwland, Balgzand

Harbour of the de Haukes, Historical Club of Wieringen

Wieringen, a secret island

Wieringen is the former island in the northern top of North Holland, bordering the Wadden Sea and the (former) Zuiderzee. It has always been closely linked with the Wadden Sea. The island is unusual for its geology, archaeology, nature areas and cultural history. The town of Wieringen is made up of almost 17,000 hectare, which includes the Polder Waard-Nieuwland (dating back to 1846 when Wieringen was still an island), the bordering parts of the wadden region (Breehorn and part of the Balgzand) and the IJsselmeer.

  • Coat of arms
    Wieringen's weapon, eARTh works!, Wieringen

    The old island was able to withstand erosion from the sea for centuries, mostly due to its unusual soil composition. Wieringen consists of a series of lateral moraines formed during the Saale glacial period (ending around 130,000 years ago). Unlike the lateral moraines in central Netherlands, these moraines consist of glacial till. It is thick and difficult for water to penetrate, thereby providing the island with a good defence against the extremely dynamic tidal landscape in which it lay in those days.

    Nevertheless, the influence from the sea was very noticeable and the lateral moraines on Wieringen formed the places where the old living areas were located. The highest spot on Wieringen is northwest of the Nicolaas Church in Westerland, 12.80 meters above NAP. The lowest areas of the land and the Polder Waard Nieuwland lie around 1.5 meters under NAP.

    Westerklief and Oosterklief are the names of two hamlets on the western and eastern side of the moraine, respectively. When Wieringen was still an island, erosion from the sea caused steep coasts on the rim of this boulder-clay height. These two hamlets thank their name to these cliffs. The cliff coasts on Wieringen have disappeared in the meantime, through land processing. The last remnant (in Westerland, past the Amsteldiepdijk) perished at the end of the 20th century when an apartment complex was built. Westerklief is the place where the Viking treasure of Wieringen was found at the end of 1995 - beginning of 1996.
    The most important villages from west to east are: Westerland, Hippolytushoef, Stroe, Oosterland and Den Oever. The smaller hamlets, again from west to east, are: Dam, De Haukes, De(n) Hoelm, Hollebalg, Noorderbuurt, Westerklief, Oosterklief, Belt, Normer, Zandburen, Elft, Noordburen, Noord-Stroe, Smerp, Vatrop, De Gest and De Heid. In 2007, the population of Wieringen was around 8700.

  • The young island

    The island of Wieringen was formed quite late, during the Late Middle Ages (11th-12th century); see also Holocene coastline development). Wieringen can thank this period for the legend of the drowned city Grebbe, which was primarily situated on the Balgzand (between Wieringen and Den Helder) or on the Breehorn, off of Vatrop. It probably did not concern a complete city, however the Middle Age pottery regularly found on the flats definitely indicates that this region was inhabited up into the Middle Ages - even though that might have only been small hamlets. Dirk Burger from Schoorl mentions an old Chronicle of the Zijpe of Valcoogh in the following poem from his 18th century hCronicle of Schagen:
    "Veel steden en dorpen bij Wieringen laghen
    Die al metten water moesten versmooren
    In den jare drie honderd XXXIIJ met claghen
    Doen onderliep Gonsende en ander steden verlooren"

    (Roughly translated:
    'Many cities and villages near Wieringen lay
    In the vicinity of water
    There were many complaints in the year 1333 When Gonsende and other cities were set outside the protective dike.'

  • Connections
    Closing the Vlieter on 28 May 1932, Historical Society of Wieringen

    Wieringen lost its island status when the Amstel dike (referred to as the 'Short Amstel Dike') was completed between Ewijcksluis and Westerland. The closure took place on 31 July 1924, although it would take another two years before traffic was allowed to use it. In July 1929, the dike was closed between Medemblik and Den Oever (the eastern harbour town of Wieringen). The pumping stations Leemans and Lely started working and the Wieringermeerpolder was a fact on 21 August 1930. And finally, on 28 May 1932, the Afsluitdijk between Den Oever and Friesland was completed.

    Nevertheless, despite the fact that Wieringen is now attached to North Holland in all sorts of ways (and to Friesland with a 32-km long dike), Wieringen has been able to maintain its separate status in many fields: geology, archaeology, landscape, history, folklore, society and culture.
    Actually, Wieringen is the least known and most accessible Wadden Island.

  • Wieringen an island once again?
    Shed on Oosterklief, eARTh works!, Wieringen

    In 1999, the tourist information VVV, the town, province and water board launched a plan to make Wieringen an island once again. By digging a large lake on the south side in the Wieringermeer polder, the island will be surrounded by water on all four sides. They hope to attrack more tourists. The town council voted against the plan in 2004 however an intention agreement was signed in 2005 for the island plan. Members of the Provincial Executive in North-Holland approved the plan in December 2007.