Beemster | |
|---|---|
Former municipality | |
 Middenbeemster town centre | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
.svg) Location of the former municipality of Beemster in North Holland | |
| Coordinates:52°33′N4°55′E / 52.550°N 4.917°E /52.550; 4.917 | |
| Country | Netherlands |
| Province | North Holland |
| Municipality | Purmerend |
| Area | |
• Total | 72.07 km2 (27.83 sq mi) |
| • Land | 70.58 km2 (27.25 sq mi) |
| • Water | 1.49 km2 (0.58 sq mi) |
| Elevation | −4 m (−13 ft) |
| Population (January 2021)[3] | |
• Total | 10,110 |
| • Density | 143/km2 (370/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postcode | 1460–1464 |
| Area code | 0299 |
| Website | www |
UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| Official name | Droogmakerij de Beemster (Beemster Polder) |
| Criteria | Cultural: i, ii, iv |
| Reference | 899 |
| Inscription | 1999 (23rdSession) |
Beemster (Dutch pronunciation:[ˈbeːmstər]ⓘ) is a formermunicipality in theNetherlands, in the province ofNorth Holland. The Beemster is the firstpolder in the Netherlandsreclaimed from a lake, the water extracted bywindmills between 1609 and 1612. The original well-ordered landscape of fields, roads, canals, and dykes has been preserved intact. A grid of canals parallels the grid of roads in the Beemster. The larger feeder canals are offset by approximately one kilometer from the larger roads.
Beemster merged into the existing municipality ofPurmerend on 1 January 2022.
The former municipality of Beemster contained the following small towns and villages:
Around 800 AD the area of the modern municipality of Beemster was covered inpeat. The name "Beemster" was derived from "Bamestra",[4] the name of a small river in the area. In the period 1150–1250 peat-digging and storm floods enlarged that small river into an inland sea, a lake connected with theZuiderzee. Around 1605 private investors started to drain the Beemster lake. In 1610, this was almost complete, but the lake re-filled because of a breach in the Zuiderzeedikes. It was decided to make the ring-dike a meter high above the surrounding country. In 1612 the polder was dry and the land was divided among the investors. In the earlier days of the polder, farmers occupied its lands for growing the crops necessary for long sea journeys by theVOC to the East Indies. The farmland was so good that the project was considered an economic success, in contrast to, e.g., theHeerhugowaard. Since 1999 the entire Beemsterpolder has been on the UNESCO world heritage list.
The Beemster polder is home to CONO Kaasmakers, maker of the Beemster brand of cheeses. This co-op was formed in 1901 to create cheese made from milk that comes from the Beemster polder. TodayBeemster Cheese[5] is sold in Europe, as well as the U.S., Canada, Japan, and China.
Because of its historical relevance, and as the original structure of the area is still largely intact, the Beemster was added to theUNESCOWorld Heritage Site list in 1999.[6] Justification for inclusion is as follows:
In addition, in the Beemster Polder, there are five fortresses as part of theStelling van Amsterdam, anotherUNESCOWorld Heritage Site. The Beemster Polder combines twoUNESCOWorld Heritage Sites.
The municipal council of Beemster consisted of 13 seats which at the lastelections in 2018 divided as follows:[7]
The last mayor wasJoyce van Beek (CDA).
Elections were held in November 2021 for a council for the new merged municipality of Purmerend, that included Beemster, which commenced work in January 2022.[8]
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Media related toBeemster at Wikimedia CommonsPlaces adjacent to Beemster | |
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| North |  | |
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| East | ||
| West | ||
| Caribbean | ||
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