Corona stories: 06/11/21

Industrial archaeology along the river

Before the 16th century the area west and north of Amsterdam was a flat marshy wasteland. The farmers of the little villages tried their luck with cattle, but it sank away in the bog. Originally the land had been used as farm land. But in the attempt to keep the fields dry the farmers had dug ditches to remove the water. However, the removal of water caused the land to sink. Therefore it increased the need to pump away ever more water. Dykes had to be built to keep the water out and wind mills were needed for pumping.

However, in the 17th century some entrepreneurs recognized that the wind mills were not only useful for pumping water. In 1594 a guy called Corneliszoon, the son of Cornelis, invented the crankshaft. The rotating movement of the windmill could be converted into the up and down movement of a saw. The flat windy marshland was ideal for the operation of industrial windmills. The many waterways and the winding river de Zaan allowed easy transportation of raw material and products. The area along the river became the oldest industrial complex of Europe. In its highday in the 18th century as many as 600 industrial windmills were operating here.

Reconsructed houses in Zaanse Schans

The development was supported by the rise of Amsterdam as a trading town. Wood and other raw materials were imported and the finished products exported. Ship building yards arose on the shores. The windmills produced products as varied as flour, wooden beams, pigments, ground spices, fibers, oil for food and paint, cacao or paper.

This period of prosperity in the history of the region is brought to life at Zaanse Schans. In the middle of the 20th century a group of people from the region were concerned about the disappearance of historic buildings. After 1959 windmills and buildings were moved to an area along the river to recreate a historic impression of the times around the 17th to 18th century.

The plans originated from architect Jaap Schipper from Zaandam, who won the prestigious Prix de Rome for architecture in 1947. A condition of this international prize was that the winner had to carry out a study assignment in their home region. Schipper decided to embark on a study of the wooden architecture in the Zaan region, and this became the basis for Zaanse Schans. Some buildings were dismantled elsewhere and rebuilt along the shore of the Zaan, but sometimes whole buildings were brought here on boats or trucks between 1961 and 1976. Industrial windmills like a spice mill, a sawmill, a paint mill, and an oil mill are fully operational and complemented by traditional workshops, workers’ living quarters, barns and farm houses. The meadows behind give an impression how the land looked like before this industrial revolution began.

Because of Corona there are few visitors. The windmills are closed but some are operating. Even on a nice sunny day the wind is sufficient. One of the millers enjoys the sun and his sandwich. He is member of the organization of volunteers maintaining and operating the mills. This mill grinds rock to pigments for paint. They also run a little souvenir shop. Due to Corona their income has vanished. The maintenance of a windmill costs 60.000 Euro a year. The compensation of the government for the losses caused by Corona is only up to 15.000 Euro. He strongly advises us to buy something in their souvenir shop, but what do I do with a bottle of pigment?

Around the windmills the old polder landscape with its meadows, willows and ditches is preserved. There is a hiking path across the meadows but in the spring season it is closed to protect breeding water birds. The path along the river soon disappears in the usual mess of newly built residential neighborhoods for the rich without any infrastructure, and a variety of recent commercial constructions which are built for fast demolition and compete for tastelessness. Somebody has built an observation tower next to his business, maybe they look out for a wrecking crane approaching from the horizon.

Along the dyke cross the river can be seen some of the remaining magnificent 17th to 19th century houses of windmill owners, merchants and other notable figures, many of which have attractive front and rear gables as status symbols. If an owner’s business was thriving he would add an extension to his home or buy a garden separated from their house to ensure that the good view was maintained. The gardens were used for cultivating vegetables or bleaching the laundry. Many had splendid riverside tea pavilions. Some can still be found in the region. Since the ground was unstable the houses had to be built as light as possible. Therefore this is one of the few areas were a range of historic wooden houses is preserved. The houses were painted in a rich array of colors ranging from shades of green to beige and light blue.

The prosperity came to a gradual end with the French conquest of the Netherlands under Napoleon. Shipbuilding ended completely and many of the windmills were dismantled.

The great wall of Wormerveer

Only after 1830 new developments started. New industries appeared on the dykes along the river. However, the power driving it now became steam and the new warehouses were built from bricks. The consequence was a wide jumble of different architectural styles along the water. Colorful old wooden houses stood side by side with brick warehouses, medieval wooden sheds and classicist villas of the factory owners.

The house boat for sale

In the neighborhood of Wormerveer a whole row of warehouses is preserved. They call it the great wall of Wormerveer. The names of the warehouses give an indication where the raw material came from: Java, Saigon, Batavia. A part of the warehouses is converted into apartments, the lower floor of Batavia houses a restaurant. Inside the iron beam construction is clearly visible. The inside of the restaurant is closed due to corona. The sweating red headed guests sit outside and enjoy more sun and alcohol. However, most of the warehouses built around the turn of last century have already disappeared again and were replaced by modern apartment blocks.

One of the new industries was the peeling of rice. This was the seat of the Lassie company. The name of the owners was Laan. The name Lassie is the combination of Laan and Silo. The Lassie company has left an enormous complex of warehouses and silos along the river de Zaan. They represent the progress in industrial construction technology between buildings named Donau (1895), Koningsbergen (1897), Silo (1907) and finally Mercurius (1920). The oldest building Donau still has a wooden skeletons and wooden floors. The building Koningsbergen of 1897 next to it already has a steel skeleton with wooden floors. The two silo buildings to the left were built in 1906 and 1912. The silo of 1906 still has a partial wooden construction. The enormous construction behind it from 1912 was already built entirely in concrete. It is 36 meters high and has 27 silo cells. Donau stands back a little with an angle in the facade. It was built that way to avoid to take away the wind driving one of the windmills which once stood here.

The back of the 36 m high Lassie Silo

In the 1980’s the construction was ripe for renewal and it was considered to move the whole enterprise to a new site with more space. Thanks to the new owner the entire historic complex was preserved and equipped with the latest technology. It is a good example that it is possible to reuse historic buildings when the owners are willing to preserve the historic constructions and invest money for modernization. The website in the sources shows old photos as evidence that the place basically looks like a hundred years ago.

The clock tower of the warehouses

Only one building was not reused by the new owner. The warehouse Mercurius built in 1919-1921 was one the first concrete constructions for that purpose. It was renovated and now serves as a central depot for archaeological treasures.

Across the water lived the factory owners in their mansions. From their office windows they could see their workers toil loads of 100 kg from the ships into the warehouses. On the big clock on the tower of the Hollandia warehouse they could easily check the time when they saw somebody leave early.

One of the factory owners mansions

We walk back on the other side of the river. The shore seems to serve as a cemetery for battered boats. Somebody has his residence on a dysfunctional pirate ship imitation. He has got a mail box mounted to the side of the ship. His address is Zaanweg 76. The next one, number 46, an old freighter converted into a house boat, is covered with artwork. It is for sale. For 277.000 Euro you get 200 sqm of living surface in 5 rooms on a boat built in 1907.

The diversity of buildings along the Zaan

We pass a mixture of wooden houses, wooden and brick warehouses, a church, turn of the century mansions, workshops and ruins. In between a park. It exists here since 1897. In the middle a historic octagonal music pavilion, a pond full of ducks, cages with birds and deserted cages of a former zoo. Even the park benches are historic: the cast iron construction is modeled after branches.

Music pavilion in the park of 1897

Next door is the blauwe Hof, a courtyard with little houses which were built in 1763 by the mill owner Dirk Blauw for his workers.

The Blauwe Hof

The next stretch along the water is occupied by a chemical plant producing raw materials for food. It originated from a soap factory, “de adelaar” (the eagle). The enormous old brick warehouse of 1897 is crowned by a huge concrete statue of an eagle with a wingspan of more than 6 m which seems to drop down on one of the passing boats any moment. That indeed happened during a fire in 1906. The predecessor was of bronze and disappeared in the mud of the river. If they don’t renovate the building soon the concrete replacement will follow.

Soap factory de adelaar

The stainless steel tanks and fractionation columns of the chemical plant border the little houses of the residential neighborhood in the next street. It looks like a modern reenacting of a photo of Walker Evans. The owners have entered into a contest how to best get rid of everything green and living in their front gardens.

Walker Evans in Zaandijk

Only few spots along this side of the river bank have not been covered with buildings. Teenagers use the grass for sunbathing and swim in the river. The ducks and geese watch with concern, but don’t leave. Too many edible left-overs are tempting to wait.

One of the swimming spots

The main street of the little town of Zaandijk looks like it has not changed since the 19th century. The oldest wooden houses are from 1623 and 1675. Many of the more recent 19th century merchants homes are decorated with colorful ornaments. One has an artistic french garden with a tea pavilion and statues representing evening, night, Bacchus, morning and noon. A whole neighborhood of wooden houses can only be reached by narrow foot paths or by boat. The whole old part of Zaandijk is a protected monument. One of the buildings figures on a painting of French impressionist Claude Monet.

House of 1625

The people in the Zaan region were not only known for their enterprise and creativity, but

also for their sense of community. For example, they shared their knowledge of technical

innovations and concluded mutual 'fire contracts' as insurance against the risk of losing

their windmills to fire.

Wooden houses in the main street of Zaandijk

This Corona walk has only covered half of the historic industrial area along the Zaan river. There is much more to see, for example the house where the Russian Tsar Peter the great stayed when he visited the Zaan in 1697 to study the art of ship building.