Leeghwater Monument, Purmerbuurt

At a busy intersection in Purmer, there is a rather inconspicuous monument dating from 1922. It keeps alive the memory of millwright and hydraulic engineer Jan Adriaenszoon Leeghwater (1575-1650) and the widespread veneration for this 'water hero' at the time.

In 1922, the Purmer reclamation and water board celebrated its 300th anniversary with great fanfare. On August 31, a historic parade on horseback was held across the Purmer, following in the wake of the carriage of dike reeve Hendrik Beets (1860-1952). He was the first resident of Purmer to hold that office since 1904—until then, all dike reeves came from the cities. Leeghwater was also in the parade, portrayed by an unknown Purmerling.  

Leeghwater lived in De Rijp. He was a carpenter and millwright, but developed into a much sought-after expert on drainage and land reclamation. He was involved in the reclamation of (almost all) the large lakes in North Holland, including the Purmer. In a book published in 1641, he also advocated for the reclamation of the Haarlemmermeer. He was a strong proponent of land reclamation projects. His book would be reprinted many times, and Leeghwater became a Dutch water hero. In doing so, he was made more important than he actually was: the leadership of the land reclamation projects did not lie with him, but with the various dike companies, formed by wealthy merchants and city administrators.

Nevertheless, Leeghwater was regarded as a great example in the 19th and 20th centuries, the visionary behind the land reclamation projects of the Golden Age. That is why the people of Purmer decided to honor him with a monument on the occasion of the 300th anniversary. The driving force behind this was the energetic chief landowner Gerardus Johannes de Goede (1884-1943), mayor of Wijdenes and secretary of the celebration committee. Leeghwater received ample attention in the anniversary booklet he wrote about the history of the Purmer. The design was created by De Goede's brother-in-law Adriaan Hillebrand Kwantes (1897-1971), an architect in Amsterdam but a native of Purmer.

The monument was built from reddish-brown Utrecht 'hand-molded brick' on top of an existing wall dating from 1772. The base of the monument was carved from roughly hewn sandstone, as was the bench attached to the monument. It was embellished with decorative ironwork and a bronze plaque bearing Leeghwater's portrait. On September 1, 1922, it was unveiled by the Deputy Queen's Commissioner of North Holland. Descendants of Leeghwater, some of whom lived in Purmer, hung wreaths on the monument.

For these Purmerlingen, Leeghwater was not just a hero, but also an ancestor from whom they descended. They often played a role within the water board, such as father and son Pieter (1850-1936) and Gerrit Groot (1882-1965), who were supervisors of the Purmer for half a century. Gerrit Groot succeeded his father in 1920 and was therefore also involved in the design and installation of the monument to his famous ancestor.

Dijkgraaf Beets promised that the water board would take good care of the monument, and it did, although it has not survived the passage of time unscathed. The decorative ironwork at the bottom has been removed and the plaque was stolen. A new bronze plaque was installed in 1997. In 2022, the area around the monument has become busy with buildings and traffic lights. But even now, 400 years after the land was reclaimed, Leeghwater continues to smile down on his Purmer descendants. The centenary celebrations would surely have filled him with satisfaction.

Extra

• Cycling and walking routes do not pass directly by the Leeghwater Monument. Partial Route 1 of the Laag Holland cycling routes neighbourhood through the neighbourhood .
• Of course, Leeghwater is not only honored and remembered in Purmer. He is also regularly mentioned elsewhere in the former North Holland lake district. That area is known as the Land of Leeghwater.
• In Purmer, 2022 will be marked by the 400th anniversary of the reclamation of land from the sea.
• The Purmer Memorial Book by Mayor De Goede can be read and downloaded on Delpher.
• Leeghwater's Haerlemmermeerboeck has been reprinted many times. A 1973 reprint can be read and downloaded from the Digital Library of Dutch Literature.