De Viaan polder mill

The Viaan is a true veteran. It has been draining the Bergermeer for more than four centuries, but before that it kept the Zijpe dry. The monumental windmill is located near the intersection of the N9 and N245 and is now surrounded by the urban expansion of Alkmaar. The Viaan still contributes to keeping the Bergermeer polder dry. It can be visited by appointment.

Bergermeer and Egmondermeer

Once upon a time, two well-known gentlemen from the era of the Eighty Years' War determined what happened here in the coastal region: Lamoraal van Egmond (1522-1568) was Lord of Egmond, and Hendrik van Brederode (1531-1568) was Lord of Bergen. Their possessions included the Bergermeer and Egmondermeer, a collection of shallow waters, marshes, and small islands. The lords jointly drained the lake in 1563-1566.

Viaanse mills

The Bergen section became the Bergermeer polder, which was drained by three windmills. Two of these were called 'Viaanse mills'. Hendrik van Brederode lived in Vianen in the province of Utrecht, his most important property. Apparently, he brought two tilt mills from there to help with the diking and drainage. They have long since disappeared, but their successors in the same place continued to be called 'Viaanse mills'.

‘Sijpschen mill’

The Alkmaar millwright Jan Reyersz Clock († after 1597) was involved in the drainage project from the outset. Storm surges flooded the Bergermeer, which was then reclaimed in 1578. Clock erected three polder mills for this purpose: the newly built Dikke Molen (1578), the Viaan (1579), and the Kleine Viaan (1584). The Viaan was 'second-hand': it was a 'Sijpschen mill', originating from Zijpe in the Noordkop, where it had been built around 1565. The Kleine Viaan may also have come from there.

Inner cruisers

For years, the Viaan and the Kleine Viaan stood side by side. Both mills were inside-shaft mills, which means that the miller had to climb into the cap to turn it towards the wind with the help of the wheel. In 1590, the miller's house, which still exists today, was built to accommodate both millers. The Kleine Viaan was sold in 1724 because the Viaan, with its larger paddle wheel, was able to grind enough water.

The Viaan remains

The Dikke Molen also disappeared: in 1922, it was replaced by an electric pumping station. But the Viaan continued to grind. In 1867, the mill was equipped with a screw pump, and a new staircase was made from the wood of the paddle wheel. Old sails were also reused inside the mill. When grinding had to be done at night, the miller slept in the box bed, which was used as a guest book: craftsmen who worked on the Viaan also carved their names into the wood.

Milling tradition

The last professional miller was Bas Kruk (1928-2021), who was born in the miller's house and succeeded his father in 1953. At that time, the mill was still very remote. During World War II, people in hiding sometimes stayed at the mill. In 1961, the Viaan became a monument, followed by extensive restoration. In recent years, Kruk received support from a new generation of volunteer millers: Pedro Germes (2000) now keeps the mill running. For the time being, the special craft of milling, which has been on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list since 2017, is not dying out.

Extra

• The Green Route of the North Holland Walking Network passes along the Viaan.
• Pedro and miller's apprentice Wilco (and the Viaan) also speak in a podcast from the Whispering Mills project.
• The Whispering Windmills Project
• You can also take a " windmill tour" by bicycle.
• Anyone who wants to become a miller can contact the Guild of Volunteer Millers.

The preservation of the mill is made possible in part by the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands and the province of North Holland.