Water heritage

The water board has a wealth of water heritage dating back centuries. The polder mills, old pumping stations, and dikes are, of course, immediately apparent in the landscape. But we also have a large collection of objects from the water board's past: from beautiful maps and finely engraved glasses to millwright tools. All these monuments and objects contribute to our historical awareness and collective memory. They form part of the DNA of North Holland and make the story of water tangible.

  • Temporary exhibition: Spotlight!

    On display until June 5: an exhibition of nine artworks created by VWO-6 students from Han Fortmann (Trinitas College) (2026).

  • Water heritage in the spotlight

    Pumps, mills, dikes, and locks tell the story of the battle against water. We highlight a few of them.

  • West Frisian Enclosing Dike

    The monumental West Frisian Omringdijk is eight hundred years old, 126 kilometre , and has been our support and refuge against the raging waters for centuries.

  • Water treasure

    The highlights of our water heritage collection can be admired in the permanent exhibition Waterschat (Water Treasure).

  • Friends of the Hondsbossche

    Become a Friend and receive an annual booklet about the rich history of water management in the Noorderkwartier region. 

  • Bicycle routes

    To mark the 400th anniversary of De Purmer (2022), two cycling routes have been created: one through the northern part of the polder and one through the southern part.

  • Exhibitions Han Fortmann

    Every year, we give students at Han Fortmann (Trinitas College) a water-related exam assignment for the subject of drawing.

  • Vision on our water heritage

    The vision describes three guiding principles that help us to manage our water heritage in an appropriate manner.

  • Grant

    We subsidize activities that are related to our water management tasks or our water heritage, as well as activities aimed at preserving polder mills.

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