40 years of Flevoland: Urk

In 2026, the province of Flevoland turns 40. And we are celebrating! We look back, and especially forward. The province of Flevoland is characterized by vast open spaces and a rectangular layout. The province consists of two parts: the Noordoostpolder, reclaimed up to the mainland, and the Flevopolder, the largest artificial island in the world. To avoid confusion with the municipality of Noordoostpolder, the Noordoostpolder (the combination of this municipality and the municipality of Urk) is also referred to as Northern Flevoland.

Urk (general)

Urk is a municipality in the province of Flevoland and was an island in the former Zuiderzee. With 22.429 inhabitants (January 1, 2026, source: CBS) on an area of ​​approximately 11,54 km² (and 98,36 km² of water), Urk is the smallest municipality in this province in terms of surface area. Urk is also the municipality with the lowest percentage of inhabitants with a migration background; on January 1, 2024, 5,6% of the inhabitants had a migration background. Until the completion in 1939 of the dike connecting Urk to Lemmer, Urk was an island in the IJsselmeer, the former Zuiderzee (until the completion of the Afsluitdijk in 1932). In 1942, the Noordoostpolder was drained.

Urk can be described as the most religious municipality in the Netherlands; 98% of its inhabitants belong to a religious denomination and 94% attend church. It is a very close-knit community with its own dialect, Urkers, which remains exceptionally vibrant and differs significantly from other dialects in the area. Urk also has its own national anthem, which is sung during the annual aubade on King's Day and other official occasions. Urk has by far the largest fishing fleet and fish processing industry in the Netherlands. The meaning of the name Urk is unknown, but various theories exist regarding it.

 

Coat of arms of Urk

The blazon of the coat of arms reads as follows: Azure, charged with a haddock in its natural colour. The colour azure, also referred to as ultramarine, is a dye and, in heraldry, the standard name for “blue”. The strong bond the fishing community has with the sea is expressed by the blue colour. However, heraldic etiquette prohibits the use of metal on metal or colour on colour in a coat of arms. Therefore, at the suggestion of the High Council of Nobility, the haddock has been depicted in silver since 1955.

The coat of arms is a canting coat of arms. Urk has traditionally been a fishing community, and this is expressed by the haddock. Naturally, it has the following colors: the back is dark greenish-brown, the flanks silver-white, and the belly white. Furthermore, the fish is recognizable by its chin barb.

 

The fishing

The village's important economic pillar is fishing. Historically, the people of Urk relied on fishing and, to a lesser extent, agriculture to provide for their livelihood. Poverty was rampant, as fishing was not always successful. Fishing was also dangerous. The names of all drowned fishermen are listed at the fishermen's monument.

The turning point for Urk came with the closure of the Zuiderzee in 1932. The Afsluitdijk put an end to the Zuiderzee for good, and the days of the island of Urk were numbered as well. The salty Zuiderzee became the freshwater IJsselmeer, and according to experts, fishing on Urk would soon be over. After all, the IJsselmeer offered too little space to accommodate everyone for fishing, and the North Sea would likewise become inaccessible because Urk was situated virtually in the center of the Netherlands.

That expectation was not met. It is known as 'the Miracle of Urk'. The people of Urk began beam trawling in the North Sea, and larger cutters were built. The Urk fish auction grew steadily. Until the late 70s, fish was still largely supplied via the port of Urk. After that time, the cutters became too large to cross the IJsselmeer to their home port, and fish was transported by truck from seaports such as IJmuiden, Harlingen, Delfzijl, and Lauwersoog to be traded in Urk. A huge fish processing industry grew up around the fish auction. Catch restrictions began in 1975. Due to these quotas and rising fuel prices, the profitability of beam trawling declined sharply. From 1840, when Albert Roos started a shipyard with his sons, fishermen from Urk could also order a boat in Urk. Since then, shipyards have been active in Urk.

 

The lighthouse

The white beacon has been managed by the same family for generations (currently lighthouse keeper Rense). This lighthouse has guided many fishermen safely into the harbor.

The Urk Lighthouse is an 18,5-meter-high lighthouse on Urk. The current lighthouse was built from 1844 to 1845 and was raised by more than five meters in 1901. The raising was necessary because the Bethel Church, enlarged in 1885, blocked the light to the east. The lighthouse is the only one along the IJsselmeer and the Markermeer equipped with a rotating light (where the lamp remains stationary and the lens rotates). In 2009, a new copper roof was installed during maintenance work. The tower is regularly open to the public.

A fire burned on Urk as early as 1617. This coal fire was intended for the fishermen of Urk and the ships sailing from Amsterdam to the North Sea. They were guided by this fire. The first beacon was built by the Amsterdam mayor Gerrit Jacob Witsen on behalf of the States of Holland and West Friesland, who held the manorial rights over Urk. In 1837, a square beacon was built. This was dismantled in 1844, and the lighthouse in its current form was built in its place. The rotating light was replaced in 1876 by Barbier, Benard & Turenne. Lights from this French firm always rotate counterclockwise and are called French lights in Canada. Consequently, the Urk lighthouse is the only lighthouse in the Netherlands that rotates counterclockwise.

 

Thanks to Peter Janssen of www.frankeerstempel.nl for the stamps in this blog.

 

<strong> More info: </strong>

40 years of Flevoland: https://www.flevoland.nl/dossiers/40-jaar-flevoland

Urk Tourism: https://touristinfourk.nl/

Canon of Flevoland: https://www.canonvannederland.nl/nl/flevoland/flevoland

Previous Flevoland blogs: https://www.postzegelblog.nl/tag/flevoland/