Lighthouse stories: Hook of Holland, Urk, Texel, Enkhuizen

In the new MAX program *Vuurtorenverhalen* (Lighthouse Stories), Kefah Allush visits eight lighthouses along the Dutch coast. He investigates how it is possible that these lighthouses survived wars, storms, and digitalization, and why these buildings still have a right to exist. In the lighthouses in Egmond aan Zee, Burgh-Haamstede, IJmuiden, Vlieland, Hoek van Holland, Urk, Texel, and Enkhuizen, he also meets the people who have a special connection to the towers: from passionate lighthouse keepers to creatives who are inspired by the beacons. *Vuurtorenverhalen* (the final 4 parts) can be seen starting Friday, November 28, 2025, at 9:10 PM on MAX on NPO 2. Are you collecting the theme 'Lighthouses'?

Episode 5 – Hoek van Holland: a safe haven (November 28)

Kefah goes back to his teenage years, when he spent a lot of time in Hoek van Holland. He knows the lighthouse there well, but not yet the story behind the building. Kefah is invited by lighthouse keeper René, who saved the beacon from demolition and turned it into a museum. From the water, Kefah experiences how to follow lines of light to arrive safely in the harbor. The plan for the placement of the first lighthouses at Hoek van Holland dates back to the time of the construction of the Nieuwe Waterweg (1866 to 1872). The lighthouses were necessary to safely guide shipping towards the port of Rotterdam. Hoek van Holland has several lights, namely:

1. The old high light is still in its old place.
2. The old low light is now located in the Harbour Museum in Rotterdam.
3. 2 new red lights for the red light line, installed in 1974
4. 2 new green lights for the green light line, installed in 1974
5. 2 new white lights for the white light line, installed in 1974
6. The former tall lighthouse of the outgoing light line stood on the Deltaplein in Kijkduin between 1976 and 2004.

  The museum café is located in the Maritime Museum Rotterdam, featuring a fresh, maritime look and a contemporary interior. A ship model of the ' takes center stage.New Amsterdam', a former flagship of the Holland America Line measuring no less than 2,5 meters. The museum café 'Het Lage Licht' is named after the lighthouse in the Maritime Museum Harbour. From the end of the 19th century, this lighthouse stood in Hoek van Holland to guide ships safely into the Port of Rotterdam, together with Het Hoge Licht. Het Lage Licht was extinguished in 1967 and was given its current location in the museum harbour in the 1990s.

 

Episode 6 – Urk: The Fishery (December 5)

This episode takes Kefah to Urk. The white beacon has been managed by the same family for generations. Keeper Rense takes Kefah up the lighthouse and tells him what it is like to grow up in and around such a special building. This tower has guided many fishermen safely into the harbor. Kefah follows his nose to the fish auction, where it sometimes seems as if time has stood still. He also visits the local museum, where a special exhibit tells the story of a heroic deed. 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.  

Episode 7 – Texel: struggle and connectedness (December 12)

The Texel lighthouse is an iconic image that appears in various places. But behind the red walls lies a dark story. Kefah is allowed to join lighthouse keeper Salko to the top, where he enjoys the view of the sea. Inside the tower, he sees with his own eyes the traces left behind by the Second World War. But the history of this beacon goes back much further: the lighthouse stands on a special piece of land that did not always belong to Texel. Over the centuries, many ships have been lost in the Eierlandse Gat, off the coast of Texel. While lighthouses stood on Terschelling and in Den Helder at the beginning of the nineteenth century, Texel had only a wooden beacon. This was insufficient; between 1848 and 1860 alone, 72 ships were lost off the coast of Texel. The Texel notary Johannes Ludovicus Kikkert strongly advocated for a lighthouse on the northern tip of Texel to protect seafarers. He lobbied in The Hague and used his influence as an alderman of Texel and as a member of the Provincial States of North Holland. Thanks to his years of effort, construction of the lighthouse began in 1863. The designer was Quirinus Harder, who also designed many other Dutch lighthouses. This tower is the only brick tower designed by him; the others are made of cast iron. The lighthouse was built on a 20-meter-high dune. In 1864, the nine-story tower was completed; on November 1 of that year, Kikkert was allowed to light the lamp. The tower was severely damaged during the Georgian uprising in April 1945. It was restored in 1948 by enveloping it in a new wall and adding a new superstructure. This changed the shape of the tower: it became considerably wider.  

Episode 8 – Enkhuizen: the sea (19 December)

Kefah immerses himself in the world of seafaring. He gets to take a look inside the Enkhuizen lighthouse, which is normally closed. Lighthouse De Ven was built centuries ago to make the Zuiderzee Route safer. Enkhuizen is an important place in the history of Dutch seafarers. And not only for the past, but also for the future. Kefah discovers this during his visit to the Enkhuizen Maritime Academy. He also gets to join harbor master Anthony. He sailed all over the world, but lost his heart to Enkhuizen. De Ven is a white, square brick lighthouse on the IJsselmeer dike near the village of Oosterdijk, approximately four kilometers north of Enkhuizen. The tower was built in 1699–1700 and is one of the oldest lighthouses in the Netherlands. The tower has a height of 15 meters and a light height of 17 meters. Above the entrance is a cartouche with the names of the founders. In clear weather, the lighthouse is clearly visible from the Enkhuizen–Lelystad dike. Source: Omroep Max Press Release.  

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The programs about the Lighthouse Stories can still be viewed via this link: https://www.maxvandaag.nl/programmas/tv/vuurtorenverhalen/ Coastal Lighting Museum Hoek van Holland: https://kustverlichtingsmuseumhoekvanholland.nl/ Texel Lighthouse: https://vuurtorentexel.nl/#uitzicht1 Dutch Lighthouse Association (NVV): https://www.vuurtorens.org/ Lighthouse Stamp Society: http://lighthousestampsociety.org/wp/