Northern Lights on the Zaanse Schans 2 by Jeroen de Jongh Photography

About "Northern Lights on the Zaanse Schans 2"

by Jeroen de Jongh Photography

About the artwork

The Zaanse Schans is a historic Zaanse neighbourhood in the municipality of Zaanstad established in 1963, with national monumental wooden buildings and industrial mills from the Zaan region relocated there. Over time, it has been complemented by several cultural-historical museums, craft shops and restaurants. It is located in the Kalverpolder, a protected peat meadow landscape on the Zaan, opposite the village of Zaandijk. This architectural reserve for Zaanse timber construction is a protected village sight because of its architectural-historical and scenic value. It developed into an international tourist destination with several million visitors every year.

Initially set up as a residential area, the neighbourhood attracted more and more tourists for which it was not calculated. Between 1970 and 1974, the plan on this was expanded with historical buildings and some replica's suitable for catering and tourism. An additional car park was also constructed on the spot where a school was initially to be built. From 1976, Zaanse Schans as a tourist destination was a reality. Some mills were also relocated. Only the substructure of the paint mill de Kat (originally an oil mill) and of the oil mill de Bonte Hen, as well as the oil mill de Os, still stand in their original yards.

The northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, are a spectacular natural phenomenon that occurs mainly in the polar regions. This light occurs when charged particles from the sun (solar wind) collide in the earth's atmosphere with gas molecules, such as nitrogen and oxygen. These collisions cause the emission of light, which we see as colourful movements in the sky.