Zaanse Schans Zaandam Netherlands by Hendrik-Jan Kornelis

About "Zaanse Schans Zaandam Netherlands"

by Hendrik-Jan Kornelis

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: in 2016 there were 1.8 million, in 2017 2.2 million.

Wooden house during placement to Zaanse Schans
Duration: 2 minutes and 9 seconds.2:09
Cinema newsreel from 1962 about houses in Zaandam, focusing on the "expansion plan Zaanse Schans". A house from 1743 is transported from Koog aan de Zaan to a site on the Zaanse Schans.

Awareness of Zaans heritage arose during World War II in the Netherlands. As early as 1938, the Zaanse neighbourhood was set up at the Dutch Open Air Museum with four relocated houses. In 1946, the civic initiative 'Zaans Schoon' was established to preserve residential neighbourhood the Gortershoek. Job Duyvis, Evert Smit, architect Jaap Schipper, state archivist Johan Groesbeek and timber construction expert Theo van der Koogh were involved in this initiative.

In 1949, to preserve as much Zaans timber construction as possible, a separate neighbourhood was looked at to move the houses around. Haaldersbroek near Kalverpolder and the area around Eerste Ezelspad and Weeshuispad in Zaandijk were initially considered. Not all the buildings there were deemed authentic enough and the eye therefore fell on Kalverpolder, which was also opposite Gortershoek, which would create a natural ensemble.