잔세 스칸스(Zaanse Schans) 안내

잔세 스칸스(Zaanse Schans) 안내. 네덜란드(Netherland)

Construction of Zaanse Schans

Zaanse Schans is a typical nineteenth-century residential and industrial area. But...all the properties have actually been moved here since 1959! This was often done in spectacular fashion, with whole buildings being transported on boats and lorries. As a result, a significant amount of historic heritage from the entire Zaan region has been preserved. Now, Zaanse Schans is one of the Netherland's most popular tourist attractions.

In the middle of the last century, a group of people from the region, who made up the Stichting Zaans Schoon foundation, were deeply concerned about the disappearance of historic buildings. Using plans drawn up by architect Jaap Schipper they started to move the heritage buildings to what would become known as Zaanse Schans.

Most of Zaanse Schans as it is today was created between 1961 and 1976. Visitors enter the Zaan region as it was around the year 1850, with mostly wooden buildings, and the homes of merchants and other notable figures situated on the dyke. Worker's houses and workshops are located along the canals running perpendicular to the river. Most of the buildings are original and are centuries old, although a few are reproductions of historic buildings.

Founder

Architect Jaap Schipper from Zaandam was the founder of Zaanse Schans. In 1947, he won the prestigious Prix de Rome for architecture. A condition of this international prize was that the winner had to carry out a study assignment in their home region.

Schipper decided to embark on a study of the wooden architecture in the Zaan region, and this became the basis for Zaanse Schans.

Relocation

Some buildings and even a complete windmill body were transferred in their entirety to Zaanse Schans. Other buildings were first dismantled, plank by plank, or brick by brick.

Buildings and windmills from the whole region were brought together in one location. The Tinkoepel, near the bridge over the River Zaan, used to be many kilometres away, further up the river. Restaurant De Hoop op d'Swarte Walvis - a former orphanage in Westzaan - was reconstructed brick by brick. Every building here has its own story to tell, as you will find out as you walk around.

Windmills

Thanks to the hard work of the association Vereniging De Zaansche Molen, various types of windmills have been preserved. In the distance on the Kalverringdijk, for example, are a spice mill, asawmill, a paint mill, and an oil mill. All of these windmills are fully operational.

Typically Dutch

Wonderful wooden buildings, windmills, and watery meadows. Many people, both in the Netherlands and abroad, regard this combination of features as typically Dutch.

The meadows go with the image of the Netherlands as a dairy-farming country.

The windmills, meanwhile, are a symbol with which almost everyone is familiar. And the green historic buildings conjure up vision of traditional craftsmanship, which is such a feature of the Zaan region.

Lively residential and work neighbourhood

Zaanse Schans is not a static collection of historic buildings. Far from it ! This lively residential and work neighbourhood is evolving all the time. The most important objective is to preserve the heritage. But the portrayal of the cultural heritage is alos organised in a professional manner. Since 1999, the Zaans Museum has displayed a nunique collection of objects. The opening of the Verkade Paviljoen in 2008 was a major expansion, supplemented by a fascinating chocolate-themed collection.

Another notable addition to Zaanse Schans was the contruction of the 'Het Jonge Schaap' sawmill in 2007. This is one of the largest types of windmill in the history of the Zaan region.

Recent additions

Besides the cultural heritage, the amenities at Zaanse Schans are also being steadily improved. For example, in 2015 mooring facilities were provided for river cruise ships.

Another recent addition is the overnight accommodation at Zaanse Schans in the 'B&B Heerlijck Slaapen'. There are bikes for hire, a cocoa lab, and a stunning viewing tower as well. Who could have imagined all that back in 1961!

Molenpanorama, geschiderd door Frans Mars (1903-1975)

Molenpanorama, painted by Frans Mars (1903-1975)

Heyday of the Zaan region

The most important period of prosperity in the history of the Zaan region is brought to life at Zaanse Schans. In the eighteenth century a wide range of industrial activities sprung up here. In its heyday, there were around six hundred industrial windmills, each of them a wooden factory in its own right, driven by wind power. The windmills helped make the Zaan region hugely prosperous, evidence of which can still be admired at Zaanse Schans.

The Zaan region is known for being the oldest industrial area of Western Europe.

This was a direct consequence of trade during the Dutch Golden Age in the seventeenth century. The local inhabitants seized their opportunity by building dozens of industrial windmills along the waterways and in the shadow of Amsterdam, as that is where the shiploads of raw materials came in. From all over the world ! Creative entrepreneurs in the Zaan region converted the raw materials into all kinds of products in their windmills.

These ranged from cocoa and paper to oil and wood.

Crankshaft

The heyday of the Zaan region was preceded by an important windmill-related invention in 1594. The use of a crankshaft, conceived by Cornelis Corneliszoon of nearby Uitgeest, made it possible to saw wood using wind power. The crankshaft converted the horizontal direction of the wind on the windmill sails into a vertical sawing movement. This meant that the Zaan windmills could saw much more wood than had ever been possible by hand, enormously expanding construction capacity.

Construction of windmills and ships

The hugely prosperous seventeenth century-the Dutch Golden Age- was a tremendous catalyst for industrial windmills as well as shipbuilding in the Zaan region. Thanks to the local spirit of enterprise the Zaan region emerged as the centre of merchant shipbuilding in seventeenth-century Europe.

Spirit of enterprise

In the eighteenth century, the Zaan region developed into an industrial region the like of which had never previously been seen. The contruction of hundreds of windmills led to increased production capacity. And thanks to all kinds of useful inventions there were many different types of windmill, which produced an almost limitless range of goods - wood sawed mechanically, paper, ground spices, oil for food and paints, dyes, all kinds of fibres, flour, cocoa power, and so on. These goods were shipped all over the world, mostly through Amsterdam, creating vast wealth for the region.

Collaboration : Sharing knowledge

The people in the Zaan region were not only known for their enterprise and creativity, but also for their sense of community. For example, they shared their knowledge of technical innovations and concluded mutual 'fire contracts' as insurance against the risk of losing their windmills to fire.

Visible prosperity

The prosperity of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries is evident in many different ways in the Zaan region. Besides windmills, barns and other buildings, there were the magnificent houses of windmill owners, merchants and other notable figures, many of which had attractive front and rear gables (status symbols). The most splendid of thest were located on the dyke along the River Zaan - more or less the only transport route in the region at the time. Examples of these beautiful houses can still be seen at Zaanse Schans and at Gortershoek, opposite.

'Goedjaarsend'

If an owner's business was thriving, then he would add a 'goedjaarsend', or extension, to his home. And those who could afford it had a garden separate from their house, on the far side of the road or waterway. The primary reason for this was to ensure that they maintained a good view. The gardens were used for cultivating vegetables, for ornamental purposes, or as bleaching field for the laundry. Many splendid riverside tea pailions can also still be found in the Zaan region.

Colourful

The Zaan region was colourful in a literal sense. Private residences in particular were painted in a rich array of colours, from various shades of green to beige and light blue. But it was not only the exteriors - the insides, too, were brightly coloured. These colours can be found in the Zaan colour palette, which is still widely used in the region today.

All these remarkable local features make the Zaan region truly unique.

Cannonball from the Eighty Years' War, found nearby the Zaanse Schans

Reconstruction drawing of the Kalver Schans

This is what the Kalver Schans probably looked like in the late 16th century (source: Cees van Roon)

1. Zaanoever (river bank) in 1944

2. Zaanoever (probably) in the sixteenth century

3. Outer canal

4. Main canal

5. Envelope

6. Bastion

7. Bulwark

8. Barracks.

The 'Spaanse' (Spanish) Schans

Zaanse Schans derives its name from sixteenth-century defence fortifications, erected during the Eighty Years' War. The 'Zaankanters' - the people of the Zaan region - attempted to halt the advance of Spanish troops with sconces - earthwork defences known locally as 'schansen'. The Kalver Schans was located near here (see map). It is the largest of its kind in the region. It is also the only one of the around thirteen sconces in the Zaan region that was never conquered by the Spanish.

Sconces are defence fortifications in open spaces. They were built on earth ramparts. In thinly populated areas in particular, sconces could be of major strategic importance, and the marshy polder landscape of the Zaan region was ideally suited to this form of defence. The sconces served as lookout posts, defensive fortifications, and bases from which to launch attacks. Those involved in defence tasks were, in the first instance, those who lived near or in a sconce. They were then strengthened by people who lived further behind the defences.

Whit Monday

On Whit Monday in 1573, the 'Zaankanters' defeated the Spanish once and for all. It was a bloody battle, especially in Wormer, resulting in the deaths of many Spanish soldiers. To celebrate the victory, the 'Zaankanters' instituted 'Pinksterdrie', or Whit Tuesday as a public holiday.

'Pinksterdrie'

Every year in October, Dutch cities such as Alkmaar and Leiden celebrate their 'ontzet' - their liberation from Spanish domination during the Eighty Years' War. For centuries after the victory of the 'Zaankanters' over the Spanish in 1573, the 'Zaans ontzet' was celebrated on 'Pinksterdrie'. Now, however, 'Zaankanters' rarely take the day off, as a result of which the Whit Tuesday holiday has largely been forgotten.

Kalver Schans

Old archives show that the Kalver Schans was built in this area. But where exactly was the sconce? For a long time, archaeologists were unable to give a definitive answer, until amateur archaeologist Cees van Roon from Krommenie discovered conclusive proof in the 1990s. He came across a black and white aerial photograph, taken from a Royal Air Force plane in 1944. The black & white photo clearly shows a point-shaped soil mark in the meadow.

Different sconces

Each of the 'Zaanse Schansen' or sconces, was different from the next. Some were built by Spanish troops, and others by troops loyal to Holland. A simple sconce could be built in just hours - these took the form of an earth rampart to hide behind. However, the construction of the Kalver Schans - the largest in the region - took six weeks.

Street names

Two street names in the immediate vicinity of Zaanse Schans refer to its history.

The name are Pinksterdrie and Diederik Sonoyweg. Sonoy was appointed as governor of Noord Holland by William of Orange. Governor Sonoy performed his duties to the letter. How ? By driving the Spanish out of Noord Holland!

Tourist highlights in the Zaan region

Welcome to Zaanstad

Driven by windf, entrepeneurship and neighbouring Amsterdam, the Zaan region was the first modern industrial area in the world. Over 1,000 mills line the 11 kilometre River Zaan. Sawmills which supplied planks for shipbuilding, hemp mills for sails and grain and hulling mills for ship's biscuits. Cocoa, oil, paper and paint mills also did good business. In the 19th century, the windmills were replaced by factories with steam engines and warehouses. The resulting industrial monuments can still be admired today. Big names like Albert Heijn, Verkade, Bruynzeel, Wessanen, Honig, Lassie and Duyvis all have their roots on the banks of the River Zaan.

Treasure and top tourist attractions

It's typical of the Zaan mentality to combine work and pleasure. Zaanstad is a bustling town with a wealth of culture, interesting architecture and entertainment. The centre of Zaandam with its busy shopping canal, the stacked houses of Hotel inntel and the town hall is a favourite with many visitors. The mysterious Hembrugterrein is another highlight, but with a completely different appeal. Howerver, the most popular attraction is obviously the Zaanse Schans! Bygone eras are recalled in the wonderful view of the windmills on the River Zaan, the historic wooden buildings and the many museums. And that's not all: visitors can also walk, cycle or sail through the beautiful green meadowland against a backdrop of water, Dutch skies and long ribbons of dyke village, windmills and old warehouses. Special routes allow visitors to discover the places portrayed by the French painter Monet in the 19th century, or see the cottage where the Russian Tsar Peter the Great stayed in Zaandam, Shopping, cultural activities, fine dining and watching the world go by from a pavement cafe....

The possibilities are endless in Zaanstad.

Transport

The Zaan is traditionally Zaanstad's lifeline. The Zaanferry sails from Amsterdam Central Station to the towncentre of Zaandam, the Zaanse Schans and the industrial heritage of the Zaan at Wormerveer. Zaanstad is also easily accessible by public transport, car, boat and bicyle.

Railway stations

Zaandam Station

Zaandam Kogerveld Station

Koon aan de Zaan Station

Zaandijk Zaanse Schans Station

Wormerveer Station

Krommenie-Assendelft Station

Information

VVV Agency

T +31 (0)75-615 04 06

Marketing Zaan region

On www.zaanstad.nl you will find the latest information on all activities in the Zaan region.

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