Where the Zuiderzee Once Raged

The story of four Zuiderzee families and four centuries of Dutch tradition

‘Where the Zuiderzee Once Raged’ by Eva Vriend is a story of the true heroes of the coast, represented by four fisher families from Urk, Volendam, Spakenburg, and Wieringen. Eva Vriend weaves together their family histories into an epic tale of their intimate bond with water, the resilience that has guided them forward, and the fishing tradition in their blood.

The charming towns around the IJsselmeer delight visitors with their authentic facades, fishing boats, and picturesque harbors. The people of this region share a unique history: on May 28, 1932, the completion of the Afsluitdijk closed off the Zuiderzee, turning the inland sea into a lake. The Dutch authorities were certain that this would put their country on the path to modernity. The Zuiderzee coastal dwellers, powerless to stop these changes, had to find new ways to provide for themselves. Even as their beloved Zuiderzee gradually became a freshwater lake, the IJsselmeer, they never stopped calling it ‘our little sea’. How did this far-reaching transformation affect the culture and identity of the region’s inhabitants and their dreams for the future? And how does its impact remain visible today?