Noorder-Koggenland

Noorder-Koggenland (population: 10,500 in 2004) is a municipality in the north-western Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. The municipality covers an area of 50.59 km² (of which 0.86 km² water).

The municipality of Noorder-Koggenland consists of the following towns, villages and townships: Abbekerk, Benningbroek, Hauwert, Lambertschaag, Midwoud, Oostwoud, Opperdoes, Sijbekarspel, Twisk.

Abbekerk

Abbekerk is a city with about 2.000 citizens, located about 10 km north of Hoorn. It received city rights in 1414. The church of Abbekerk has a tower dating from 1656.

Opperdoes

Opperdoes is an old village, which has a certain fame for its local variety of potatoes, "Opperdoezer Ronde". Its population was 1.860 on January 1st, 2004.

The village used to be called Doess, which (possibly) means 'low woods'.

History

The exact age of the village of Opperdoes is hard to determine. The village used to be located very close to the sea, and the area has been flooded several times. Initial settlements seem to have been abandoned after the year 300, because of large floods. Later new villages were built again (on terps).

Opperdoes used to be located 4 or 5 kilometers from the sea-dike that existed around 781. However, the dike was in a very bad condition and in 1318 Willem van Henegouwen, the ruler, agreed the build a new dike. In 1334 a new dike was built between Medemblik and Barsingerhorn.

The new dike was built 4 kilometers southwards of the old one and Almersdorp, a village, was left outside the new dike.

In 1517 the old church of Opperdoes and many buildings were destroyed by Grote Pier and his Frisian army (Gelderse Friezen).

A new church was built, and it was ready in 1530. The top of the tower of the church was replaced in 1838, after it was destroyed in a storm in November 1836.

Important buildings and locations

A touristic attraction is the old steam train station on the railway between Hoorn and Medemblik.

Religion

Religion has played an important part in the village in the last two centuries. Opperdoes is considered an orthodox village in a fairly liberal minded area. In earlier times the villagers of Opperdoes where called the Turks: they were a particularly free-minded people, in line with the other villages in the area, that enjoyed life to the fullest.

Around 1822 Jan Mazereeuw, the so-called Profete of Opperdoes preached in the village. He was a farmer and had been mayor of the village for a while during the French occupation. He called the Reformed Church a godless temple and preached a very sober lifestyle. Although he never had a large crowd of followers, it is generally assumed that a part of the village's orthodoxy can be explained by his preachings.

Famous people

Opperdoes is the birthplace of Pieter Wijdenes, a Dutch mathematician and teacher.

References

Het dorp Opperdoes, J. Z. Maartenszoon, Repro Holland, 1973

Aardrijkskundig Woordenboek, A. van der Aa

External link

Official website (in Dutch)

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