Edam
Edam is a small town in the north west of Holland. Together with Volendam, Edam constitutes the community of Edam-Volendam. Originally Edam was situated along the river YE and was also named Yedam. A lot of water (streams, rivers, lakes) in The Netherlands have a name that have an Aa, Ae E, Ee, Ie or IJ. This just means 'water' (i.e. the french word: eau).
Edam is a city with a rich history. It began in the 12th century, when farmers and fishermen settled along the little Ye river. The oldest record of the city dates from 1310.
By declaration on november 19th 1357 (St. Elizabethsday), count William V of Bavaria gave the citizins of the town of Edam the privilege to dig a harbour and have three markets a year.
Two centuries later, in 1573, Prince William of Orange gave Edam the eternal right to hold a cheese market as reward for the support in the revolution against Spain. The cheese trade has nowadays outgrown the city of Edam and has become a worldwide commodity, as the traditional cheese market is nothing more then a tourist attraction.
The history of Edam is however still very much alive. The so well preserved skyline of this picturesque city is dominated by the slim silhouette of the old belltower. The carillon dates from 1561 and is one of the oldest still existing in The Netherlands. The historical Edam as a lot to offer to vistors. Walking through the old centre, you will see a lot of monumental houses, churches, harbours, canals, squares and markets.
But not only it's amazing panorama gave Edam world fame. Also the wellknown globe shaped cheeses, helped to establish this. By mid 17th century already well over 500.000 were made and they are still shipped to every corner of the world. A visit to the Cheese Weigh House and one of the traditional cheese markets in july or august is a must.
Also the city museum of Edam is well worth a visit. This 16th century merchants house has a floating cellar and its interior gives a wonderfull impression of how people from earlier times lived.
In the Great Church (St. Nicolas church) you can admire a wonderfull collection of glass painted windows originating from the 17th century.
The great church of Edam is devoted to St. Nicolas, the patron of sailors and is of cathedral dimensions. It was built in the early 15th century as a cross shaped church. At the end of the 15th century the aisles of the church were broadened and so the current shape of hall church was created. At the beginning of the 16th century also the choir was broadened and replaced by its current form. But in 1602 the church was struck by lightning and was heavily damaged. Repairs started imedeately and at this occasion the church got his famous painted glas windows. In total 31 windows exquisit beauty and quality were donated to the church. In 1662-1663 an organ was built for the church by Barent Smit, famous organ player and builder from Hoorn. In 1699 the tower of the church was again struck by lightning. Apparently discouraged by the continual threat of the forces of nature one decided to rebuilt a lower tower, what was completed in 1701.
Recently the church has been restored in 1979 and 2004, when, to collect money, a replica of the curch was built out of cheese. This public action saved the tower from bugs and made it possible to restore the two enormous clocks to their old glory.
City Hall at 'dam-square' number 1 was built by Jacob Jongh, master carpenter. The first stone was put on may 18th 1737. The entrance, with the heavy double doors and the surrounds of sand stone, are in Louis XIV style. The coat-of-arms of Edam stands above the doorway and the beautiful wooden tower gives it a light-hearted element.
The beautifully painted former Magistrate's Court, to the left, is often open to the public. It is still in active use for marriage ceremonies. Lady Justitia surveys the proceedings, having been painted on the chimney breast by W. Rave. In 1738 he also painted the wall hangings which portray the Judgement of Solomon and the Anointment of Saul.
This building now also houses the Edam tourist bureau and auxiliary branch of the Edam city museum.
The main branch of this museum is housed in Edam's oldest brick house. It was built in or around 1540 as a private house and was furnished as museum in 1895. This step gable gets its late gothic character from the use of natural stone, the profile of the pinnacles and its asymmetry. However, other details have obviously been influenced by the later renaissance period.
The value of this museum is that you can see inside the typical construction of this type of Dutch house i.e. a very heavy oak skeleton consisting of uprights, main beams supported by corbel blocks, or brackets, key pieces and smaller cross beams.
One of the most curious features of this house is the famous floating cellar.
Right around the corner from city hall is the beginning of Edams most important canal, the 'Voorhaven'. At the north side, better known as 'dark' side are a few of Edams most prestigious landmarks.
First in row is 'Het Huys Haerlem' (The Haerlem House). This house has been built for and for many years been used as bank. It was built in 1925 and is reconstructed in typical dutch neo-renaissance style.
Next we find one of the most beautiful old merchant canal mansions in Edam, "Het Huis met de Zwaan" (The Swan House). This name stems from the beautifull sculptured swan on top of the house, put there by its builder, Jan Michels son the Swan, in 1659. The house is a classical example of a 17th century dutch merchants canal mansion, completely built according to the style of the famous dutch architect Vingbooms.
In the early 20th century the house was saved from demolition by W.O.J.N. Nieuwenkamp, famous dutch artist. From the late 1940's till 1975 the house served as museum for his work and collection. The museum is now situated in the old postoffice at the dam-square.
The front of the house is for the bigger part still original and a prime example of a 17th/18th century front, except the windows that are a bleak deviation of this view.
On number 135 we find the Lutherian Church. This church that is still used today was built on the site of the former city hall of Edam en was inaugurated in the year 1741. The evangelic-lutherian congregation received the ground "for free" from the city mayors of Edam.
The church houses a very beautifull pipe organ. The church has been restored in 1841 and again in 1991.
It is no secret that cheese plays an important role in the history of Edam. This role is visualised in the three warehouses we find next along the 'Voorhaven'. For almost three centuries these warehouses are used for storing cheese, and still today thousends of cheeses are waiting here for there time. As the main storage has been moved outside the historical center one of the warehouses is now used as museum and store.
Also along the 'Voorhaven', but situated on the “light side”, is the roman-catholic church St. Nicolaas. The building of the church was commissioned by the ministery of water in 1824/1825, and enlarged in 1846/1857.

In the old post office at Dam square we find the museum ’Artimare’. This museum tells in a lively manner the story of the Mermaid of Edam. For over sixhundred years this mermaid splashes through Dutch cultural history. The Mermaid of Edam is the only mermaid with a complete life story. The museum supplies us with hyperrealistic images and paintings and you will even come face to face with a real mermaid.

The building 'Artimare', that houses this museum, was designed by C.H. Peters
(1847 - 1932), official dutch government architect. He also designed the Main Postoffice in Amsterdam. He was a student and follower of P.J.H. Cuypers (1827-1921), architect of the worldfamous 'Rijksmuseum' and Central Station of Amsterdam.
This influence is very obvious when comparing these buildings. The building has some typical neo-renaissance influences, lightyellow sandstone strips and a square tower. This gives the building it's own very special personality.

The museum also houses a wide collection of W.O.J. Nieuwenkamp (1874-1950), world traveler, graphic designer, painter, ethnographer and architect. Nieuwenkamp lived and worked for a substantial time in Edam. Later he moved to Florence, where he, among other things, restored a big villa and designed a magnificent garden.
Next to the artisan bakery, on the corner of the ’Breestraat’ is the famous Oldest Wooden House of Edam. The lintel of the door is decorated with a late gothic accolade and rosettes, which are an indication that the building dates from around 1530.
Except for one stone room at the back, the rest of the house is built completely of wood and the facade is virtually original. Special features are the wooden trade hatches and the door with a beautiful old lock.
It is rather amazing that this house managed to survive the many fires which ravaged Edam and, even more surprising, that it escaped from the legislation that all wooden buildings had to be replaced by stone in an effort to cut down the risk of fire.
Consequently, this is an extremely rare example of gothic wooden architecture in the Netherlands. The house was thoroughly restored in 1979-80.
The 'Proveniershof' or Rest House was originally built in 1555 and is situated across the street from the great church. It has an unusual extra side doorway. Before this the beguinage was situated on this spot. The beguines taught the youth of Edam and cared for the sick. It has been renovated, but it has still all the characteristics of the early 19th century.

On April 16th 1526 Edam received from Emperor Charles V the right to hold a free weekmarket as well as the right to weigh for a yearly fee of 90 guilders. This was prolonged eternaly by Prince William I of Orange for a yearly fee of 10 guilders. The market was held till 1922. The industrialisation of the manufactering of cheese made an end to this direct trade from farmer to merchant.

In the center of this colourfull spectacle are the cheese bearer. They carry the spherical cheeses on wooden 'berries' or stretchers to and from the market. Specially for the tourists this old tradition has been restored.

Directly located at the cheese market is the Cheese Weigh House. The current building dates from 1778. There now is a permanent exhibition on the manufactering of cheese. One can also taste and buy the cheese here.
Unfortunately there is no cheese farm anymore within the city limits of Edam. There are however still a few cheese trading companies, that still store there cheese in big warehouses to 'mature' the cheese. To give an idea of the ancient cheese trading; in 1649 over 250.000 cheeses were traded in Edam alone. Nowadays The Netherlands produce over 27 million Edam cheeses a year.

Through the ages, the cheese market, or Jan van Nieuwenhuyzen Place as its officially called, played an important part in the history of Edam. Before it was filled up in 1680, the cheese market was part of the uninterrupted waterroute through Edam. Ever since 1680 the square has been used as cheese market. The house next to the Cheese Weigh House used to be the cafe 'East Indies' where everyone could celebrate profitable tradings. As many houses in the Netherlands, also all houses around the cheese market have lost there originall windows. The have unfortunately been replaced by much less prominent 19th century windows.

The big bell tower is all that is remaining of the 'Our Lady' or small chruch. It dates from the 15th and 16th century. The small church was a late gothic building, with two naves of similar height. As early as 1350 a church or chapel was mentioned on this place, next to the 'bump', the oldest part of the town.

The original bells of the carillon were cast in 1561 by Pieter van den Ghein of Mechelen. Later the carillon has been substantially extended. For this reason the bells partially hang outside the open head. Traditionally the sonorous carillon is played by a carillonneur on feastdays.

The church itself was for the greater part taken down in 1882. Because of neglect this monument had suffered so much, that only the tower and corresponding part could be saved. The slim late gothic tower however still dominates the outline of Edam today.

In 1972 panic erupted in Edam, when residents noticed the tower started to tilt. The building was slowely sliding of its foundation. Luckely the danger could be abduced. The monumental tower has now been restored and is now firmly standing on its new foundation.

’Bult’ means bump and this slightly raised area is thought to be the oldest part of Edam, although it is difficult to tell it from the buildings.
This stream was the original River Ye. To the left there is a pretty view of the southern city wall and to the right you can see a very old shipswharf which still repairs, among other things, the traditional wooden ships like the ones you may have seen along the Nieuwe Haven.

In the ’Doelland’, at the numbers 3 and 5, there is an example of "twin" gables. These 17th century step gables are called this, not only because of their identical shape, but also because the houses share one internal wooden framework.

The beams cross right through the dividing wall; being made possible by the limited width of the houses. This was an early example of semi-detached houses! At this time it was the building materials, rather than the labour, that were expensive.
The most wellknown bridge for Edam is the famous 'Kwakel' bridge. It's a beloved subject of painters, photographers and draughtsmen. The view from the bridge is spectacular; the old shipyard, the pittoresque waterways and of course the old bell tower.
The 'Kwakel' bridge is one of the few wooden 'balance' bridges with wit left in Edam. A yoke devides the suspending chains in two parts. The flap of the bridge is attached to these chains. The bridge can be opened by yanking the chain attached to the weight at the other end of the bridge. The weight makes that the bridge opens easily. The bridge is very old. It is already on the famous 17th century map of Edam by Johan Bleau.

Just a few steps down the street we find behind a big wooden fence ’ het Gemeenlandshuis’. This is the building of the ’Hoogheemraadschap van de Uitwaterende Sluizen’, built in 1785.
This legislative body has been controlling the water levels of North Holland for more than 400 years.
Now the task of the Hoogheemraadschap encompasses the purification of waste water and the quality control of surface- and drinking water.

Behind the high wooden fence, three 18th century buildings surround a very attractive courtyard which has pathways of yellow and purple bricks, statues and colourful flowers of the season.

Above the gateways are two decorative carvings depicting, in the centre, the coat-of- arms of the Hoogheemraadschap. They show lock gates to signify water regulation and the dolphins at the side represent the preservation of the land from the sea.
One is crowned with the Emperor's crown and the other with the King's crown to denote the influence that Emperor Karel V and King Philips 11 had in its instigation.
The mill located at the 'Bog Shire', has a radius of 22 meters and was built around 1670. The trunk and the hood are covered with reed. The mill originally worked to keep the 'South Polder' dry. We know from a map dated 1630, there was no mill at there at that time. The archives clearly indicate there is a mill in the year 1678. So looking at this in combination with the construction we can date the mill around 1670.
In 1875 a steampump was built to help the mill. In 1949, the capacity of this pump was enforced and mill retired. It is now preserved as a monument and kept working by volunteers.
Not being able to sum up everything Edam has to offer in a nutshell, I can only recommend to visit and walk through the old town. You will notice that here in the roaring present an atmosphere of the past has been preserved that is unique and that is hard to describe, but must be experienced.
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