Middenbeemster

On April 14, 1607, some of Amsterdam's most prominent merchants came together, including the wealthy brothers Dirck and Hendrick van Oss and the no less wealthy Jacob Poppen. They set up a company that applied to the Lords States of Holland and West-Friesland for a patent for the reclamation of the Beemster, a large lake located in the middle of the Noorderkwartier. By the end of 1609, the lake had been almost completely drained. But during the storm surge of 22 January 1610, which caused extensive damage throughout the Noorderkwartier, the Waterland sea dike first broke, after which the Beemster also filled up again and major damage was caused to the constructed dikes. This setback led to an adjustment of the plans. A new patent was granted by the States of Holland, containing, for example, very generous provisions on tax exemption, and the construction of the most important dikes was modified in such a way that the whole would be much more solid. Some of the newly planned dikes now ran along or over the surrounding ''old land'', whose owners were compensated. Thus, in 1610 and 1611, the Beemster as we still know it today was shaped.

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