Hoorn still fully remembers the Battle of the Zuiderzee: “It gave us freedom”

To the great surprise of Ron Dol, city guide at the Oud Hoorn foundation, who accompanies us through the streets of Hoorn, the municipality of Hoorn will not commemorate the Battle of the Zuiderzee until this year.

This is in contrast to Alkmaar, which had already seen the Spanish army retreat three days earlier. Since time immemorial, they have been celebrating this as the most important holiday on October 8, when many companies and institutions release their staff. Hoorn now starts with a party weekend on October 8 and 9, in anticipation of the big celebration, when it will be 450 years ago next year. “But of course that should also become a regular holiday in Hoorn,” Dol hopes.

Historical treasures lie in the city

One of those historical treasures hangs in the Statenlogement on Nieuwstraat in Hoorn. The painting, which paints a picture of the Battle of the Zuiderzee, is from Jan Theunisz Blanckerhoff and was painted between 1663 and 1668 (some 100 years after the event).

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The painting is owned by the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, but hangs permanently in the former Cecilia Chapel in the Statenlogement in Hoorn. Although Dol has seen the painting before, it is striking that he still looks at it with great admiration.

“Both the painter and the maker of the accompanying frame come from Alkmaar,” explains Dol. “I say this because there is something striking about the list.” He walks over to the frame and points to the symbol that is centrally located. “This is Alkmaar’s weapon,” he laughs. “And that while we are in Hoorn and this used to be the government center of the Noorderkwartier and West Friesland.”

Dol cannot conclude with one hundred percent certainty that the coat of arms of Alkmaar is centrally located. He said it was due to several factors.

Oosterkerk

A memorial of the Battle of the Zuiderzee can also be seen in the Oosterkerk. “This church played a major role in the battle,” continues Dol. “Because at the moment when the battle broke out, a huge blacksmith’s fire was being built here in the church.”

The inhabitants of Hoorn were then asked to hand in all the metal and bronze to the church, so that weapons could be made from it. “There is still a beautiful stained glass window in the Oosterkerk. This one is reminiscent of the battle.”

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The last place Dol takes us to are the Bossu houses. The Bossuhuizen are three adjacent houses on the Slapershaven. “The gable stones of these 17th-century houses are like a comic strip,” says Dol. “They tell about the Battle of the Zuiderzee that the West Frisians fought against the Spanish fleet of Admiral Bossu in 1573. The West Frisians defeated the fleet here with their own fleet of small manoeuvrable boats and captured Bossu.”

According to Dol, the Battle of the Zuiderzee not only has a major impact on Hoorn, but also on that of the Noorderkwartier and the birth of the Netherlands. “Thanks to that naval battle we regained freedom and with that we had access to enormous prosperity.”