Millers - Kinderdijk (2024)

Table of Contents
Difference 1941 Degree Bench

STORY

Most of Kinderdijk’s nineteen windmills are inhabited. In fact, having actual occupants is an important factor in the area’s authenticity. The Hoek family have enjoyed a special bond with Kinderdijk for centuries. Along with their two daughters, Arie and Petra Hoek live in Nederwaard’s mill number 5.

Arie represents the tenth generation of this famous Kinderdijk miller dynasty. He shares the position with his next-door neighbour and brother Jan, who lives in Nederwaard’s number 4 windmill. “The oldest written confirmation I managed to find of a Hoek living in a Kinderdijk windmill dates from 1746”, Arie explains. “Jacob Hoek was the first in the middle of the eighteenth century; at his time of death in 1759, he was listed as a miller on the fifth Nederwaard windmill. He was a farmer from the Donck at Brandwijck, not far from Kinderdijk. They were impoverished by a series of floods, and a cattle plague added insult to injury in 1740. That’s how they ended up in the mills here.”

Millers - Kinderdijk (2)

Left: April 30, 1975. Arie aged eleven busy playing with a toy windmill. Right: Summer 1941. Jan Hoek (Arie’s father) aged twelve near Nederwaard mill number 4. In the background, you can see Jan’s father, also called Arie, next to the mill.

Difference

Entering the area from the Visitors Centre, you’ll walk or cycle towards two rows of windmills. To your right, you’ll see the Nederwaard mills, and to the left are the Overwaard mills. You can clearly tell the two rows apart. The mills of Nederwaard from 1738 have brick bodies, whereas the Overwaard mills are covered in thatch. Arie and his family occupy the fifth windmill on the Nederwaard side. It was restored in 2011, at a cost of 1.2 million euro. The monumental structure had subsided several dozen centimetres by that time.

Millers - Kinderdijk (3)

Nederwaard windmill number 5 is one of the most photographed mills in the world.

1941

At their heyday in 1941, as many as ten of the (then) twenty Kinderdijk mills were inhabited by members of the Hoek family. Arie: “And on top of that, there were a few a few other lines related to the Hoek family that we don’t count here, even though they traced their ancestry to Jacob too. Well, yes, that’s pretty special. Now, there’s just my brother Jan and myself, and then we’ve hit the bottom of the bucket.” The brothers grew up together in the mill where Jan lives today.

By the middle of last century, the Kinderdijk windmills lost their original function in water management. Pumping stations took over the job. This meant the millers lost an important portion of their jobs, and a major part of their income along with it. Arie: “Today, the miller’s trade is nothing like it used to be back then. Back in the days, there wasn’t much charm or romance to it at all. A miller had to have side jobs to make a living, because the regular wages simply didn’t suffice. That meant starting work a six in the morning, and if you were lucky, you’d be done at around ten in the evening.”

Millers - Kinderdijk (4)

Enjoying the lovely weather out in the yard.

Degree

Nearly all the mills of Kinderdijk UNESCO World Heritage are inhabited by at least one person in possession of a miller’s degree. They are authorised to use these impressive machines for actual milling. Making ends meet, however, still requires a ‘regular’ job. Some are carpenters, some bank employees, and others are teachers. So what’s it like to live in a windmill that represents almost three centuries of family history? “I often wonder whether living here is a blessing or a curse”, Arie says with a smile. “I can’t just gloss over that connection with history. It runs deep.”

Millers - Kinderdijk (5)

September 2019: Arie and Petra’s mill in the traditional festive position to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary.

Bench

The ever-increasing flow of tourists does amount to a strain on their private life, the couple admits. Arie: “You just can’t compare it with how it used to be.” They cherish their moments of happiness. Petra: “In the evenings, when all you hear is the birds singing, watching the sun set.” Arie: “Sitting on a bench together, with just the sound of the scoop wheel to break the silence. That’s when you truly feel at one with the world around you. That’s when I feel a profound sense of joy.”

Millers - Kinderdijk (2024)
Top Articles
The Value of an AWS Certification
How to Find Out the Maximum RAM Capacity for Your Computer
Katie Pavlich Bikini Photos
Gamevault Agent
Hocus Pocus Showtimes Near Harkins Theatres Yuma Palms 14
Free Atm For Emerald Card Near Me
Craigslist Mexico Cancun
Hendersonville (Tennessee) – Travel guide at Wikivoyage
Doby's Funeral Home Obituaries
Vardis Olive Garden (Georgioupolis, Kreta) ✈️ inkl. Flug buchen
Select Truck Greensboro
Things To Do In Atlanta Tomorrow Night
Non Sequitur
How To Cut Eelgrass Grounded
Pac Man Deviantart
Alexander Funeral Home Gallatin Obituaries
Craigslist In Flagstaff
Shasta County Most Wanted 2022
Energy Healing Conference Utah
Testberichte zu E-Bikes & Fahrrädern von PROPHETE.
Aaa Saugus Ma Appointment
Geometry Review Quiz 5 Answer Key
Walgreens Alma School And Dynamite
Bible Gateway passage: Revelation 3 - New Living Translation
Yisd Home Access Center
Home
Shadbase Get Out Of Jail
Gina Wilson Angle Addition Postulate
Celina Powell Lil Meech Video: A Controversial Encounter Shakes Social Media - Video Reddit Trend
Walmart Pharmacy Near Me Open
A Christmas Horse - Alison Senxation
Ou Football Brainiacs
Access a Shared Resource | Computing for Arts + Sciences
Pixel Combat Unblocked
Cvs Sport Physicals
Mercedes W204 Belt Diagram
Rogold Extension
'Conan Exiles' 3.0 Guide: How To Unlock Spells And Sorcery
Teenbeautyfitness
Weekly Math Review Q4 3
Facebook Marketplace Marrero La
Nobodyhome.tv Reddit
Topos De Bolos Engraçados
Gregory (Five Nights at Freddy's)
Grand Valley State University Library Hours
Holzer Athena Portal
Hampton In And Suites Near Me
Stoughton Commuter Rail Schedule
Bedbathandbeyond Flemington Nj
Free Carnival-themed Google Slides & PowerPoint templates
Otter Bustr
Selly Medaline
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Lakeisha Bayer VM

Last Updated:

Views: 6379

Rating: 4.9 / 5 (49 voted)

Reviews: 88% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Lakeisha Bayer VM

Birthday: 1997-10-17

Address: Suite 835 34136 Adrian Mountains, Floydton, UT 81036

Phone: +3571527672278

Job: Manufacturing Agent

Hobby: Skimboarding, Photography, Roller skating, Knife making, Paintball, Embroidery, Gunsmithing

Introduction: My name is Lakeisha Bayer VM, I am a brainy, kind, enchanting, healthy, lovely, clean, witty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.