‘Schokland and Surroundings’

Schokland has literally been preserved because it ceased to be an island. Instead, it became a sort of island on dry land. Yet, since it was incorporated into the Noordoostpolder in 1942, the ground level of Schokland has dropped about 1.5 metres – approximately 1 metre more than the surrounding polder. So for the first time ever, the former island is almost entirely below NAP (the Normal Amsterdam Water Level)! It is therefore significant that the drop in the level of the peat and clay soil caused by ongoing drainage and dehydration has been brought to a halt by the implementation of the so-called Schokland polder level. Schokland is thus a polder within a polder. So to this day, Schokland has remained a symbol of man's eternal battle against the sea.

Today, Schokland is best known for its picturesque ‘mound’ village, Middelbuurt. Close to the few buildings left standing in the village, the original houses that were built almost entirely of wood were reconstructed with brick and wood. Palings for warding off the sea were also reconstructed. Besides Middelbuurt, the former island also comprises two other ‘mounds' which were inhabited up to 1859 and are now classified as listed buildings, as well as many archaeological sites and exceptional shapes and structures such as dykes and mound complexes.

Because of the attention paid to the Schokland World Heritage site, the former island will be preserved as an excellent example of an island that was largely engulfed by the sea, but that ultimately perpetuated as a man-made landscape with outstanding archaeological and cultural-historical qualities. This attention results primarily from the Dutch government's duty to maintain the site ensuing from its inscription on the World Heritage List.