J. Tilstra

Makkum: van agrarische nederzetting tot toeristische trekpleister

Historisch geografisch tijdschrift 26 (2008) 76 - 87.

Het Friese Makkum, gelegen aan het IJsselmeer net onder de Afsluitdijk, kent een bijzondere en veelzijdige geschiedenis. Het dorp, ontstaan uit twee aan elkaar gegroeide kernen, maakte zowel grote bloeiperiodes als crisistijden door. De Makkummer economie rustte door de eeuwen heen op verschillende pijlers. Begonnen als agrarische kern ging het van industrie- en handelsplaats naar vissersdorp tot het de toeristische trekpleister werd die het nu is. In dit artikel wordt de groei van het dorp in kaart gebracht en staat de samenhang tussen de ruimtelijke transformatie en de economische en maatschappelijke ontwikkelingen centraal.

Makkum (province of Friesland), from agricultural settlement to tourist attraction

The oldest known map of the Frisian village of Makkum is a recently discovered so called "newsprint" from 1572. It shows clearly that Makkum at the time was made up of two village centres. One was founded on a terp, the other around the locks. During the 17th century those two centres grew towards each other and melted together. Makkum was growing very fast at that time. Lime kilns, shipyards, brick factories and lots of other industries were developing in the village. The map of Makkum as it was at the end of the 18th century, shows what would be the outlines of the village for a long time. Due to a strong economic decline it lasted until the 1930's before the village started to grow again. The construction of the Afsluitdijk was of great importance for Makkum. It gave a boost to fishery, which initiated a new economic growth. The Amels Shipyard and the Tichelaar pottery factory survived the long recession and started to grow quickly in the 1950's. This growth resulted in large development plans to house all the workers. From the 1960's onwards a large recreation area was developed on the sandbar just offshore Makkum. Nowadays that is the most important source of income. Over the centuries Makkum developed from a small agricultural settlement into a widely known tourist attraction.