Schermersluis

“A lock fit for a king,” a voice boomed beside me, startling me slightly. I chuckled, turning to see an elderly gentleman admiring the Schermersluis. “Well, maybe not a king,” he amended with a twinkle in his eye, “but certainly vital for the Schermer.” This Schermersluis, it turns out, isn’t just any lock. It’s a linchpin in a story of ambitious drainage, shrewd city planning, and a touch of intercity rivalry. Built between 1633 and 1634, the Schermersluis was essential for draining the Schermermeer. Imagine thousands of acres of water, suddenly transformed into fertile farmland. This feat, however, presented a challenge. Where would all that water go? The Hoogheemraadschap, responsible for water management, insisted on new drainage routes: one north to the Zuiderzee, and the Schermersluis south to the IJ. The drainage route to the IJ involved expanding an existing waterway, the Twisch, into the Nauernasche Vaart, culminating at the Schermersluis in Nauerna. Our clever designer, Willem Jansz Benning, a local innkeeper and lock-builder, modeled the Schermersluis after a sea lock. The city of Alkmaar, the driving force behind the Schermermeer drainage, envisioned the Schermersluis and the Nauernasche Vaart as a new trade route. A “North Holland Canal,” if you will. However, Amsterdam and Haarlem, fearing competition, thwarted their plans. They mandated a beam across the Schermersluis, preventing ships with fixed masts from passing through. These larger vessels were forced to take the longer route via the Zuiderzee, keeping Amsterdam and Haarlem’s trade routes secure. This beam remained a point of contention for over 150 years, finally removed shortly after 1800 when the Schermersluis underwent a major renovation. The renovated Schermersluis allowed ships to pass without striking their masts, a victory for the Schermer polder board. Today, the Schermersluis stands as a testament to the ingenuity and persistence of the people who shaped this landscape. Operated by generations of the local Schoone family, the Schermersluis continues to regulate water flow and facilitate boat traffic. So, the next time you find yourself at the Schermersluis, take a moment to appreciate its history. It’s a story of how a seemingly simple lock played a key role in transforming a vast lake into the fertile land we see today, and how even the flow of water can be influenced by the currents of commerce and competition.