On the fertile flatlands of Lisse, the Zemelmolen stands tall. It’s a proud testament to Dutch ingenuity and resilience. The Zemelmolen isn’t just any windmill. It’s a phoenix, risen from the ashes. The original Zemelmolen, tasked with keeping the Zemelpolder dry, was born in 1662. Fire claimed it in 1708, but like a stubborn reed, it was rebuilt. It diligently performed its duty, even after an electric pump usurped its role in 1928. The Zemelmolen continued to turn its sails, powered by the wind and the dedication of volunteers. The municipality of Lisse recognized its value, purchasing it for a single guilder in 1943. During the dark days of 1945, when electricity was scarce, an automobile engine kept the water flowing. But progress, in the form of encroaching buildings and vegetation, slowly choked the wind from the Zemelmolen’s sails in the 1960s. Tragedy struck again in 1999. Fire, the age-old enemy of wooden structures, reduced the Zemelmolen to smoldering ruins. But from the ashes, a new spirit arose. The “Stichting Herbouw Molen Lisse,” championed by the Vereniging Oud-Lisse, spearheaded the effort to rebuild. The community rallied, and in 2003, the Zemelmolen was reborn. This new Zemelmolen, while echoing its predecessor, boasts longer sails, spanning 19.30 meters compared to the original 17.80. It stands as a symbol of community spirit, a reminder that even from destruction, beauty and function can arise. The Zemelmolen still helps drain the Zemelpolder, working alongside a modern electric pump, a testament to the enduring partnership between the old and the new. As you admire the Zemelmolen, remember its story. It’s a story of resilience, community, and the enduring power of the wind.
Royal Tropical Institute
From a colonial museum’s humble start in Haarlem in 1864, the Royal Tropical Institute blossomed in Amsterdam. Its journey began