Domein Office - Wieringerwerf

You are standing on what used to be the central square of Wieringerwerf. This stately building is the former Domein Office of the Wieringermeer, built in 1942. It served as the administrative heart of the new polder. This is where decisions were made about the layout of roads, farms and villages. Today, the building houses apartments and has been designated a national monument.

Take a closer look: the building was designed by the Wieringermeer authorities in a style known as ‘traditionalist’, classic in shape, no frills. Red bricks, a black tiled roof, and a beautiful staircase with decorative railings. The windows are placed symmetrically, giving the building a calm and balanced appearance. Above the entrance, you’ll see wrought iron with the year 1942, the year the building came into use. In the hallway are stained-glass windows that tell the story of the polder.

Did you know this building sheltered people during the 1945 flooding? As a strategic move, German occupiers blew up the dikes of the Wieringermeer, submerging the polder once again. The sturdy walls of the Domein Office held strong, and a group of residents took refuge inside to escape the rising water.

Next to the office is the former home of the land agent. The building is white, sleek and slightly formal in appearance. Opposite the shops you’ll also see a row of houses, once occupied by civil servants and still standing on their original foundations.

Wieringerwerf was built later than Slootdorp and has a central square instead of a ribbon layout. All facilities are located close together. If you look around, you’ll see a shopping street, a new apartment building (formerly the village pub), and the church. The shops were purposely placed along the main road. This layout is used throughout the Wieringermeer villages. Shopkeepers were allocated space and could apply to build their business, creating the village facilities together.

Photo: ©Rien Hoekenga, Wieringermeer.net