History of Terschelling: island of the Brandaris, seafarers and cranberries

Wexalia and De Schelling

Terschelling formed in the Middle Ages when the sandbank De Schelling joined the island of Wexalia further east, today's Oost-Terschelling.

An old name: the name Wexalia fell out of use in the Middle Ages; 17th and 18th-century maps call the island Der Schelling, and only around 1810 does it become Ter Schelling.
First inhabitants: the oldest traces of settlement date from around 850, when a wooden church was built on a mound near Striep; that mound is now the Strieper kerkhof cemetery.
Villages on the dune ridges: the old villages, such as Hee, Midsland, Landerum, Formerum, Lies and Hoorn, grew up on old dune ridges, with fields on the higher ground and common pastures on the salt marshes.
The flood of 1287: before the storm flood of 1287 you could walk to Hoorn from the Frisian coast; afterwards that route was gone and West-Terschelling became the most important place.
Lost villages: storm floods such as the St Elizabeth's flood of 1421 swallowed villages in the west such as Wolmerum and Stortum, while the island grew in the east and Oosterend appeared.

East and West: two worlds on one island

Terschelling has long been divided between seafaring West-Terschelling and the farming villages in the east.

The oldest building: the Sint-Jans Church in Hoorn is the island's oldest surviving building; a chapel already stood here in 1230.
Two administrations (1612): in 1612 the island was split into West-Terschelling and Oost-Terschelling, the latter with its own bailiff's house in Midsland; only after the French period did Terschelling become one municipality again, with West as its centre.
The church of Midsland: the Meslânzer Church of 1880 replaced the medieval Willibrord church, which was demolished because it was falling apart.
Three dialects: people in West speak Westers, in the east Aasters, and in Midsland the Hollandic-tinged Meslânzers.
The last windmill: the Koffiemolen from 1836 was moved to Formerum in 1876 and is the island's only surviving windmill.

The Brandaris and the golden age of seafaring

As the Zuiderzee ports grew, the Vlie became an important sea route, and West-Terschelling developed into a village of sailors.

A beacon from 1323: around 1323 the Hanseatic town of Kampen had a beacon built near West-Terschelling to guide ships safely through the tidal inlet.
The Brandaris (1594): the first tower disappeared into the sea around 1570, and in 1594 the present Brandaris was built, the oldest surviving lighthouse in the Netherlands.
A pioneering light: in 1837 the Brandaris became the first Dutch lighthouse with a rotating Fresnel lens, and in 1907 the light was electrified.
Willem Barentsz: the famous navigator Willem Barentsz was born in Formerum around 1550; on his voyages to the north he discovered Spitsbergen and wintered on Novaya Zemlya, and he died in 1597 on the way back.
Commanders and whalers: many islanders sailed as captains or commandeurs on whaling ships; the 't Behouden Huys museum is housed in two old commanders' houses and tells their story.

The English fury of 1666

During the Second Anglo-Dutch War, West-Terschelling suffered one of the worst disasters in its history.

Holmes's Bonfire: on 19 August 1666 the English admiral Robert Holmes destroyed a large merchant fleet on the Vlie, and the next day his soldiers burned and plundered their way through West-Terschelling.
A village in ashes: of nearly 300 houses hardly anything remained; only the Brandaris and the then almost new Westerkerk of 1663 survived the fire.
Rapid rebuilding: thanks to a lottery, help from Mennonites on the mainland and tax relief, and with a key role for minister Johannes Grevenstein, the village was rebuilt within a few years.
Traces in the ground: the black fire layer of 1666 still lies about a metre deep in the dune sand beneath West-Terschelling; most of the fine houses in the old village date from after the fire.

Pilots, rescuers and shipwrecks

The dangerous sandbanks around Terschelling made the island a home port for pilots, lifeboat crews and salvagers.

Harbour and pilotage: West-Terschelling only got a proper harbour in 1826, and in 1835 the island became a base for the pilotage service; the coastguard and the Willem Barentsz nautical college, among others, followed later.
The castaways' hut: in 1863 the Drenkelingenhuisje was built on the remote north-eastern tip, stocked with blankets and provisions for shipwrecked sailors; it disappeared after a storm in 1962 and was rebuilt in 2000.
Treasures of the sea: at the De Boerderij shipwreck museum in Formerum you can see what has been recovered from sunken ships around the island over the centuries.
Waiting for those who never returned: the Seamen's Monument by the harbour shows a sailor's wife gazing out to sea, a tribute to all islanders who were lost at sea.

Sandbanks, forests and cranberries

Until around 1850 the island proper ran from West to Oosterend, with large sandbanks on either side that only later joined Terschelling.

De Noordsvaarder: around 1865 the De Noordsvaarder sandbank in the west joined the island after the green beach between them silted up.
The Boschplaat: a few decades later the much larger Boschplaat followed in the east, helped by sand dikes built by Rijkswaterstaat.
Forests against drifting sand: between 1910 and 1940 the state forestry service planted large pine forests near West, Formerum and Hoorn, such as the Hoornse bos, partly for timber.
A barrel washed ashore (1845): according to the story, a barrel of berries washed up in 1845 and a beachcomber left it in the dunes, which is how the cranberry came to Terschelling; a botanist discovered the plants in 1868.
The berry barn: at De Bessenschuur, built more than 85 years ago on an American model, the harvested cranberries were collected and sorted; upstairs is a small museum.

The Second World War

For the Germans, Terschelling was of great strategic importance in the air and sea war over the North Sea.

Occupied (1940): the first German soldiers arrived on the island on 16 May 1940; it was later declared a restricted area and tourists were no longer allowed.
The Tiger position: east of West-Terschelling the Germans built the Tigerstellung, one of the largest radar installations of the Atlantic Wall, with command bunker Bertha and around 80 bunkers in total.
Lookout on the Kaapsduin: on the Kaapsduin, at 31 metres the highest point of the island, a wartime radio hut still stands.
To Friesland (1942): on 1 September 1942 the occupiers moved Terschelling and Vlieland from North Holland to Friesland, where they have remained.
Freed late: only on 29 May 1945, more than three weeks after the capitulation, did the Germans on Terschelling officially surrender to British troops.

Tourism and Oerol

From the 1960s tourism became the main source of income on Terschelling, and the island changed with it.

From farm to campsite: for many small farms tourism was a lifeline, and campsites appeared next to farmhouses in many places.
By the sea: bungalows and apartments were built at West aan Zee, Midsland aan Zee and Formerum aan Zee, and the harbour of West also grew considerably.
Oerol (1982): in 1982 Joop Mulder started the Oerol festival, which every June turns the whole island into a stage for theatre and landscape art.
De Streken: the landscape artwork De Streken near Oosterend, which moves with the tide, is a tribute to Joop Mulder.

Experience history yourself on Terschelling

On Terschelling's cycle paths you can ride in a day from the Brandaris in West to the old church of Hoorn.

Seamen's Monument: start at the Seamen's Monument, overlooking the harbour and the Groene Strand.
't Behouden Huys: discover the life of the commanders and the whaling trade at 't Behouden Huys.
Brandaris: admire the Brandaris, the landmark of West-Terschelling since 1594.
Kaapsduin: climb the Kaapsduin for a view over the island and the mudflats.
Bunker museum: visit the Bunker Museum in the dunes near West, by the former Tiger position.
De Bessenschuur: taste cranberry cake at De Bessenschuur and visit its small cranberry museum.
Midsland: stroll through the old village past the Meslânzer Church.
Koffiemolen: have a coffee at the Koffiemolen in Formerum, the birthplace of Willem Barentsz.
Shipwreck museum: see finds from sunken ships at the De Boerderij shipwreck museum.
Sint-Jans Church: finish at the medieval Sint-Jans Church in Hoorn, the oldest building on the island.
Drenkelingenhuisje: for a long beach walk, make a detour to the Drenkelingenhuisje on the eastern tip.

Cycle route past these places

Combine most of the places above in a single bike ride of around 25 kilometres, from the harbour of West-Terschelling through the dunes and old villages to Hoorn.