Thanks to Joke Reijnen for contributing these photos of lighthouses in the Netherlands. The first photo shows the IJmuiden Range Lights and harbor control center. The two elegant range lighthouses are cast iron towers, designed by Quirinius Harder and prefabricated by D.A. Schretlen & Co. of Leiden. They were erected in 1879 to guide ships into the harbor of IJmuiden, the North Sea port on the west side of Amsterdam.
The second photo shows the historic lighthouse at Marken, on the IJsselmeer (the remnant of the former Zuider Zee), northeast of Amsterdam. This light station was established in 1700 to guide ships sailing southwest across the Zuider Zee toward Amsterdam. The present brick lighthouse was built in 1839.
The third photo shows a very unusual lighthouse in the town of Elburg, located at what was formerly the southeastern corner of the Zuider Zee. The octagonal spire rises from the north gate of the city. The lantern mounted on the north (left) side of the spire was added in 1731 to guide ships into the town's harbor. This light remained in service until 1989. The tower no longer faces the open Zuider Zee; now it faces the channel between the mainland and a large area of reclaimed land known as Oost Flevoland.
All photos copyright 2005 J. Reijnen; all rights reserved. Used by permission.
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Posted July 1, 2005. Checked and revised November 24, 2020. Site copyright 2020 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.