IJmuiden: History

Pre-20th-Century History

IJmuiden, meaning 'mouth of the IJ', slowly came to life with the excavation of the North Sea Canal in 1868. By the time the canal opened in 1876 the development of IJmuiden was fully underway. Folks that had worked on the canal decided to stay and by the late 19th century the settlement had around 1500 inhabitants.

Around that time a harbour was built especially for the fishing fleet - the Netherlands' oldest harbour. Another harbour followed: the area had become the country's most important supplier of fish.

The town boomed around the turn of the 20th century, when a steelworks settled by the canal, followed by iron and paper mills. IJmuiden had become both an industrial centre and an important fishing port.

Modern History

WWII brought devastation to the area - German torpedo boats using the canal as a base suffered heavy Allied bombing. IJmuiden, as a result of its maritime importance, was one of the worst-hit towns in the Netherlands.

A modern town emerged from the rubble, expanding out along the dunes at Zeewijkand Duinwijk. The architect Dudok designed the town hall, which was built in 1965. At this time, both fish and industry remained IJmuiden's main source of income, yet the town had started to add tourism to its agenda.

Recent History

Climbing the dunes now, IJmuiden still remains an industrial centre, a seaport and a major fishing hub. But in the last decade or so, the town has developed its tourist infrastructure, offering museums, a marina, attractive boulevards and a national park.

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