The secret of the Beemster windmills | Exhibition

The exhibition tells the story of the mills that played a key role in the reclamation of the Beemster Lake in the early 17th century. The placement of these mills followed a careful plan: mills that did not function properly were moved or replaced.

The exhibition ties in with the celebration of the 450th anniversary of the birth of Jan Adriaansz Leeghwater. Born in 1575 in De Rijp as the son of a carpenter and mill builder, he grew into an important figure in the history of the reclamation of the Dutch lakes.

'The secret of the Beemster windmills' can be visited at the Agrarisch Museum Westerhem, located in a characteristic cheese-cover farmhouse in the Beemster. Besides this exhibition, the museum also offers small exhibitions and information about farming life in the polder.