Village in South Holland, Netherlands
Herkingen is a village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is located on the south coast of the island Goeree-Overflakkee, in the municipality of Goeree-Overflakkee.
History
Herkingen was first mentioned in 1420 or 1421 as "Herkinghe", and means "settlement of Herke (person)".[3] Herkingen is a dike village which developed after the Oud-Herkingen polder was created in 1483. In 1511, it was flooded and a new dike was constructed around the village in 1604.[4]
The Dutch Reformed church is a modest aisleless church parallel to the dike which was constructed in 1788.[4] The grist mill De Dankbaarheid was built in 1841. It was in service until 1960, and in 1966, it was used as a holiday home. It was restored in the 1990s, and operational in 2000. The windmill is frequently in service on a voluntary basis.[5]
Herkingen was home to 628 people in 1840.[6] Herkingen was severely damaged during the North Sea flood of 1953.[4]
Herkingen was a separate municipality between 1817 and 1966, when it merged with Dirksland.[7] In 2013, it became part of the municipality of Goeree-Overflakkee.[6]
Overview
Herkingen lies on the south side of the island and borders the Grevelingenmeer, which is a saltwater lake that has been disconnected directly from the North Sea by the Brouwersdam, but still connects to the Oosterschelde which is saltwater. The Grevelingenmeer has quite a large size yachting marina and is a large water sports area with the main recreational areas on Schouwen-Duiveland. The town of Herkingen currently hosts several of the largest modern windmills in the country.
Gallery
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Dutch Reformed church
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Marina of Herkingen
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Herkingen.