Zoutkamp (Dutch pronunciation:[ˈzʌutkɑmp]; Gronings: Zoltkamp[ˈzɔːɫtkɑmp]) is a village in the municipality Het Hogeland which is part of the province Groningen in the Netherlands. The village started as a sconce. During the Dutch Revolt, it was the site of the Battle of Zoutkamp. Later it became a fishing village. The harbour was moved to Lauwersoog in 1969 as a result of the closure of the Lauwersmeer, and is nowadays used for recreational purposes. The economy of the village mainly depends on fishing.
History
Zoutkamp was first mentioned in documents in 1418 as Soltcampum.[3] Its first inhabitants might have been soldiers. Its name refers to salt and field, which probably means that it was a place for salt production.[4]
During the 17th and 18th century, fishers settled in Zoutkamp.[7] By 1756, Zoutkamp consisted of 25 houses.[4] In 1828, a harbour was constructed, and the church was built in 1836.[7] In 1840, the population had increased to 720 people.[8] In 1882, the fortification was demolished and the military function of Zoutkamp ceased.[7] During World War II, between 80 and 100 soldiers of the Kriegsmarine were stationed near Zoutkamp, however the village saw little action.[4]
Lauwersmeer
In the 1950s, there were calls to close the Lauwerszee, the bay near which Zoutkamp was located.[4] As part of the Zuiderzee Works, it was decided to build a dike between Friesland and Groningen, and turn the bay into Lauwersmeer. In 1969, the dike was completed, and a harbour was constructed at Lauwersoog.[9] The province of Groningen intended to use the harbour for recreational purposes only, because they were constructing the Eemshaven, as a new main harbour. Zoutkamp and the province of Friesland desired a commercial harbour. In January 1970, the conflict was brought to the States General of the Netherlands.[10][11]
Lauwersoog became a successful fishing harbour, however the fishers of Zoutkamp still use the registration "ZK" instead of "LO" to indicate their place of origin.[12] The harbour of Zoutkamp is nowadays for recreational boats only.[4] The ferry to Schiermonnikoog which used to depart from Zoutkamp and Oostmahorn was moved to Lauwersoog.[4][13]
Recent history
Until 2008, Zoutkamp was the site of a ground station of the Dutch Nationale SIGINT Organisatie (National Signals Intelligence Service), which intercepted satellite communications much like the U.S. National Security Agency.
The economy of Zoutkamp is still based on fishing and the village is not subject to a move to the city. As a result, it still has a lively centre with much retail. In 2019, it became part of the municipality of Het Hogeland.[8]
Gallery
Old fishing houses
Ice cream parlor
The old church
The liars' bench. The sign reads "A lie here, a lie there. Don't say anything; it's all true."
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