Ameland Things to Do

Rough winds blow over the island of Ameland. There is a storm going on that terrifies even the sailors of this proud whaling island. It's 14th of August 1979 and suddenly a mayday-signal arrives at the rescueing station at Hollum. The "Windspiel 4" is in troubles and immediately the horses are put in front of the Ambraham Fock lifeboat to drive to sea. The waves are blown up high and the horses pul and pull, being blazed by wind and water. One by one they fall down and when the boat is afloat and speeding to the rescue, the tole is heavier then ever. Eight out of ten horses have drowned in the waves and in their duty to safe men. At the SouthWestern beach of Holum a grave memorial marks the brave eight horses ... that gave their life to save the sailors.

The village Hollum used to have the rescuing service that housed in the hall which is now turned into the Abraham Fock Museum. The Abraham Fock was a lifeboat that became quite famous within the "Wadden" sea area as for their many saving actions and efficient way of working. Also at the museum there is the old top part of the lighthouse of Hollum and of course it tells you all about the rescues that have been done over the past several centuries. In summertime the alarm bell rings sometimes, this time it is not because of a ship is sinking, but ... ten horses will pull out the rescue boat again ... this time to demonstrate how it was done in the old days to the tourists.

In The Netherlands there are a wide range of reformations within the christian believes. We have Lutherian, Nederlands hervormd, gereformeerd (both actually meaning "Dutch reformed" and Calvinism as some main protestant directions. They all have their own churches and their own way of interpreting the bible (and lets give in to this, the bible can be interpreted in many many ways!). In Hollum the third church of the village is the "Gereformeerde".

The old school in Nes is a significant building that is in the centre of the village. Now-a-days it is a rather different place, towards the times when teachers were giving strict lessons to children that listened carefully. Here are always some changing exhibitions, but a local photographer and artist are always present in the presented art items. They even have a website for those who want a glimps of their work.

The Amelander cultural histiry is very interesting and when you want to know everything about it, this is the place to be. In Hollum at the Sorgdrager museum one shows you a great collection from the past within a farmhouse and two connected commandeurs houses. On of the last has a authentic "style" room with painted tiles on the walls. The museum is telling the story of Ameland step by step and also pays attention to it's dialect and cultural aspects, by showing manuscripts, taditional clothing etc.

It's very clear that the Baptist (Doopsgezinde) community has strong roots on Ameland as they are represented in three out of four villages. Hollum too has a house of worship within this religious christian group. It is one of three churches in Hollum and is across the street at the Sorgdrager museum. A simple temple as their house of prayer.

The old Dutch Reformed church has a tower that is exactly like the belltowers in Ballum and Nes. The church was built in 1678, before the tower in Ballum, but after the one in Nes. It's tower however is from about the same time as the one in Nes. The towers have a so called "saddle" roof and are therefor easy to be recognised from sea. In the cemetry surrounding the church are many intresting gravestones from whaling caommandeurs. Among them the famous Hidde Kat with a very simple last resting place.

Historically seen the most famous inhabitant of Hollum was Hidde Kat. This commandeur (captain on a whaling ships) became famous after he published his ships journals of his journey over the ice after his ship was crashed by the ice North of Iceland. Only a few survived the long march through bare cold that ended up with the Inuit at Greenland. A year later he arrived back at Hollum, never to set sail on a whaling expedition again. The story is not as famous as Moby Dick, but still gives a great impression about what it was to go hunting for the largest animals in the world.