Foghorn House Schokland

One of the few surviving buildings from the time when Schokland was an island is the Misthorn House. Discover Flevoland's world heritage site for yourself.

Very few buildings have survived on Schokland. Only the church of Middelbuurt and the lightkeeper's house were allowed to remain after the evacuation of Schokland in 1859. Almost all other buildings were demolished to prevent the inhabitants from simply returning after the eviction. The lighthouse that remained on ‘Emmeloord’ was demolished in 1865 and replaced by a new house. The lightkeeper's house now on the northern tip of Schokland dates from 1901. The foghorn house dates from after the clearance, as it was not built until 1921.

For centuries, Schokland was a densely populated island in the Zuiderzee. But sea levels rose, Schokland became smaller and life for the Schokkers became tough. In December 1858, after repeated storm disasters, King William III ratified the government's bill for the general evacuation of the last villages. Schokland fell into oblivion. Schokland was suddenly no longer an inhabited island.

Today, Schokland is appreciated at home and abroad. The former island was the first Dutch monument to be placed on the World Heritage List by Unesco. At the northern tip of the island, near the old harbour, stands the foghorn house. It used to house the installation for the fog horn and now serves as a shelter and information room.