Evening falls on Edam's cheese market by Jeroen de Jongh Photography

About "Evening falls on Edam's cheese market"

by Jeroen de Jongh Photography

About the artwork

Edam is a town in the Dutch province of North Holland. Edam originated at a dam on the IJe or E that flowed into the Zuiderzee. Around 1230, the sea gates of the Zuiderzee were dammed. At the dam, goods had to be transhipped and toll could be levied. This allowed Edam to develop into a trading centre. Shipbuilding, herring fishery and the cheese trade brought Edam great prosperity.

In 1544, Charles V decreed that Edam's open connection to the Zuiderzee had to be closed to protect the hinterland from the effects of the tides. Edam was very strongly against this, fearing that without the scouring effect of the tide, the harbour could silt up. So in 1570, the Edammers destroyed the sluice gates. The lock marked the end of Edam's ambitions to grow into a major port city once more.

Edam's cheese market is a Dutch cheese market that largely determined Edam's economy from the sixteenth century onwards. One of its most popular cheeses, Edam cheese takes its name from this town. The cheese market had largely determined Edam's economy from the sixteenth century onwards. On 16 April 1526, Emperor Charles V granted Edam the right of free weekly market as well as the right of Waag, for which 90 guilders had to be paid annually to the earldom. On 2 March 1574, this right of Waag was granted in perpetuity by William of Orange as thanks for the good cooperation during the siege of Alkmaar.

After the granting of the right to a cheese weighhouse, Edam had a commercial cheese market until 1922, where farmers from the surrounding area came to trade their cheese. The cheese market was reopened in 1989. The market takes place eight times a year in July and August every Wednesday morning, with volunteers re-enacting the former trade. The cheeses are brought in by wagons and boats.