Balk is a village in the Dutch province of Friesland. It belongs
to the municipality De Friese Meren, and was the seat of the older
municipality Gaasterlaand-Sloten (Gaasterlân-Sleat). It has around
3,350 inhabitants.
Balk is located between Harich and Wiekel.
The river Luts flows through the village. A spot will be created
with a beam over the river; hence the name. Later a bridge was built
here. Previously, Balk belonged to Harich. In 1585 it was plundered
by Spanish soldiers from Grunnen. Balk wodden prospered in the 18th
century through the butter trade, and in the 19th century it was an
independent village of wodden.
Balk used to know various
religious communities. One of them was the congregation of the
Mennonites in Balk, which was very strict in its teachings. In the
middle of the 19th century, a large group went to America to live in
the vicinity of Goshen in the state of Indiana. A facade stone in
Balk still reminds of this old community of faith.
Origins and Early History
Balk, a village in the province of
Friesland in the northern Netherlands, is part of the municipality of De
Fryske Marren, located about 17 km southwest of Sneek. Its name derives
from the Frisian and Dutch word "balk," meaning "beam," referring to a
simple wooden beam bridge that originally spanned the Luts river, which
flows through the village. The settlement initially emerged as an
extension of the nearby village of Harich, with the beam bridge serving
as a foundational element in its development. The earliest recorded
mention of Balk dates back to 1491, when it appeared as "Balc" in
historical documents. Subsequent references include "toe balc" in 1509,
"Wyckelderbalk" in 1520, and "Balck" in 1573, reflecting its gradual
recognition as a distinct locale while still belonging administratively
to Harich.
16th Century: Conflict and Plunder
During the
Eighty Years' War (1568–1648), Balk experienced a significant historical
event in 1585 when Spanish soldiers from Groningen plundered the
village. This incident occurred amid broader regional turmoil as the
Dutch provinces fought for independence from Spanish rule. While details
of the plunder's immediate impact are sparse, it underscores Balk's
vulnerability during this period of conflict, as small rural settlements
like it were often targeted for resources.
18th Century:
Prosperity Through Butter Trade
The 18th century marked a period of
economic growth for Balk, primarily driven by the butter trade. The
village became a key hub for butter production and commerce in the
southwestern corner of Friesland, known as the Zuidwesthoek. This trade
brought considerable wealth, enabling infrastructure development and
solidifying Balk's role in regional agriculture. Friesland's fertile
lands and dairy farming traditions supported this boom, with Balk's
position along the Luts river facilitating transportation and trade. The
prosperity from this era laid the groundwork for the village's expansion
and is still reflected in its historic center today.
19th
Century: Independence, Emigration, and Modernization
By the 19th
century, Balk had evolved from a dependent settlement into an
independent village, characterized by wooden constructions and a growing
sense of autonomy from Harich. This transition coincided with broader
changes in Dutch rural society, including shifts in land use and
community organization. A notable aspect of this period was the
emigration of a significant group of Mennonites from Balk to the United
States in the mid-19th century, around 1853. Seeking religious freedom
and economic opportunities, these Dutch Mennonites settled near Goshen,
Indiana, with some establishing communities in nearby New Paris. This
migration was part of a larger wave of European Anabaptists relocating
to America, where they contributed to the formation of Mennonite
congregations in the Midwest. Back in Balk, the departure of this group
reflected the village's diverse religious history, which included strict
Mennonite communities alongside Protestant and Catholic influences.
20th and 21st Centuries: Cultural Preservation and Tourism
In the
20th century, Balk shifted from an agrarian focus to embracing tourism
and water sports, leveraging its location near the Slotermeer lake. The
village's historic center was designated as a protected heritage site,
preserving its monumental buildings and reflecting its butter-trade
legacy. The Luts river gained cultural significance as part of the
Elfstedentocht, the famous Dutch ice-skating marathon that passes
through Balk when conditions allow. Population growth has been steady,
reaching 4,340 inhabitants by 2024. Modern Balk serves as a regional
center for sailing, with facilities like the de Ulepanne sailing school
and a large yacht harbor. Events such as the Berenburgcup winter sailing
competition on the Slotermeer highlight its ongoing connection to
waterways.
Balk boasts 33 national monuments (Rijksmonumenten), including the
historic town hall dating from 1615, which stands as a testament to its
early administrative development. Religious landmarks include the
monumental Protestant Hervormde Kerk (built in 1728) along the Luts, a
newer Protestant church from 1982, and the St. Ludger Church, dedicated
to Sint Ludgerus and serving the Catholic parish.
The village's
historic facades and church towers in the center evoke its 18th- and
19th-century prosperity.
Culturally, Balk inspired the Dutch poet
Herman Gorter, who drew from the village and the Luts river for his epic
poem "Mei"; a statue commemorates him. Other preserved structures
include various historic buildings that line the streets, many from the
wooden-construction era of the 19th century.
The town hall of Balk is the former town hall of the municipality of Gaasterland. The monumental building is located on the corner of Dubbelstraat and Raadhuisstraat in Balk. The town hall of the new municipality of Gaasterland-Sloten is located on the other side of the Dubbelstraat. The old town hall (court house) was built in 1615 by order of the then grietman van Gaasterland Obbe Obbes. The anchors on the front of the building refer to the year of construction. In 1836 the building received a new facade. The entrance is on the northeast side and is accessed via a high staircase with a landing. There are shield-bearing lions on the two corners of the platform. On the roof a ridge turret from 1793 with a bell that was cast in 1615 by the bell founder Gerard Koster. The old town hall is recognized as a national monument. The building was restored in 1912. In 1974, a restoration of the roof ridge took place.
Balk traditionally had various religious communities. One of these
was the Mennonite congregation in Balk, which was very strict in
teaching. In the middle of the 19th century, a large group moved to
the United States to settle there in the Goshen area, Indiana. A
gable stone in Balk still reminds us of this old religious
community.
At the end of the 17th century, a large number of
Huguenots settled in Gaasterland. A Walloon church was established
in Balk between 1684 and 1721.
The largest denomination is
Protestantism. The Protestant municipality of Balk has about 1800
souls and has 2 church buildings: a monumental church on the Luts
and a new (er) church building from 1982. The village also has a
Catholic parish with a beautiful church dedicated to Saint Ludgerus.
From 1954 to 1986, almost all Ambonese Muslims lived in the
Wyldemerck Moluccan camp (see History of the Moluccans in the
Netherlands). The second mosque in the Netherlands was therefore
built in Balk in 1956.
The village and the river have inspired the poet Herman Gorter, whose
grandfather was a Mennonite minister in Balk in the 19th century, to
write his famous poem "Mei". In it, Gorter does not speak of a village,
but of a town, and not of a river, but of a moat:
A new spring
and a new sound
I want this song to sound like the whistle
That I
often heard before a summer night
In an old town, along the water
canal.
There is a statue of the poet in memory. Balk also has a
historic core, with a town hall from 1615.
A newspaper is
published in Balk and the surrounding area: the Balkster Courant.
The radio station of the municipality of De Friese Meren is located
in Balk: Radio Spannenburg
Every year, the Kunstkring Gaasterland
in Balk organizes one of the largest art markets in the Northern
Netherlands. More than 100 artists will show their work on both sides of
the Luts.
Balk is a center for water sports. Sailing school De Ulepanne and sailing school De Stipe are located on the Luts. A large marina is located on the edge of the Slotermeer. For cyclists and sailors, a traditional skûtsje sails as a sailing ferry between Heeg and Balk. In the winter months, the Berenburg Cup is sailed from Balk on the Slotermeer.