- Duin, R.H.A. van and G. de Kaste; The pocket guide to the Zuyder Zee project; 1990
- Wal, Coen van der; In Praise of Common Sense. Planning the Ordinary. A Physical Planning History of the New Towns in the IJsselmeerpolders; 1997
- Wal, Coen van der; Villages in the IJsselmeerpolders. From Slootdorp to Zeewolde; 1986
type of New Town:
> scale of autonomy
New-Town-in-Town
Satellite
New Town
Company Town
> client
Private Corporation
Public Corporation
> policy
Capital
Decentralization
Industrialization
Resettlement
Economic
Plan for Wieringerwerf, 1936 source: Nieuw Land Erfgoedcentrum, Lelystad
Wieringerwerf is located in the Wieringermeer, a polder that was reclaimed in 1927-1930 as part of the Zuiderzee works according to the Zuiderzee Act of 1918. These works include the Afsluitdijk, designed by the famous politician and engineer Cornelis Lely (1854-1929).
The reclamation of the polder was done in a great hurry because of the fear of food shortage. Therefore, they did not even wait for the completion of the Afsluitdijk (1932) which made the work more difficult.
The planning of the polder was done by the government. Every new farmer was given 20 hectares of farming land in a lease system. Four nuclei were built, situated at intersections of roads and canals. First Slootdorp (1931), then Middenmeer (1932) and in 1935 the central core, Wieringerwerf. A final nucleus, Kreileroord, followed in 1956.
The settlements are very close together, within walking distance (max 5 km). Each village housed three churches for the various religious denominations and the corresponding three or four schools, as well as a small industrial area for agricultural industry.
The construction of the Wieringermeer was not undertaken as a purely technical project. In 1927 the renowned, traditional architect Granpré Molière was appointed as aesthetic consultant with the task of designing the settlements within the subdivision already made by the government department, while well-known landscape architects were also hired for the design of the roads, and the yard planting of the farms. The Wieringermeer was seen as an example for the later IJsselmeer polders.
While the village of Middenmeer was designated as the trading center of the new polder, the main village of Wieringerwerf grew to be the administrative center. This was also where the head office of the domains was located and where the notables lived. The village has the most facilities: three churches, four schools, fire station, library, swimming pool etcetera.
The spatial model follows the same principles as the other villages in the Wieringermeer. Architect Granpré Molière chose - in contrast to the modernist planning doctrine - to have the main street run straight through the village and to place the village center, including the village green, along it. Unlike the other villages, Wieringerwerf has no fewer than three village greens. The stores, the main road, the houses for dignitaries and the town hall are situated on the north-south oriented village green. The two east-west oriented village greens have the domain office and the Catholic church as eyecatchers.
Like the other villages in the polder, Wieringerwerf suffered greatly from the inundation by the Nazis at the end of the war. The village was reconstructed after 1945 and expanded several times with districts.