Christmas flood 1717
Encyclopedia
The Christmas Flood of 1717 was the result of a northwesterly storm, which hit the coast area of the Netherlands
, Germany
and Scandinavia
on Christmas
night of 1717. In total, approximately 14,000 people drowned. It was the last large flood in the north of the Netherlands. Floodwaters reached the towns and cities of Groningen, Zwolle
, Dokkum
, Amsterdam
, and Haarlem
. Many villages near the sea were devastated entirely, such as in the west of Vlieland
and villages behind the sea dykes in Groningen province
.
The local communities had to cope with population loss, economic decline and poverty. No area of the coast between the Netherlands
and Denmark
was spared. Everywhere dyke breaches were followed by wide flooding of the flat country. Between Tondern in Sleswig province and East Frisian Emden
about 9,000 people drowned. In the Netherlands
there were 2,500 victims. The worst affected areas were in the County of Oldenburg
, around Jever
, Kehdingen
, and the lordship of East Frisia
. Butjadingen
lost 30% of its population. In all the affected coastal areas a large number of cattle was lost. In East Frisia 900 houses were washed away completely. The damage to dykes and sluice
s was immense. Survivors remained unaware of the fate of missing family members for a long time. For example, of 284 persons missing from Werdum
in East Frisia
, only 32 of them had been found by 5 February 1718. The impact of this storm flood in the cold winter time—two days after this flood came hard frost and snowfall—was worsened on the night of 25 or 26 February by another storm flood.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
on Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
night of 1717. In total, approximately 14,000 people drowned. It was the last large flood in the north of the Netherlands. Floodwaters reached the towns and cities of Groningen, Zwolle
Zwolle
Zwolle is a municipality and the capital city of the province of Overijssel, Netherlands, 120 kilometers northeast of Amsterdam. Zwolle has about 120,000 citizens.-History:...
, Dokkum
Dokkum
Dokkum is a Dutch fortified town in the municipality of Dongeradeel in the province of Friesland. It has 13,145 inhabitants . The fortifications of Dokkum are well preserved and are known as the bolwerken . - History :...
, Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, and Haarlem
Haarlem
Haarlem is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of North Holland, the northern half of Holland, which at one time was the most powerful of the seven provinces of the Dutch Republic...
. Many villages near the sea were devastated entirely, such as in the west of Vlieland
Vlieland
Vlieland is a municipality in the northern Netherlands. The municipality of Vlieland has only one major town: Oost-Vlieland . It is the second-least densely populated municipality in the Netherlands ....
and villages behind the sea dykes in Groningen province
Groningen (province)
Groningen [] is the northeasternmost province of the Netherlands. In the east it borders the German state of Niedersachsen , in the south Drenthe, in the west Friesland and in the north the Wadden Sea...
.
The local communities had to cope with population loss, economic decline and poverty. No area of the coast between the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
was spared. Everywhere dyke breaches were followed by wide flooding of the flat country. Between Tondern in Sleswig province and East Frisian Emden
Emden
Emden is a city and seaport in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia; in 2006, the city had a total population of 51,692.-History:...
about 9,000 people drowned. In the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
there were 2,500 victims. The worst affected areas were in the County of Oldenburg
Oldenburg
Oldenburg is an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the western part of the state between the cities of Bremen and Groningen, Netherlands, at the Hunte river. It has a population of 160,279 which makes it the fourth biggest city in Lower Saxony after Hanover, Braunschweig...
, around Jever
Jever
Jever is the capital of the district of Friesland in Lower Saxony, Germany. The name Jever is usually associated with a major brand of beer which is produced here, the city is also a popular holiday resort. Jever was granted city status in 1536. Unofficially Jever is sometimes referred to as...
, Kehdingen
Kehdingen
Kehdingen is the name of a landscape in the north German district of Stade on the lower reaches of the River Elbe. It extends roughly from the mouth of the Oste in the north to the town of Stade in the south...
, and the lordship of East Frisia
East Frisia
East Frisia or Eastern Friesland is a coastal region in the northwest of the German federal state of Lower Saxony....
. Butjadingen
Butjadingen
Butjadingen is a peninsula and municipality in the Wesermarsch districts, in Lower Saxony, Germany.-Geography:Butjadingen is situated on the German North Sea coast. It is bordered on the west and southwest by the Jade River and on the east by the Weser River. It forms the northern part of the...
lost 30% of its population. In all the affected coastal areas a large number of cattle was lost. In East Frisia 900 houses were washed away completely. The damage to dykes and sluice
Sluice
A sluice is a water channel that is controlled at its head by a gate . For example, a millrace is a sluice that channels water toward a water mill...
s was immense. Survivors remained unaware of the fate of missing family members for a long time. For example, of 284 persons missing from Werdum
Werdum
Werdum is a municipality in the district of Wittmund, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
in East Frisia
East Frisia
East Frisia or Eastern Friesland is a coastal region in the northwest of the German federal state of Lower Saxony....
, only 32 of them had been found by 5 February 1718. The impact of this storm flood in the cold winter time—two days after this flood came hard frost and snowfall—was worsened on the night of 25 or 26 February by another storm flood.