The original
Lemsters settled where the rivers
Rien and
Zijlroede meet, though it remains unknown when they first did so. Lemmer appears in writing at the beginning of the fourteenth century, though it is mentioned as
Lenna in the writings of the
bishop of the
diocese of Utrecht in 1228. A further link can probably be made with the name
Lammerbroeke, which appears in 1165 as an earlier form of
Lemsterhoek, a hamlet just west of present-day Lemmer, which was destroyed by the
Hollanders around 1400. No rebuilding ensued, but the place and name are still known, especially among
sailors and
fishermen. Even older names have also survived, such as
Lyamer. Gradually, a settlement grew at the mouth of these inland waterways of the
Zuiderzee, a prime place for
merchants and
artisans. Lemmer was in a vulnerable position on the Zuiderzee and often fell under the influence of
Holland. That happened in 1197, among other times, when
Count William I had a
castle built in
Oosterzee to aid in his subjugation of the lord of
Kuinre. In 1422, a castle was built in Lemmer by
Duke John III of
Bavaria-Straubing, who had been summoned by the
Schieringers as patron of Friesland. Known as John "the Pitiless", he certainly would not have been a popular figure in Lemmer.
Duke Charles II of
Guelders also interfered with Friesland. He had a
blockhouse built in Lemmer in 1521, which housed a
garrison. Two years later he handed it over to the
Burgundians. What the castles and blockhouse looked like is unknown. The
Spaniards did not leave the village alone either. In 1581, during the
Eighty Years' War, they conquered Lemmer, along with the city of
Sloten. In the
rampjaar of 1672, however,
Prince-Bishop von Galen of
Münster proved unable to occupy Lemmer as part of the
Franco-Dutch War. In 1799,
British troops landed in Lemmer. The
War of the Second Coalition had broken out between
Great Britain and
France, and the
Dutch had become involved as "
sister republic". British warships sailed the Zuiderzee and the cities of
Enkhuizen,
Medemblik and
Stavoren were occupied. Soon afterwards, the large warships could be seen in Lemmer. The Lemster
beurtman, with whom the enterprising
Poppe Jans had made many a trip to
Amsterdam, was overpowered near
Urk and its passengers taken to Stavoren. Two British warships appeared in front of the port of Lemmer on 24 September. Captain
James Boorder landed in a sloop - under cover of a
white flag - to meet local authorities. A sudden storm forced him to spend the night at
De Wildeman Inn. Three days later, he returned and claimed Lemmer for the British, including all ships and cargo. If refused, all of Lemmer would be shot to pieces. Lemmer rejected their demand fearlessly. It had since been reinforced by 500 armed farmers from
Het Bildt, who brought
field guns with them. But the town could not withstand the fire of British fourteen, sixteen and eighteen-pound shots. An hour and a half after the attack was started, the flag was raised on the church tower as a sign of surrender. In various places in Friesland,
patriots called for civilians and soldiers to liberate Lemmer. On 7 October, there were still 260 soldiers and
marines in the town. To prevent an attack by water, they had used
chains to block waterways. Lemmer eventually became one of the most important
fishing towns in the Netherlands, thanks in part to its fleet of 146
vessels. With the completion of the
Zuiderzee Works between 1924 and 1968, fishery declined incrementally. Lemmer offers a central position in southern Friesland and northern Flevoland. Every year there is the
Lemsterweek, a week of cultural events attracting around 85,000 people annually. The
Lemsteraak, a traditional sailing ship, originates in Lemmer.
De Groene Draeck, the
royal yacht of
Princess Beatrix, is a notable example of a
Lemsteraak. File:Woudagemaal 03.JPG|
Wouda pumping station File:Sluis Lemmer 15.JPG|
Lemstersluis, a
drop lock File:Sluis Rien Lemmer 01.JPG|
Riensluis, a
control lock File:Sint Willibrorduskerk Lemmer 04.JPG|
Saint Willibrord church File:Vuurtoren Lemmer 10c.JPG|
Lighthouse of Lemmer == Notable people ==