Workum

The former dealer in second, third and even fourth hand goods and scrap metal merchant taught himself to paint. He chose the second-hand items he dealt in as his subjects to paint. His ability to capture in detail both the common place and the poverty he saw around him is now admired greatly. The Jopie Huisman museum is situated in the centre, where thousands visitors come and view not only his famous “worn out underpants” and shoes, but also his portraits.

Places to go
On both sides of the long main street of Workum, you’ll find stately historical buildings. The ‘Merk’ is downtown. Merk is the Frisian word for market, in the old days the commercial centre for the ‘Workumers’, as the inhabitants are called. The development of the Merk was practical and well thought out. The city hall, the city weigh house, the church, and the buildings housing the former secular and religious authorities were built close together. You will also find old hotels and hostels, the homes of rich merchants and prominent local authorities.

Be there
In Workum you will find a representative sample of small manufacturers of old fashioned pottery. Characteristic of the local type of pottery products are their simple brown designs and ringeloor type decorations. At the start of the 20th Century the ‘kerfsnee’ (=groove cut) pottery technique was introduced. If you are interested in pottery you should certainly take the opportunity to look in one or more of the local workshops where they still use ‘kerfsnee’ and ‘ringeloor’ techniques. You will find some fabulous souvenirs as well.

Around Workum
In spite of the fact Workum is not situated on the coast, it participated actively in the sea trade. This was made possible primarily through the canal named ‘It Soal’, which connected the city directly with the former Zuiderzee (Southern Sea, now the IJsselmeer). You reach the lock on the border of Workum, exactly two kilometres after leaving the IJsselmeer along ´It Soal´. The canal water reflects the old stately homes along the dike. Makkum is situated near Workum. Here you will find the famous pottery manufacturer The Koninklijke Tichelaar.