After World War II De Rijp became increasingly a commuter village, its inhabitants travelling daily to and from the new industrial areas in the Zaan region and North Amsterdam. The old historic centre of De Rijp was rescued just in time from being engulfed in a typical modern commuter zone. After much lobbying, De Rijp was declared by the national Government to be a protected village monument. We recently moved into a listed monument, illustrated, which used to be two fishermen's cottages. They face onto the former harbour, from which it is still possible to reach the open sea by boat through the connecting North Sea Canal.
Old habits die hard.
Now it seems that a compromise may have been reached, in a complicated arrangement with one of the local banks, the new Gemeentehuis may be built on the site presently occupied by the bank, and the former school site used for housing and a new bank. On the map - but off the road signs. Visitors have been known to drive around for hours trying to find De Rijp because it is not signposted from the north, south, east or west approaches until they are nearly on top of the village. This is due to a bureaucratic national road signposting policy which means that road signs only indicate the next place coming up, however small, and the next major town. As De Rijp is surrounded by smaller villages it is only signposted after drivers have past these.