Oosterleek

Oosterleek is a small village in the municipality of Drechterland, in the Dutch province North Holland. The village used to belong to the municipalities Venhuizen (1970–2006) and Wijdenes (pre-1970). Oosterleek was first noted on a map in 1311 as Oesterleke, in which oester means "eastern" and leke means "stream". This name was supposedly a reference to the fact that the village was located to the east of a stream. During the 17th century, it was a fishing village which was home to a population of about 500 people. Nowadays, a small bit of Oosterleek lies in the Markermeer, because the levee was moved westwards to guarantee full safety. It is said that this part included a church. The current church was built in 1694. The church was decommissioned in 1972, and is nowadays used for weddings, expositions and concerts. It is also home to local library.