IJMUIDEN

Fish Smoker Mateusz, IJmuiden, 2021

Mateusz has lived in the IJmond region for nine years. He moved to the Netherlands from Poland with his wife and works in a fish smoking facility. The environment made an immediate impression. "This is an industrial region," he says. "A large part of the people here work in factories." 

IJmuiden: A Town Shaped by Industry

IJmuiden, a small coastal town on the North Sea, is a place where the rhythm of life is shaped by industry. Alongside the imposing presence of Tata Steel, the skyline is defined by chimneys, cranes and the constant activity of the port. Here, the sea, steelmaking, fishing and the offshore industry converge — a landscape marked by greyness and grit.

The North Sea Canal is its lifeline, while the streets, the air and even the horizon bear the traces of labour. It is a community built around production, in a place where industry and human life have been intertwined for more than a century.

Rob worked for over forty years at Hoogovens, later Tata Steel. He began in maintenance and remained technically involved with the plant throughout his career. 
He passed away in 2025. 
Together with his wife Agnes, he lived in IJmuiden, close to his workplace. Agnes recalls how visible the difference was when they stayed elsewhere: "In Alkmaar, the windows were clean. Here, they were black." Of this photograph, she says it captures Rob’s entire life. The image was used on his memorial card.