Over de Moerdijk (English: Over/About the Moerdijk) documents the Dutch village of Moerdijk, in the Noord-Brabant province located in the southern Netherlands. A small village of 1100 inhabitants with roots in fishing and peat extraction from the Hollands Diep river, Moerdijk is believed to have continually existed in some form since 967 AD.

The village gained national attention in early 2025 with the announcement of its planned demolition. Its location was deemed perfect for the expansion of the Netherlands’ vulnerable electrical network, in the country’s march towards its ‘energietransitie’ away from CO2-emitting fuels. However, some claim the area is slated for less noble purposes, including massive data centers for foreign tech giants, which will only serve to strain the Dutch electrical grid even further.

I spent a week in Moerdijk’s sole boarding house in early December 2025, hoping to learn more about the village’s history and future. Getting around by bicycle, I took to documenting the village, speaking with its residents, and documented the Port of Moerdijk, the massive adjacent industrial zone set to take over the village.

The village has had a difficult relationship with technological progress throughout its history, with the construction of the North Sea dams impacting the village’s fishing industry, and the construction of the nearby Moerdijk Bridge reducing the village’s role as an important ferry corridor. Yet, Moerdijk has always persisted through its past challenges. As of early 2026, many of its people are still fighting for the fate their village, hoping to keep the history and culture of Moerdijk alive for generations to come. During my stay, the final decision for the village’s existence was delayed to Summer 2026.

I would like to extend my gratitude to the kind people of Moerdijk, as well as Stichting Heemkunde Moerdijk, the keepers of the village’s history whose resources and hospitality were crucial to this project.