Initially, agriculture was central to Urk, but the fields were regularly swept away by the sea, so that people started to focus more on livestock farming. A well-known product from the region was Urk butter, which was traded through the markets from Elburg and Kampen to Cologne. The fishing industry grew in the 16th century and more and more boats moved from the Zuiderzee to the North Sea where haddock, plaice and sole were caught. Amsterdam was an important market for the fishermen from Urk. In 1792, all the men on the island lived off fishing. The construction of the Afsluitdijk in 1932 meant the end of the salty Zuiderzee. The fact that the Urk fishery did not collapse after this has been called the ‘Miracle of Urk’. More and more fishing was done on theNorth Sea , which allowed the fish auction to continue to grow. In 1939 the days for Urk as an island were also numbered. Before the construction of the Noordoostpolder, Urk was connected to the Netherlands, but a road to the former island was only built in 1948. However, the inhabitants still say that they live in Urk, instead of Urk. The fact that Urk has been isolated for centuries leaves its traces. Urkers are proud of their origins and form a close-knit community. Urkers almost exclusively married among themselves, which means that they share many hereditary characteristics and the risk of hereditary disorders is greater. For example, the rare Buchem disease is typically Urks. The village is one of the most ecclesiastical municipalities in the Netherlands, the residents speak in the local dialect and Urk has its own national anthem. An Urk tradition is that men wear a gold earring, often in the shape of an anchor. It is said that these jewelry used to serve as funeral insurance. When a skipper got stranded, the proceeds from the earring could pay for his funeral.