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started the execution of the plan. Sluices were constructed in dikes and forts and fortified towns were created at strategic points along the line with guns covering the dikes that traversed the water line. The water level in the flooded areas was carefully maintained at a level deep enough to make
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Today many of the forts are still more or less intact. There is renewed interest in the waterline for its natural beauty. Bike tours and hiking paths are organised with the line as a theme. Some of the forts are open for bikers/hikers to stay the night. Others have a variety of uses, for example
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from conquering
Holland, although the freezing over of the line came close to rendering it useless. In 1794 and 1795, the revolutionary French armies overcame the obstacle posed by the Dutch Water Line only by the heavy frost that had frozen the flooded areas solid.
255:
in time of war. In wintertime the water level could be manipulated to weaken ice covering, while the ice itself could be used when broken up to form further obstacles that would expose advancing troops to fire from the defenders for longer.
239:
an advance on foot precarious and shallow enough to rule out effective use of boats (other than the flat bottomed gun barges used by the Dutch defenders). Under the water level additional obstacles like ditches and
369:. While the Dutch army was fighting a fixed battle at the Grebbe Line, German airborne troops captured the southern approaches into the heart of "Fortress Holland" by surprise, the key points being the bridges at
335:
In the next 100 years the main Dutch defence line would be the new Water Line. It was further extended and modernised in the 19th century, with forts containing round gun towers reminiscent of
365:
When the Grebbe Line was broken on May 13, the field army was withdrawn to the Water Line. However, modern tactics could circumvent fixed defense lines, as happened during the French
354:, most of the earth and brick fortifications in the Water Line were too vulnerable to modern artillery and bombs to withstand a protracted siege. To remedy this a large number of
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against Spain, the Dutch realized that flooding low-lying areas formed an excellent defence against enemy troops. This was demonstrated, for example, during the
525:
and
Atelier de Lyon. The bunker was sliced open, with a walkway placed through it forming an installation allowing a view to look into and through the bunker.
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were set to divert into the IJssel, flooding the river and bordering lands. The plan was never tested, and it was dismantled by the Dutch government in 1964.
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From its conception in 1815, until the last modernisation in 1940, the equivalent of around 50 billion euro was spent on the New Dutch Water Line.
271:, designed in the early gunpowder age to place outward guns to force an enemy to keep distance and thus to protect the town proper against shelling
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In 2010, one of the forts on the Line Bunker 599, was opened as a publicly accessible work of art that was created through a cooperation between
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had been freed of
Spanish troops, Maurice of Nassau planned to defend it with a line of flooded land protected by fortresses that ran from the
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Due to the unique nature of the line, the Dutch government considered whether to nominate the whole defensive line as a
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To protect weaknesses in the waterline a series of forts and fortified towns have been constructed.
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After World War II, the Dutch government redesigned the idea of a waterline to counter a possible
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The Dutch Water Line proved its value less than forty years after its construction during the
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Forts explicitly built to defend a town are mentioned with the relevant town in parentheses
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were added. However, the Dutch had decided to use a more eastern main defence line, the
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New Dutch
Waterline - official site (in English; Dutch, German, French also available)
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1021:
Nieuwe
Hollandse Waterlinie - Knowledge database for the Dutch Waterline (in Dutch)
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invasion. This third version of the Water Line was erected more to the east at the
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156:. Combined with natural bodies of water, the Waterline could be used to transform
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381:. When resistance did not cease, the Germans forced the Dutch into surrender by
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decided to modernise the Water Line. The Water Line was partly shifted east of
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917:"Stichting Menno van Coehoorn - C.R.T. Krayenhoff en de genese van de NHW"
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511:. On July 26, 2021, the line was added as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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in 1574. In the latter half of the war, when the province of
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in the early 17th century, and realised by his half brother
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Flooded plains, sluices, earth walls, brick, concrete, steel
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Nieuwe
Hollandse Waterlinie opgenomen op Werelderfgoedlijst
267:; with a good view of the star-shaped layout of the earth
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Order of forts following the line from north to south.
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339:. The line was mobilised but never attacked during the
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and threatening the same for
Utrecht and Amsterdam.
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148:) was a series of water-based defences conceived by
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675:Lunetten, a series of small crescent-shaped forts:
514:A 25-year plan has been developed by the artist,
744:Minor fort Werk op de spoorweg bij de Diefdijk
8:
1017:UNESCO collection on Google Arts and Culture
484:Fort Rhijnauwen view from the Vossegatsedijk
175:On July 26, 2021, the line was added to the
888:, Projectbureau Nieuwe Hollandse waterlinie
407:. In case of an invasion, the water of the
1081:Buildings and structures in Utrecht (city)
669:Minor fort Werk aan de Hoofddijk (Utrecht)
29:
422:
283:) (1672), when it stopped the armies of
878:
1036:Installations of the Dutch States Army
786:Fort aan de Uppelse Dijk (Fort Altena)
715:Minor fort Werk aan de Waalse Wetering
1056:World War II sites in the Netherlands
954:"RAAAF + atelier de lyon: Bunker 599"
657:Fort op de Ruigenhoeksedijk (Utrecht)
263:Aerial view of the fortified town of
7:
476:Inundation area near fort Ruigenhoek
308:Concrete shelters at Fort Ruigenhoek
1046:Military history of the Netherlands
718:Minor fort Werk aan de Korte Uitweg
509:ring of fortresses around Amsterdam
663:Fort op de Voordorpsdijk (Utrecht)
58:inspects the Waterline during the
25:
1041:Fortifications in the Netherlands
956:. 17 October 2010. Archived from
780:Minor fort Werk aan de Bakkerskil
322:United Kingdom of the Netherlands
196:Eighty Years' War of Independence
886:Discover Holland's secret weapen
859:Defence lines of the Netherlands
727:Minor fort Werk aan de Groeneweg
666:Fort aan de Biltstraat (Utrecht)
544:
160:, the westernmost region of the
49:
992:(in Dutch) 1st edition, 1992,
978:(in Dutch) 1st edition, 2004.
611:Fort aan de Ossenmarkt (Weesp)
1:
1076:History of Utrecht (province)
733:Minor fort Werk aan het Spoel
672:Fort bij Rhijnauwen (Utrecht)
324:was formed. Soon after King
383:aerial bombing of Rotterdam
1102:
943:, www.nos.nl; 26 juli 2021
698:Fort bij Vechten (Utrecht)
312:After the final defeat of
184:UNESCO World Heritage Site
1086:Dutch Water Defence Lines
1015:Dutch Water Defence Lines
817:Defence Line of Amsterdam
660:Fort Blauwkapel (Utrecht)
181:Dutch Water Defence Lines
177:Defence Line of Amsterdam
48:
39:
27:Defensive flooding system
1071:History of South Holland
1066:History of North Holland
1061:History of North Brabant
753:Fort bij de Nieuwe Steeg
589:De Westbatterij (Muiden)
300:Map of the New Waterline
230:Map of the Old Waterline
990:Het Vaderland Verdedigt
654:Fort de Gagel (Utrecht)
507:, as they did with the
903:hollandsewaterlinie.nl
867:List of fortifications
847:West Brabant waterline
620:Fort Ronduit (Naarden)
485:
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318:the Battle of Waterloo
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142:Hollandsche Waterlinie
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281:Third Anglo-Dutch War
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125:Third Anglo-Dutch War
56:William III of Orange
974:Wandelplatform-LAW.
701:Fort bij 't Hemeltje
558:adding missing items
419:Dimensions and units
214:) down to the river
164:and adjacent to the
146:Hollandse Waterlinie
18:Hollandic Water Line
1051:Fortification lines
688:Lunet III (Utrecht)
505:World Heritage Site
497:in Fort Hoofddijk.
341:Franco-Prussian war
292:New Dutch Waterline
222:Old Dutch Waterline
144:, modern spelling:
35:New Dutch Waterline
33:Old Dutch Waterline
863:Crossing the Lines
768:Fortified town of
762:Fortified town of
691:Lunet IV (Utrecht)
685:Lunet II (Utrecht)
647:Fort aan de Klop (
644:Fort bij Tienhoven
623:Fortified town of
605:Fortified town of
599:Fortified town of
556:; you can help by
491:Utrecht University
486:
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310:
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80:Controlled by
822:Frisian waterline
721:Lunet aan de Snel
682:Lunet I (Utrecht)
641:Fort Nieuwersluis
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350:At the advent of
243:(and much later,
150:Maurice of Nassau
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16:(Redirected from
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811:Dutch waterlines
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495:botanical garden
450:Defensive works
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277:Franco-Dutch War
234:In 1629, Prince
75:Site information
60:Franco-Dutch War
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337:Martello towers
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236:Frederick Henry
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200:Siege of Leiden
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154:Frederick Henry
134:Dutch Waterline
100:1815–1940 (New)
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98:1629–1815 (Old)
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1004:External links
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988:Klinkert, W.,
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960:on 2013-04-30.
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552:This list is
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958:the original
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925:. Retrieved
921:the original
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881:
789:Fort Giessen
635:Fort Kijkuit
579:
578:
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458:Flood zones
437:3–5 km
390:
387:
367:Maginot Line
364:
352:World War II
349:
343:in 1870 and
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311:
274:
233:
193:
174:
145:
133:
131:
121:Battles/wars
90:Site history
832:IJssel Line
827:Grebbe line
565:August 2008
516:Agnes Denes
493:houses its
429:85 km
401:IJssel Line
360:Grebbe Line
345:World War I
316:in 1815 at
245:barbed wire
162:Netherlands
105:In use
84:Netherlands
42:Netherlands
1030:Categories
969:References
927:2014-01-29
776:Loevestein
770:Woudrichem
710:Nieuwegein
638:Fort Spion
594:Muiderslot
585:Permanent
554:incomplete
468:At present
461:10 basins
445:50,000 ha
405:Gelderland
249:land mines
212:IJsselmeer
837:Maas Line
800:Plofsluis
764:Gorinchem
756:Fort bij
747:Fort bij
704:Fort bij
403:) and in
379:Rotterdam
375:Dordrecht
356:pillboxes
326:William I
285:Louis XIV
210:(present
208:Zuiderzee
166:North Sea
113:Materials
108:1629–1940
806:See also
706:Jutphaas
596:(Muiden)
411:and the
371:Moerdijk
314:Napoleon
269:bastions
774:Castle
749:Asperen
649:Utrecht
625:Naarden
592:Castle
587:battery
426:Length
330:Utrecht
265:Naarden
204:Holland
190:History
170:Utrecht
158:Holland
996:
982:
899:"Home"
601:Muiden
502:UNESCO
434:Width
397:IJssel
393:Soviet
320:, the
253:abatis
873:Notes
853:Other
794:Locks
758:Vuren
607:Weesp
534:Forts
523:RAAAF
442:Area
409:Rhine
399:(the
138:Dutch
95:Built
994:ISBN
980:ISBN
413:Waal
377:and
279:(or
247:and
216:Waal
132:The
67:Type
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