Line of defense of Amsterdam

The line of defense of Amsterdam (in Dutch: Stelling van Amsterdam ) is a belt of fortifications built around the town of Amsterdam. The system, based on the control of water like means of defense, is single and from now on is registered on the Liste of the world heritage of UNESCO.

These fortifications consist of a whole of 42 forts, surrounded by a zone which can be easily drowned in time of war. The flood was calculated to have a depth of approximately 30 centimetres, which was an insufficient depth to be accessible by ships charged. In a radius of one kilometer, constructions were prohibited or shaven, except those out of wood, to which one could easily pare fire.

The line of defense of Amsterdam was built between 1880 and 1914. The invention of the Plane and the Tank made it however obsolete as of the end of work (as attested some the fine tragedy of the Fort of Ében-Émael).

The majority of the forts are from now on property of the communes on which they are established, managed by their department of nature or tourism. They are generally not worth visiting except at the time of the Day of the Dutch Inheritance (: Open Monumentendag ), second Saturday of September.

See too

List of forts, fortifications, citadels and fortified towns in the Netherlands

External bonds

Descriptive UNESCO
http://www.stelling-amsterdam.org/
http://english.stelling-amsterdam.org/

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