Modern Holland / Netherlands
Modern Holland or The Netherlands is more than just wooden shoes and Windmills,
Tulips, Cheese and boys with their finger in a Dike. Holland in the 21st century
is not only famous because of their Flowers but also for the high-tech industries
like Philips, Unilever, Akzo, Shell and other multinational companies. The Dutch
are also an important investor in cities like New York (Manhattan) and other
cities and Countries all over the world.
But even that I will tell the story of the things Holland is most famous
for in modern times and also in the past. The ancient history has already been
told on my Holland history page, worth a visit.
Holland and the Sea (North sea)
Almost 50 % of our Country lies beneath sea level so we live whole our live
with water all around and millions of people live beneath sea-level, I myself
live in a city surrounded with rivers on an island called The island of Dordrecht
(near Rotterdam) so I know what water is and also how dangerous it can be. On
my Dordrecht pages you can read more of
my hometown Dordrecht with nice pictures of the oldest city of Holland.
We Dutch have always fought the North-Sea and are experts in building dikes,
windmills and waterworks. We reclaimed a lot of land from the Sea and were mostly
victorious but sometimes we lost the fight, also in the 20th century. One of
the most frightening event was the Flood of 1953.
The Flood of 1953
In 1953 a disaster occurred in Zeeland and South-Holland, a tidal wave broke
the dikes at several points, flooding the islands. 1835 people died, 500.000
became refugees and 260.000 ha. of fields were ravaged. Its effects could even
be felt far inside the Country, so a national disaster. Many cities and villages
were heavily damaged during this flood, in my hometown, Dordrecht, the flood
also damaged some dikes, streets and buildings and near the city 3 people drowned,
but the worst happened in Zeeland.
A broken dike in Zeeland A village in the water
Zeeland and South-Holland after the flood
To prevent another such catastrophe, the Dutch government launched the Delta
project, to protect the people of South-West Netherlands (Zeeland and South-Holland)
against the North-sea. The realization lasted from 1958 to 1987 and cost billions
of guilders. Four main dams, two of which with lock-gates, and several secondary
dams located in the rear, close to the estuaries. All of the dams reduced the
length of the shore by 70 kilometers, creating soft water reserves, putting
an end to the fields saltiness, avoiding the floods, easing the communications
and the area's soaring.
Delta Plan
"God created the world, but The Netherlands were created by the Dutch."
Map of the Delta works, northern part (South-Holland islands), in The Netherlands
The aim of the Plan is enhance safety by radically reducing the length of
and reinforcing the coastline. These measures were laid down in 1958 in the
Delta Act.
The two most impressive barriers are the Storm Surge Barrier in the Ooster-Schelde
(Zeeland) and The New Waterway Storm Surge Barrier near Rotterdam (South-Holland).
click image to enlarge
The Oosterschelde dam
The crown on this giant flood-control project is the barrier dam that stretches
1.75 miles across the three channels of the Eastern Schelde. This dam consists
of several strings of gates and their massive supporting pylons which, in normal
weather, allow tidal sea waters to ebb and flow in the Eastern Schelde estuary,
thus benefiting the fish and bird life and the local fisheries, even in the
national park "The Biesbosch" part of the
tide exist. During a severe storm however, like the one in 1953, the gates can
be dropped to keep out the high tides and storm surges and prevent them from
inundating the adjacent lowlands.
The Oosterscheldedam (repeat after me: Ooster-schelde-dam) where the Delta
Expo is located, on one of the two artificial islands. The construction of the
dam started in 1976, was achieved ten years later. Three kilometers long, this
anti-tempest dam is constituted of 65 pillars between which one can slide 62
iron flood-gates. The height of one pillar is 38 meter and its weight 18.000
tons. When the sea becomes dangerous, one hour is enough to lower the flood
gates. This system affords to keep 75% of the tide amplitude as well as the
fishing industry, the breed of mussels and oysters and above all, the unique
eco-system of The Biesbosch. To be complete,
the site is powered by (guess what?)... air motors worthy of their windmill?
too!
The Oosterscheldedam is situated in Zeeland, just an hour and a half driving
distance from Amsterdam and half an hour from
Dordrecht. This is a "absolute recommend"
for those interested in water management.
click image to enlarge
The Storm Surge Barrier in the Easter-Schelde, also called the 8th world
miracle.
The Storm Surge Barrier in the Easter-Schelde in action
The Maaslandkering
On 12th may 1997 the Delta works were finished, 44 years after the flood
disaster, with the opening of The New Waterway Storm Surge Barrier (near Rotterdam),
the plan to protect the Netherlands against the sea.
The Storm Surge Barrier at Rotterdam is the largest hydraulic project in
the Netherlands. It is nearly as long as the Eiffel Tower in Paris and weighs
four times as much.
The Maaslandkering
The finished Maaslandkering (near Rotterdam)
The Maaslandkering in close up
The Dutch people conquered the North-sea with their famous Delta works and
saved the people in Zeeland and Zuid-Holland from drowning into the sea.
A nice website about the
Delta Works.
Windmills
The Dutch have always struggled with the North-Sea and their Rivers, that's
way there are a lot of Windmills in Holland. Some of them were used to pulverize
grain and other food, some were to maintain the water level in the rivers and
canals. The Windmills were used until the beginning of the 20th century.
That there are still so many windmills in Holland is simply because the Spanish
lunatic Don Quichote and his companion Sancho, never came so far up North to
fight them....
Most of these Windmills, hundreds of them, were demolished in the 19th and
20th century but some survived and are used now for touristic purposes and in
some cases to do where they originally were build for in the past.
Kinderdijk
A really spectacular sight where windmills survived is the windmill landscape
at Kinderdijk in the province of South Holland. Here you'll find nineteen windmills
lined up, one after another, in long rows.
In early days these windmills kept the water balance in the Alblasserwaard
in order. The mills from 1740 still run. You can visit the inside of a few of
these windmills, too. You can even take a cruise from Dordrecht the oldest city
of Holland, worth a visit itself, and you can past the windmills or stroll around
the area.
From my hometown, Dordrecht, you can visit
the Windmills of Kinderdijk by boat (about 30 minutes) of course you can visit
them yourself in summertime and see them working as above.
Kinderdijk is situated in the Alblasserwaard, near Dordrecht to the south,
about 10 km., and Rotterdam to the north-west, about 15 km.
Here some nice pictures of Windmills
The Windmills of Kinderdijk in Summer
Some nice pictures of individual Windmills at Kinderdijk
click image to enlarge
The Windmills of Kinderdijk in Winter
click image to enlarge
A Windmill from inside.
But there is more to see in the Netherlands
Rotterdam
The gateway to Europe
Rotterdam is worlds greatest sea-harbor, below pictures of Rotterdam.
Picture of the largest sea-harbors of the world at Rotterdam
The Prins Willem Alexander bridge in Rotterdam
click image to enlarge
The Botlek
click image to enlarge
Sea-Harbor near the center
The Hague
The Residence of The Netherlands
The Government buildings at the Binnenhof (Inner-court)
Buitenhof (Outer-court)
More information and a short history at :
The pages about The Hague, on this website you can find also a lot of history
from other cites. A MUST SEE.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam, the Capitol of The Netherlands
Amsterdam's canals.
More information at :
Amsterdam.nl
- City visit & Tourism
Band organ
Holland is also famous for his Band Organs they travel around in our cities
and play their typical music.
You can listen to a nice example
HERE, a
collection of Dutch songs from the 50th-60th, Pipo the Clown and Swiebertje.
A band organ on wheels in the streets of Amsterdam from the famous Perlee
family.
A band organ on wheels in the streets of Dordrecht from the family Stal
If you like some more band organ music please visit
accrdnmn/bandorgan this is a nice site where you will find explanation
about band organ music.
Sadly enough but this is also Modern Holland.
|
In memory of Prof. Dr. Pim Fortuyn, who was brutally
murdered on 6th may 2002 at Hilversum Holland.
He was the Men where the people waited for to modernize
our Democracy to a democracy of the people. He tried to change the Regents
mentality of the established political parties.
Nevertheless his party won 26 seats by the elections
of 15th may 2002, in the national assembly (with a total of 150 seats)
and became at once the second greatest party of The Netherlands.
Pim REST IN PEACE.
Two short videos in Real format
http://cgi.omroep.nl/cgi-bin/streams?/tv/nps/nova/bb.20020506-r.rm
and
http://cgi.omroep.nl/cgi-bin/streams?/tv/nps/nova/bb.20020506-q.rm
Political murders in Holland because of their political
opinion :
1619 Johan van Oldenbarneveldt by Prince Maurits
1672 Johan and Cornelis de Witt by Prince William III
2002 Prof. Dr. Pim Fortuyn by a Lunatic
2004 Theo van Gogh murdered by a Muslim
|
May 2003 :
Within 1 year after the murder of Pim Fortuyn the political structure is
again back to the time before Fortuyn, the politic don't again listen to the
people and all stays as it was before, We still have to wait for another politician
like he was.
Again a brutal murder in 2nd November 2004 :
The writer and film director The van Gogh was brutal murdered by a fundamental
Muslim Mohammed B. who was angered by van Gogh's work and criticism of Islam.
Theo van Gogh (23 July 1957–2 November 2004)
Even from religion perspective our Country lost his innocence.
