Jaap van 't Veen's photos with the keyword: Nigtevecht

The Fort bij Nigtevecht (Fort near Nigtevecht) was completed in 1904. The purpose of the fort (part of the Stelling van Amsterdam *) was to defend the accesses to Amsterdam, formed by the Merwedekanaal (nowadays Amsterdam-Rhine Canal) and the river Vecht. It also protected the sluices between these two waters. A second battery is located in the defence line wall near the fort. The fort has also three mounds, which are the remnants of anti-aircraft artillery positions that were installed in 1927. During the mobilization from 1915 till 1918 about 300 soldiers slept in the fort. In World War II, the Germans used it for storage. The fort - hidden in the green - is located on a quiet location near the Amsterdam-Rijn Kanaal. One can walk around wfor free. A large part of this stronghold was made waterproof and restored by Stichting Herstelling , a Dutch foundation that offers work experience to the jobless. Fort bij Nigtevecht is owned and managed by Natuurmonumenten , a Society for Preservation of Nature Monuments in the Netherlands. * The Stelling van Amsterdam (Defence Line of Amsterdam) is a 135 kilometers long ring of fortifications around Amsterdam. It was built between 1883 and 1920 and consisted of 46 armed forts and batteries, acting in concert with an intricate system of dikes, sluices, canals and inundation polders. It is a major example of a fortification based on the principle of temporary flooding of the land, aimed at protecting the Dutch capital against a possible foreign attack. The Stelling van Amsterdam is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996.

From the 12th century onwards, the wild peat bogs in this area were reclaimed for cattle breeding. Settlers dug ditches and watercourses to drain the water. Due to this water extraction, the land subsided and the natural drainage of water was endangered. In order to prevent the hard-won areas from flooding again, the water had to be drained from the polder using windmills. The Garstenmolen (Garsten Mill) was built in 1876 after its predecessor burned down. The mill served to drain the Garstenpolder until 1960. After this was taken over by an electric pumping station, wheels, axles and spindles were removed to turn the mill into a dwelling. In 2006/2007, the mill was thoroughly restored and made mill-ready again. The mill was fitted with a new longer screw pump, so that water from the polder can once again be milled into the river Vecht. Volunteer millers keep the mill running. The mill can be visited when it is in operation.