This photo was taken on 14 August 1935 by my
grandfather and shows the Afsluitdijk, the huge dyke that isolated what
was the Zuyder Zee from the sea. It was completed in 1932, and is over
32km long. The cyclists give an idea of the scale. The photo was taken
looking southwest from the tower built at the point where the dyke was
completed: on the right is the sea, and the water level is visibly
lower on the left. At this time the inland lake formed by the dyke (the
Ijsselmeer) was still salt, though it is now freshwater.
Below: my grandparents, mother and a
relative pose in front of the tower commemorating the completion of the
dyke.
Download a Google Earth
placemark showing the location of the tower.