oa De Festung IJmuiden en de werken in het duin

The Atlantic Wall was an extensive system of coastal defence and bunkers built by Nazi Germany between 1942 and 1944. In the Netherlands, two so-called Festungen were built to protect the harbours which were of great interest for the German occupiers. This map shows the Festung IJmuiden, built around the locks and harbours. The steelworks at the north side were also protected by this fortification. Besides different types of bunkers it also consisted of anti-tank ditches, antitank walls, dunes, minefields and hospitals. After the Second World War the traces of Nazi Germany were partly removed, also in this part of the Atlantic Wall. But many elements have remained and are more and more appreciated as cultural heritage.