Less commonly known facts about the Afsluitdijk: The plans for the dyke originally included a railway line. This never happened, but the idea has resurfaced fr

Less commonly known facts about the Afsluitdijk: The plans for the dyke originally included a railway line. This never happened, but the idea has resurfaced frequently in the past century. The Afsluitdijk was also a defensive structure, part of the defence of Holland (the collective name of the two provinces that are home to the government and a large part of the population). When the Germans invaded, the Afsluitdijk fortress with its concrete fortifications (called kazematten) and strategically advantageous position actually held, i.e., it never fell under combat, despite attempts to overtake it. The Germans went round the other side of the IJsselmeer and the Netherlands capitulated before the Wehrmacht could take the position. The Kazematten museum on the dyke can be visited, and should appeal to all military aficionados.