Stelling van Amsterdam - Lock Aalsmeer

The lock at Aalsmeer, at the end of the defensive wall, was built for military inundation and civilian shipping. A uniquely linked lock complex allowed water from the Ringvaart canal to flow into the polder area.

After being transferred to the polder authority, the lock was used for agricultural transport, primarily sugar beets. Military vessels were exempt from lock fees.

Plans for a pumping station in 1939 and later were never implemented, preventing demolition. In 1966, the Ministry of Defence replaced the bascule bridge with a culvert; in 1984, the water board installed sheet piling. The shed and lock keeper's house have disappeared.

The surrounding area has been largely preserved. The lock is owned by the Groot-Haarlemmermeer Water Board.

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Source

• Text: TracesofWar
• Photos: TracesofWar
• stelling-amsterdam.nl