Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie - Fort Nieuwersluis

Origin and Strategic Importance
Around 1446, the Nieuwe Wetering was dug as a connection between the Vecht and the Angstel rivers, crucial for inland navigation between Amsterdam, Muiden, and Utrecht. Due to the difference in elevation between the rivers, a lock was built: the 'Nije Sluse' (Nije Sluse), from which Nieuwersluis takes its name. This lock later also served a military function within the Old Dutch Waterline.

Military Fortifications
From 1629 onward, Nieuwersluis was fortified to protect the lock and surrounding routes. Various fortifications were built in the 17th and 18th centuries, including a bastion, hornwork, and star-shaped canals. Towards the end of the 18th century, military buildings such as a gunpowder cellar and an arsenal were constructed.

New Dutch Waterline
With the introduction of the New Dutch Waterline in 1815, Nieuwersluis regained its strategic importance. Around 1850, a tower fort with thick brick walls, a wet moat, and a drawbridge was built. The fort could fire upon the Utrecht–Amsterdam railway line, the Vecht River, and the main road.

Adaptations and Decay
Technological developments made the fort vulnerable. Between 1880 and 1882, it was fitted with an earthen rampart, bombproof depots, and barracks for 400 men. The tower was largely buried and the moat filled in. The eastern fortifications disappeared and made way for a school for pupils.

[b[20th century and mobilizations]
The fort was mobilized three times (1870, WWI, WWII), but never actively deployed. In 1960, it was officially decommissioned as a fortress. During the Cold War, it housed a command post of the Civil Defense (BB), later taken over by the Mobile Column Corps.

Current function
Since 1997, Natuurmonumenten has managed the fort. The grounds are open to the public and offer guided tours. The tower fort is enclosed and serves as a bat roost. In 2020, the BB command post was reopened as a museum space. In 2023, Remise E was converted into a visitor reception area.

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Source

• Text: TracesofWar
• Photos: TracesofWar