Two strong defence lines were constructed during construction of the Afsluitdijk. In May 1940, the German Blitzkrieg came to a halt in Kornwerderzand. It was the only place in Europe where this happened and proof of the strength of the casemates. At the end of April, the Canadians were positioned in front of the Afsluitdijk. They also wanted to attack the dike but the Frisian resistance, who remembered what had happened to the Germans in 1940, advised them against this. The Casemates Museum not only tells the story of the bunkers, but also of the Frisian resistance along the IJsselmeer and Wadden coast.
In the Casemates Museum, you will learn all about the construction of the Afsluitdijk, the lock complex and, of course, the casemates. Through stories and expositions, the museum covers the period from construction to the Cold War. Watch a film with interviews with veterans who served in Kornwerderzand in 1940 and visit the expositions in the various casemates.
Go to Kazemattenmuseum.nl for more information about opening hours and ticket prices.
The Dutch casemates and the German bunkers did not come out of the war unscathed, but they are all still intact. The Dutch casemates still show traces of the battles in May 1940. One of the German bunkers on the west side was blown up after the war but the remains were preserved.
