Fort on the Middenweg
The fortress on the Middenweg is one of the fortresses of the Defense Line of Amsterdam, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage 'Dutch Water Lines'. This defense line was constructed between 1880 and 1914, 15 to 20 kilometers around Amsterdam.
The fort is located on the southern ring dyke of the Beemster polder. The Noordhollandsch Kanaal runs behind the fort and the dyke. An inundation lock for the Beemster is located east of the fort. The purpose of the fort was to close off and defend the access roads the Middenweg and the Zuiddijk. The original situation around the fort has been preserved: open polder landscape outside the Stelling and the dyke and canal within the Stelling.
The fort has been in use as a warehouse complex from an unknown date until after 1974 and on 1-12-1950 as a gunpowder warehouse. Later used by Eurometaal (formerly Artillerie Inrichtingen); still in use in 1980/1983. The facilities for a Detention and Residence Camp for political offenders were partially installed in 1946, but the fort has not been used as a camp.
Flora…
The fort is located on the southern ring dyke of the Beemster polder. The Noordhollandsch Kanaal runs behind the fort and the dyke. An inundation lock for the Beemster is located east of the fort. The purpose of the fort was to close off and defend the access roads the Middenweg and the Zuiddijk. The original situation around the fort has been preserved: open polder landscape outside the Stelling and the dyke and canal within the Stelling.
The fort has been in use as a warehouse complex from an unknown date until after 1974 and on 1-12-1950 as a gunpowder warehouse. Later used by Eurometaal (formerly Artillerie Inrichtingen); still in use in 1980/1983. The facilities for a Detention and Residence Camp for political offenders were partially installed in 1946, but the fort has not been used as a camp.
Flora & Fauna are of great natural value. Due to the strong temperature changes on the bare fortress terrain, a clear dune vegetation occurs here. You can find, among others, Stonecrop, Sand Wall, Real Walstraw, Ragwort and Early Forget-me-not. There are also Wolf's Foot, Pink Water-speedwell and Pennywort. The long-eared owl and the freshwater shrimp are also residents of the nature reserve around the fort.
A special feature of this fort was the washroom for the soldiers. Rainwater is cleaned by an ingenious system before it ends up in the sinks. After use, soldiers can tip over the sinks, so that the dirty water flows away.
The Fort on the Middenweg can be admired, but cannot be visited.
