To start the day, we had a very peaceful ride to the Watersnood Museum on the bus. Here we learned about the catastrophe flooding that occurred on February 1st, 1953, and forever changed Amsterdam. On this day, there was a severe storm that caused drastic flooding. The effects of this storm left homes, people, animals, and belongings to be gone forever. In this museum, there were emotional videos that really put into perspective how tragic this really one and the ever-lasting impact it left on this country. One of my favorite parts of the museum was when we turned the corner to a dark hallway, and after a couple more steps around the corner, a screen wrapped around the room with surround sound enclosing the room. On the screen, it showed the big waves that took out people and their homes. I really felt like I was emersed in what had happened.
After the storm, the Netherlands had a lot of reconstruction to do. This was when the dikes being used needed to be reconstructed because there was a lack of strength and height within the dikes. It was necessary to recover some of the lost lands and prevent something like this from happening again. But a dike isn’t just good enough to withstand the strong seas. The Delta Works, which is an engineering program, allowed for higher construction standards for the national coastal defense and to ensure a disaster like this wouldn’t happen again. To build a dike, you need a Zinc Piece. Zinc Pieces are made of brushwood (branches or twigs). They serve to cover the sea or river bed for when you are building a dike. Zinc pieces prevent the bottom from scouring under the influence of currents. I found it very interesting how zinc pieces were crafted, and we could see an example at the museum. Not only was the museum very interesting and really helped us understand the history of the Netherlands it was surrounded by many beautiful landscapes filled with flowers, cows, windmills, and goats!
Our second group activity of the day was Delta Works. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it but was pleasantly surprised. Delta Works is the company that created a lot of the adaptations after the severe storm. Even though the bridges and windmills are more on the engineering side, I found it very interesting how they were able to build these things, which in the long run has allowed for not only easier transportation but safer for the people. Something I also found very interesting is how they took this tragic event and, in ways, have been able to profit off of it and attract tourists to learn about it. Because it is also in a waterpark/aquarium many tourists come to walk around and learn about the history as well. I thought this was very smart on their part and a great way to bring in revenue.
Even though I was “hangry” at times it was a very informational and enjoyable day! I am super excited to visit the vintage market tomorrow!