The Dikes Breach
It is the night of Saturday, January 31, to Sunday, February 1, 1953. A severe storm from the northwest pushes the waters of the North Sea up into the English Channel. Before the tide reaches its peak, the dikes in southwestern Netherlands breach.
In caisson 1, we share the background of the Watersnoodramp. We do this with deceptively simple objects, such as those used by people at the time, as well as news footage from that period. What were the causes and consequences of the night of the disaster?
Listen to former weatherman Erwin Kroll as he explains how the disaster could have happened. Read the story of radio amateurs like Peter Hossfeld, who built his own radio and used it to alert the rest of Europe about what was happening in southwestern Netherlands. Or delve into our extensive collection of photo books and folders full of newspaper clippings. You'll quickly gain a clear understanding of the impact of the Watersnoodramp on the provinces of Zeeland, South Holland, and North Brabant.
