Concise overview of the course of events in the IJsselmeerpolders
Text taken from the Inventory of the archives of C. van Eesteren. 7-2015

1886 Foundation of the Zuiderzee Association.

1918 Establishment of the Zuiderzee Act.

1919 Establishment of the Zuiderzee Works Department.

1926 Completion of the trial polder at Andijk.

1927 Start of closing off the Zuiderzee and the Wieringermeer.

1929 Publication of the report 'The future landscape of the Zuiderzee polders' by the NIVS.

1930 Drying up of the Wieringermeer; establishment of the Wieringermeer Directorate.

1932 Closure of the Zuiderzee by the afsluitdijk completed.

1936 Beginning of dike construction for the Northeast Polder.

1941 Beginning of dike construction for the Markerwaard; establishment of a municipal Zuiderzee Commission in Amsterdam, in which Van Eesteren is included as a member.

1942 Drying of the Noordoostpolder; Van Eesteren becomes a member of the Zuiderzee Commission of the Verbonden Nederlandsche Watersport Vereenigingen (VNWV).

1943 Start of construction of Emmeloord; Van Eesteren joins the Working Group for the Landscape of the Zuiderzee Polders from the Contact Committee for Nature and Landscape Protection (CCNL); Van Eesteren draws a design for the Hoornsche Hop.

1944 Van Eesteren draws a design for the Enkhuizerzand.

1945 Publication of the CCNL's report 'De opbouw van het landschap der Zuiderzeepolders'.

1948 Assignment to 'the 8' to design the village square for Nagele.

1949 Van Eesteren appointed as urban planning consultant to the Zuiderzee Works Department, also member of the Southern Polders Advisory Committee; establishment of a Planning Department at the Zuiderzee Works Department.

1950 Start of dike construction in Eastern Flevoland.

1954 Preliminary design of the subdivision plan for Eastern Flevoland with 10 villages, Dronten and Lelystad completed; presentation of a counter-plan for Eastern Flevoland by advisors of the Wieringermeer Directorate.


1955 First exchange of views on city plan for Lelystad.

1956 Adoption of subdivision plan for the eastern part of Eastern Flevoland.

1957 Drying up of Eastern Flevoland; village square for Nagele completed.

1958 Van Eesteren admitted to the Planological Commission; modification of the subdivision plan for Eastern Flevoland with six villages, Dronten and Lelystad; commission to J. van Tol for the Dronten structural plan; Van Eesteren appointed designer of Lelystad.

1959 Modification of subdivision plan for Eastern Flevoland with four villages, Dronten and Lelystad.

1960 Start of construction of Dronten; appointment of W.J.G. van Mourik as designer of Swifterbant and R. Hajema as designer of Biddinghuizen.

1961 Start of construction of Swifterbant and Biddinghuizen; a structure plan for the Zuidelijke IJsselmeerpolders completed.

1962 Beginning of issuance of land in Eastern Flevoland; plan for the Spijk; appointment of N.A. de Boer to design Larsen; excursions to new towns in Sweden and England regarding plan for Lelystad.

1963 Van Eesteren becomes member of the Gooimeer Study Committee of the municipality of Naarden.

1964 Submission of urban development plan for Lelystad to the Minister.

1965 Final subdivision plan for eastern Flevoland with two villages, Dronten and Lelystad; subdivision plan for eastern part of southern Flevoland completed.

1967 Completion of dikes around Southern Flevoland; first inhabitants of Lelystad.

1968 Southern Flevoland falls dry.


Zef Hemel, 1982/1983