Grebbelinie, Bruinenburgersluis

English translation

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Description

Introduction:

The Grebbelinie is a water line approximately 60 kilometres long, which makes use of the wet conditions in the western, lowest-lying part of the Gelderse Vallei. It is a unique example of a water line constructed in the eighteenth century. Because no major interventions have taken place in the structure of the line since then, most of the line embankment, the weirs and the earthen defence works have been preserved. The Grebbelinie comprises embankments, earthen forts, sluices, casemates, outposts, anti-tank ditches, inundation areas, trenches, bunkers etc. Because it was always assumed that the line would have to be defended by a temporary field army, no permanent accommodation for military personnel was built in the Grebbelinie.

The line was directed against a possible advancing enemy from the east. By inundating land, enemy troops could be held back. The Grebbelinie was to ensure that this happened in a controlled manner. The water in the inundated area had to be sufficiently deep to prevent enemy vehicles and artillery from passing through, but not so deep that the enemy could approach the line with vessels. At places that were too high to be inundated, defence works were constructed. In creating the inundation areas, use was made of the lower-lying fields. To flood the area as efficiently as possible, the line was divided from south to north into 11 basins. The water was dammed up in each basin with the aid of a weir which lay crosswise on the line embankment.

After occasional fortifications had been constructed in this area from the end of the 16th century onwards, in 1744 on the suggestion of the then Director-General of Fortifications B.J. de Roy, work began on the construction of the earthen embankment that would later become the Grebbelinie dike. The embankment had to hold back the water, so that the Gelderse side of the dike could be inundated. Furthermore, the plan provided, on account of the height difference between the Nederrijn and the Zuiderzee, for the construction of weirs or cross-dykes that could hold back the water. In this way a series of water-filled basins was created, descending ever further northwards like a series of steps. In total, eight weirs were constructed to enable the area to be flooded in a controlled manner. In 1786 further fortifications were constructed.

The first time the line was put on alert was in 1793 when France declared war on the Netherlands. The water level in the Rhine was, however, too low at that time to flood the line. Because the advance was not continued, the French did not reach the line. When, however, the French under General Pichegru returned at the end of 1794, the line could be flooded. But a severe frost period at the beginning of 1795 meant that the French armies could cross the frozen rivers and inundations without difficulty.

Ultimately, in 1799 the French gave the line its final form. They paid much attention to improving the defence of the weirs and constructed earthen outposts there. Because Napoleon erroneously believed in 1809 that there was no longer any danger from the east, the Grebbelinie was abolished as a defence work.

Only in 1846 did the importance of the Grebbelinie for national defence begin to be recognised again. To protect the railway line Utrecht - Arnhem, it was laid across the fort at the Buursteeg. In 1860 it was determined that the Grebbelinie should be one of the most important defence lines of our country. Following this, new dam sluices were placed in the most important weirs, so that the area in front of the line could be flooded more quickly. In 1866 the Omleidingskanaal was constructed to the east of Veenendaal, which reduced the inundation time from 20 to 12 days. But nevertheless, the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie became the most important defence line, because inundations there could be brought about more quickly and easily.

Only during the mobilisation of 1939-1940 did the Grebbelinie, under the name Valleilinie, become the main defence line of our country. Because shortly before, the Valleikanaal had been dug to improve drainage in the Gelderse Vallei, a continuous canal had now been created between the Nederrijn and the IJsselmeer, which could also serve as an anti-tank ditch and also offered better opportunities for flooding the area.

Large areas on the eastern side were now flooded and farms that were in the line of fire were demolished. Around Veenendaal, extensive trenches and anti-tank ditches were dug and 271 concrete machine-gun casemates were built. In March 1940 the main defence of the eastern front of the Vesting Holland was moved from the Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie to the Grebbelinie. This led to the construction of even more trenches, anti-tank ditches and wire barriers, particularly in the areas that could not be inundated between Woudenberg - Renswoude and Veenendaal. On 10 May German troops entered our country. Although the battle at the Grebbeberg became the best known, heavy fighting also took place at other points on the line. The Germans ultimately made the final adjustment to the line in 1944. The line was now named Pantherstellung. The aim of the line was to hold back an enemy advancing towards Germany, and the main direction of fire was this time towards the west and south. More than 20 gun casemates were built, of which 12 are now still preserved. In 1951 the Grebbelinie was permanently abolished as a defence line.

The Bruinenburgersluis was in peacetime intended for the passage of water from the Heiligenbergerbeek. The military purpose was to prevent the discharge of water from the Heiligenbergerbeek (since 1937 Valleikanaal) when inundations were created.

Description:

WATERWORK constructed in 1786, consisting of a dam sluice. The dam sluice is executed in brickwork with partly sandstone shutter-bar grooves and corner profiles. When the Valleikanaal was constructed in 1937-1939, the sluice was renewed in its original form.

The dimensions of the dam sluice are a maximum of 14.0 by 9.8 metres including wing walls. The sluice has two flow openings, 3.05 and 3.08 metres wide, separated by a central pier of 10.50 by 1.29 metres. Furthermore, the sluice has on the north-east side 2 x 2 shutter-bar grooves with a spacing of 2.05 metres. On the side of the Valleikanaal, a number of shutter-bars have been inserted. Above the sluice lies a wooden bridge with open iron railings. In the sluice wall is a date stone with text: 'MARIA ANGELIS -HUGUENIN, GEBr HERLIN - LAID THE FIRST STONE, ON 10 SEPT 1786'.

Valuation:

The dam sluice is of general importance because of:

Cultural-historical values as a component of the Grebbelinie, as constructed in six phases over a period of 200 years.

Architectural-historical values in particular as an expression of civil and military-strategic construction, which is based on:

a. the system of inundation and access defence (18th, 19th and 20th centuries),

This concerns an object that in its original conception is an example of defence works from the period:

phase 2: 1785-'86, fortification

Ensemble value due to its location within the system of the Grebbelinie in general, in particular as a component of the still well-preserved line embankment between the Werk aan de Roode Haan and the centre of the municipality of Leusden.

The object is rare because it is an almost completely surviving example of an 18th-century dam sluice for civil and inundation purposes.