Fort, vesting en -onderdelen, Marsdijk bij 2 c

English translation

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Description

Cluster 42.

Introduction

BRIDGE, as the only remaining of originally four examples, and leading to the entrance of the reduit of the Fort at Vechten. The raising or removal / destruction of bridges has been a proven means of repelling intruders since ancient times. Not only did this obstruct or delay passage or crossing over a watercourse, a dry or wet moat or terrain depression, but the attacker also had to provide means to overcome the barrier themselves. Wooden bridges were relatively quick to destroy, if necessary by setting them on fire. Stone and concrete bridges required a larger and more time-consuming intervention, although an explosive charge could sometimes quickly achieve the desired effect. With the arrival of iron bridges - widely applied in the course of the 19th century in many different variants - the second possibility remained, but the first disappeared. Blowing up bridges was capital destruction and only happened in extreme necessity. One way in which iron bridges could be closed was by removing or making inaccessible (small) parts of them. The bridge opposite the entrance to the reduit of the Fort at Vechten is also constructed in iron.

Description

Iron BRIDGE with wooden floor sections over the moat in front of the entrance to the reduit. The fixed iron bridge is part of the original construction of the fort and dates from around 1870. The approximately 3.50 m wide bridge has been restored on the basis of as much authentic material as possible and rests on mortared and partly natural stone piers. The wooden bridge deck rests on closed iron girders. On both sides of the bridge deck fixed, approximately 1.00 m high iron railings, which are divided into equal bays by means of cross-connected uprights.

Valuation

The BRIDGE is of general importance because of:

* Cultural-historical value as part of the New Holland Water Line as designed by C.R.T. Kraijenhoff and initially realized from 1815 by him, Jan Blanken and major-engineer Willem Offerhaus and subsequently strengthened and improved by others for approximately 125 years.

* Military-historical values as part of a continuous military defence line between the former Zuiderzee and the Biesbosch. This consisted mainly of a coherent system of inundation fields and associated inundation works and field-of-fire areas. This system was supplemented with various types of built or constructed (defensive) works from different periods that served or contributed to blocking non-inundatable terrain or other accesses.

* Architectural-historical values in particular as an expression of military-strategic building design, which is based on - the system of inundation and access defence (19th century) - the race with increasingly powerful offensive weapons (19th century).

This concerns a component from around 1870, namely an expression related to military-strategic building design of historical water engineering in the form of a fixed iron bridge for military purposes.

* Ensemble value and situational values as part of the New Holland Water Line. Also because of the functional and physical coherence with the other components of the complex and in particular with the reduit.

* The component is representative (characteristic) because it is a good example of the application of this type of iron bridge in a military situation.

* The component is reasonably well preserved because essential elements have been maintained in situ and / or reused during restoration.