Save

Draining the Past

The Dutch Delta Works as History’s Climax in Johan van Veen’s Dredge, Drain, Reclaim (1948–1962)

In: International Journal for History, Culture and Modernity
Author:
Adriaan Duiveman Department of Early Modern History (15th–18th Centuries), KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium

Search for other papers by Adriaan Duiveman in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
Download Citation Get Permissions

Access options

Get access to the full article by using one of the access options below.

Institutional Login

Log in with Open Athens, Shibboleth, or your institutional credentials

Login via Institution

Purchase

Buy instant access (PDF download and unlimited online access):

$40.00

Abstract

Engineer Johan van Veen is widely regarded as the “father” of the Dutch Delta Works, a series of sea defence structures which protect parts of the Netherlands against storm surges. When the construction started, the plans were unprecedented in scale and wagered on technologies that were not yet invented. Nonetheless, this article shows that Van Veen defended his daring, innovative, and expensive megaproject by telling a narrative about 24 centuries of national, Dutch history. Drawing inspiration from the Narrative Policy Framework developed by policy researchers, it analyses Van Veen’s English-language book Dredge, Drain, Reclaim (1948–1962). Here, the engineer created a plot in which the Delta Works were the logical climax of Dutch history.

Content Metrics

All Time Past 365 days Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 342 342 60
Full Text Views 21 21 4
PDF Views & Downloads 46 46 12