Neglected and undervalued cultural heritage: Waterfronts and riverbanks of Alblasserwaard, the Netherlands

Alblasserdam is aDutch dyke village dating to the thirteenth century, with its earliest houses built along the embankment of a major dyke. Most of its history is closely related to shipping and shipbuilding. The village center had a harbor for inland ships and a navigation lock; in the hinterland, industrialization created several yards where workers built many types of vessels: Simple wooden rowing boats, wooden ships, and steel ships. Other yards related to shipbuilding—a steel mill, a construction yard for railway infrastructure—rose there too. Thematerial used in these yards came in by shi... Mehr ...