LAUSR

ABSTRACT This article charts a crucial chapter in the history of Dutch nationalism, i. e. the topic of ‘water management’, by delving into the debate on the construction of the Afsluitdijk. The closure of the Zuiderzee by the construction of a dike is one of the most significant infrastructural projects of pre-war Netherlands. It was the deployment of a debate and a battle of pamphlets and furthermore gave rise to an extensive cultural production ranging from photo books, documentary films to literature. The emphasis in this article lies on the photographic representation of the enclosure. By distinguishing several story lines, this article aims to show how through the enclosure, the (auto)biography of the Netherlands as a people, a territory and a (modern/traditional) nation was re-imagined, renegotiated and re-invented.