Fort aan de St. Aagtendijk

Beneath the imposing shadow of Fort aan de St. Aagtendijk, a secret sleeps. This isn’t just another fort. Fort aan de St. Aagtendijk is one of the largest forts in the Stelling van Amsterdam, a unique defense system built between 1881 and 1919. Imagine Amsterdam encircled by a ring of forts, batteries, dikes, and locks. This was the Stelling, designed to protect the capital by flooding the surrounding lands, a strategic maneuver to halt enemy advances. Fort aan de St. Aagtendijk, completed in 1899, played a vital role in this defense. Its mission was to protect the western bank of the Zuidwijkermeerpolder, now the N246 Kanaalweg, and the section of the St. Aagtendijk west of the fort. Today, the A9 highway roars past the fort’s magazine and gatehouse, a stark contrast to its peaceful beginnings. Fort aan de St. Aagtendijk housed a garrison of 310 soldiers, a testament to its strategic importance. The St. Aagtendijk itself, a vulnerable access point, needed protection. When the Stelling was activated, the fields along the dike flooded. But the dike remained a potential entry point for enemies. Fort aan de St. Aagtendijk’s unique feature, a front-caponniere, a small structure at the front moat, allowed soldiers to defend the area north, south, and towards the Zuidwijkermeer. Only Fort aan de St. Aagtendijk and Fort bij Hoofddorp had this type of caponniere, a concrete structure with firing slits on both sides. A bomb-proof corridor, a poterne, connected it to the main building. The caponniere also protected the inundation sluice in the St. Aagtendijk to the north. This sluice, along with the canal running in front of the fort’s moat, flooded the northwest front during wartime. Water flowed from the Noordzeekanaal into the Wijkerbroekpolder. A 2.5-kilometer liniewall runs between Fort aan de St. Aagtendijk and Fort Zuidwijkermeer, cutting through the Zuidwijkermeerpolder. This wall kept the eastern part of the polder dry while the western part flooded. A road behind the wall allowed soldiers to move unseen between the forts. Fort aan de St. Aagtendijk holds a tragic memory. In the night of April 20-21, 1945, fifteen Georgian soldiers were murdered by German soldiers. During World War II, the Germans stationed 22 Georgian soldiers at the fort, then used as an ammunition depot. These Georgians, captured on the Eastern Front, were forced into German service. They were part of a larger battalion stationed in Zandvoort from September 1943 and transferred to Texel in the winter of 1945. In April 1945, the Georgian soldiers on Texel revolted. The Georgians at Fort aan de St. Aagtendijk contacted the Dutch resistance. They stole ammunition and grenades to aid the resistance. On April 20, 1945, they were caught. One Georgian threatened to report the German sergeant for stealing a calf. Fearing arrest, the sergeant called the Feldgendarmerie in Beverwijk and the Ordnungspolizei in Zaandam. Intoxicated, possibly celebrating Hitler’s birthday, they arrived at the fort and brutally murdered fifteen Georgian soldiers. Their bodies were dumped in a mass grave. One Georgian escaped but was later shot. In March 1946, the murdered soldiers were reburied at the Soviet War Cemetery in Leusden. Today, Fort aan de St. Aagtendijk resonates with a more cheerful tune. Now known as Het Muziekfort, it houses music studios and hosts events. A fitting transformation, turning a place of tragedy into a haven for creativity.