“A crescent moon of earth,” that’s what they called it back then. This is Lunet 13. It’s a piece of the Line of Beverwijk. This line once held 26 of these lunettes. Now only eight remain.
Lunet 13 is a reminder of a tense time. It recalls the year 1799. English and Russian troops invaded North Holland. They wanted to oust the French. The invasion failed.
In response, the Dutch built this defense line around Beverwijk in 1800. This was on the narrow strip of land. It lay between the North Sea and the Wijkermeer. Lunets like this one played a vital role.
A lunet is an arc-shaped earthen wall. It has six or eight angular points. It resembles a crescent moon. Each lunet pointed north. It was ready for another invasion. Soldiers could place mobile field guns here. Lunet 13 and the others were manned until 1804.
Of the 26 lunettes, Lunet 26 stands in Wijk aan Zee. Lunets 8 through 14 are here in Beverwijk. The numbering of the lunets starts in the east.
During World War II, German occupiers dug trenches in some lunettes. They added stone to some of them.
Lunet 13 stands as a testament to past conflicts. It reminds us of the Coalition Wars. These wars involved European countries and France under Napoleon. They spanned from 1792 to 1815. Millions died in these conflicts.
Take a moment to imagine the scene. Soldiers standing guard. Cannons ready. The threat of invasion looming. Lunet 13 played its part in this story. It is a silent witness to history. It connects us to the past.