It’s a great shadow to live in, even generations later. Jan Lely (75) is a great-grandson of engineer Cornelis Lely, who, as the architect of the Zuiderzee Works, is responsible for the reclamation of the Zuiderzee. And of course the designer of the iconic Afsluitdijk. NH went back to the building with Jan, of which he already has special memories as a child.
The story of Jan Lely begins in 1954, when as a 7-year-old boy he was present at the unveiling of the Lely statue in Den Oever. “I had to offer Queen Juliana flowers. My sister was allowed to give the wife of Prime Minister Drees a flower, but she liked the Queen much more, so she accepted the flowers and immediately ran to the Queen,” says Jan Lely.
Visionary
It was the first time that Jan Lely was deployed to promote the work of his famous great-grandfather, a vocation he continued for the rest of his life. As chairman of the Cornelis Lely Foundation, he now manages the estate of his famous great-grandfather. “Lely is best known as the man who closed off and reclaimed the Zuiderzee, but he did much more than that,” says his great-grandson. “He was not only a brilliant engineer but also a visionary and decisive politician and statesman whose main motivation is to give the Netherlands a future.”
Text continues after the photo
Nevertheless, Jan Lely also recognizes the importance of the Afsluitdijk. “The Afsluitdijk not only put an end to the devastating flooding of the Zuiderzee, but the reclamation also provided more space for food supply. During the First World War there was a famine. Lely wanted to ensure that we were no longer dependent on foreign countries for our food supply, so there had to be more land for fields and grain,” explains Lely.
Revolutionary
The great-grandson is full of praise for the way the reinforcement is being carried out. And according to him, his great-grandfather would be too. “The way in which the dike is being reinforced is in line with the original plan. The Levvel blocks are a revolutionary design. Even now, the whole world is looking at the Netherlands to see how we are doing this,” he says confidently.
The Afsluitdijk in 32 stories
Over the next four years, the Afsluitdijk will undergo a major renovation. The dike will be strengthened and raised to protect the Netherlands against seawater in the future as well. NH Media and Omrop Fryslân, in collaboration with Rijkswaterstaat and De Nieuwe Afsluitdijk, tell the story of this iconic building in 32 reports, equal to the number of kilometers covered by the Afsluitdijk. Through the eyes of the people who deal with the dike every day. Look at here all stories.
‘Lely-head’
Although it has been 93 years since Cornelis Lely passed away, he is still a great source of inspiration for Jan. “Especially when it comes to work, whatever work you do. Sometimes things don’t work out and you wonder, am I going to continue or not? I inherited from him that you keep going, just as long until it works,” explains he out.
Jan is also proud that he also has the features of his great-grandfather in appearance. “That’s said yes, that ‘lely head often comes back in the family. I enjoy carrying it on my torso.”
Tip us!
? Send a Whatsapp message with a tip, photo or video to 06-30093003 (useful to save in your phone)!
? Contact the editors or journalists in your area via our tip form.
To stay informed?
? Stay informed of news from your region, download the free NH News app via the App Store or the Google Play Store.