The Haarlemmermeer was created after many storms around 1500 merged a number of lakes.
It was a rough environment and the lake was nicknamed ‘Water Wolf’.
Reclamation work started in 1840. Originally the plan was to do this with 200 windmills, but the invention of the steam engine allowed the job to be done with three ultramodern steam pumping stations.
The enormous Cruqius steam pumping station is one of the most impressive industrial monuments in Europe and still works.
The cylinder has a diameter of more than 3.50 meters. The pistons drive eight external balance arms. With each piston stroke, 64,000 liters of water were pumped out of the lake.
Abbenes and Lisserbroek were islands before the reclamation and are now pieces of old land in the polder.
The Haarlemmermeer Polder is also part of the Defense Line of Amsterdam. The 60 kilometer long ring canal is divided in two by the Geniedijk. A military structure that had to protect Amsterdam by inundation.