About Lelystad and Flevoland

Flevoland is the youngest province of the Netherlands. It became a separate province only in 1986, and before 1942 the land didn’t even exist! During the 20^th century, all the land that now comprises the province of Lelystad, was completely recovered from the IJsselmeer (Lake IJssel). This lake itself has a very fascinating history. During the Roman occupation, the IJsselmeer existed only as a complex of lakes, marches and channels. Parts of what is now Flevoland, were at that time inhabited. However, in the first millennium, rising sea levels started to eat away parts of the Dutch shores. Several floods in the beginning of the second millennium washed away ever more land between the sea and the lakes. Especially after the disastrous flood of 1282, when the Noordzee (North Sea) broke through the barrier dunes in the north-west, this complex of lakes actually became a sea. The former lakes became at those times known as Zuiderzee (Southern Sea). Over the next few centuries, further floods and erosion enlarged the Zuiderzee. Dozens of village were flooded at those times, killing tens of thousands of people. 
 

Already in the 17^th century, plans were made to tame the Zuiderzee, but these plans turned out to be not feasible with the current technology of that time. In the early 20^th century, however, the connection between the Noordzee and the Zuiderzee was finally closed by building a 30 kilometre long dike in the sea. The Zuiderzee thereafter became knows as the IJsselmeer. Between 1942 and 1968, subsequent parts of Flevoland were drained and turned into dry land again. The southern part of Flevoland is completely surrounded by water, and is the largest artificial island in the world.