The boards of the Histechnica Association and the KIVI History of Technology Section are pleased to invite you to attend a lecture to be given by Mr H. Ouwerkerk entitled: "Dutch fortification construction" .

Entrance is from the car park behind high-rise buildings.

Programme:

  • 10.30 am: Walk-in with coffee and tea
  • 11:00: Welcome and introduction
  • 11.05:00: Lecture by Mr Hugo Ouwerkerk
  • 12:00: Break
  • 12:15: Continuation of lecture and closing discussion
  • 12:45: End of meeting

Summary of the lecture

The subject of the lecture is the introduction of fortification construction in the Low Countries and its further development, to which Dutch fortification engineers have made an important contribution.

A founder of the Dutch version of the bastioned fortification system, was the mathematician Simon Stevin. However, more can be found on paper from his contemporaries and successors, some of whom lectured in the 'Nederduytsche Mathematique' at the universities of Leiden and Franeker.

The fortification theory was used as a practical elaboration of geometrical issues and, in fact, it was a study of fortification.

This lecture covers the period 1500-1940, within which the development of armaments and related fortification measures will also be followed.

Naturally, various Dutch fortresses will be reviewed, such as the well-known Vesting Naarden and the lecturer's hometown, the fortress of Gorinchem.

Information about the speaker

Hugo Ouwerkerk (1959) is a retired electrical engineer. He studied 'energy engineering' at the Ir. A.J. Versfelt-MTS in Utrecht and then took various additional evening courses on the design of low-voltage installations.

He joined a large electro-technical installation company in Rotterdam in 1981 and remained there throughout his working life.

The company did not shy away from taking on technically difficult and innovative projects. So it was a challenging working environment with great projects and interesting technology. Not only in the Marine & Offshore sphere, it also involved hydraulic engineering projects on land, such as the Maeslantkering in the Nieuwe Waterweg.

In 1998, he started creating a website about his beloved hometown of Gorinchem, a large fortified city and part of the Dutch Waterline.

He then delved into fortress construction and the tactics of siege and defence of a fortress. He then studied the military history of the Netherlands. Most of the knowledge and facts he acquired have been incorporated into the website www.vestinggorinchem.nl, to which other members of the Vesting Gorinchem Working Group he founded also contribute.

Please register to attend this lecture:

  • KIVI members can register via the KIVI website
  • Members of Histechnica can register free of charge through the secretary : hotzeboonstra@gmail.com.
  • Interested parties who are not members can also register via the above ways. There will then be a cost of €5.00.
  • The lecture will be broadcast live ; you should also register for this through the above channels. There will be no charge for this.

Upcoming activities at Science Centre Delft:

  • Saturday 21 March 2026 at 11:00 a.m. lecture by Mr J. Halmans: "Electrical power station of the Oranje Nassau Mines in Heerlen".
  • Saturday 25 April 2026 at 11:00 am lecture by Liselotte Neervoort: "From aircraft wing to toaster: 4-year programme Customised Faculty Collections at TU Delft".
  • Saturday 16 May 2026 at 11:00 am lecture by Em. Prof. P. Kruit: "Mapper".