The ’Liniewal bewesten Spaarndam’ is a one of many military buildings that form the defence line which was constructed over a period of four decades spanning the end of the 19th century, and the start of the 20th century. The defence line spans a length of around 130KM around the city of Amsterdam, and consists of many forts, batteries, and canals. It was used to flood parts of the city to make them impassable in times of war. It is the only example of a water based defence system to have ever been built.
