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Fort bij Rijnauwen, west of Utrecht |
The Kringenwet of 1853 was a Dutch law governing structures and earthwork along a military emergency flood plain. This Nieuwe Hollandse Waterlinie was a narrow region 85km long engineered for precise inundation during conflict. This would help establish a national redoubt and protect the seats of government and power.
The "law of rings" imposed a graduating series of restrictions on any construction or earthwork near to military infrastructure. Three concentric zones around any fort or battery regulated an open view and free range of fire.
Construction, demolition, digging, and horticulture were all controlled with increasing strictness nearer to an installation. The parameters of the Verboden Kringen were as follows:
• Between 0 and 300 meters, the ministry of war would have to approve any construction and then would permit only structures made of wood, reed, or other flammable material.
• From 300 to 600 meters, one could build a foundation of stone or brick up to 50 centimeters high, and a chimney. Everything else would have to be flammable.
• From 600 meters to one kilometer normal construction was permissible but military authorities could order destruction without consultation.
The waterline defense model became obsolete in the age of military aircraft. The ministry of war suspended enforcement of the Kringenwet in 1951 and withdrew the law in 1963.
Much of the infrastucture stands. Many of the areas formerly protected for military reasons are now lush refuge for birds, animals, and flora.