Cornelis Lely

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Cornelis Lely

Cornelis Lely (September 23, 1854, Amsterdam - January 22, 1929, The Hague [1]) was a Dutch civil engineer and statesman. He was the figure responsible for the Zuiderzee Works, which meant the enclosure of the Zuiderzee by means of the Afsluitdijk, and subsequently draining parts of it into polders. All this was the result of a combination of his technical knowledge and administrative power.

From 1886 to 1891, he led the technical research team that explored the possibility of enclosing the Zuiderzee, which was approved by a State Commission. Lely was Minister of Transport and Water three times (1891-1894, 1897-1901, and 1913-1918) and exerted large influence in this function towards the implementation of his own plans. His plans were finally approved and executed after severe floodings along the Zuiderzee in 1916.

[edit] Remembrance

The city Lelystad, in the polder Eastern Flevoland and capital of the Province of Flevoland, was named after him.

In the city of Amsterdam a major road is named "Cornelis Lelylaan" after him, and one of the main railway stations "Station Lelylaan" is on this road.

In Suriname the village Kofi-Djompo was renamed after Lely, who was Governor of Suriname from 1902-1905 and constructed a new railway from Paramaribo that ran through Lelydorp. Most of the railway has gone, but Lelydorp survived and is now the capital of the district Wanica. It lies on the road from Paramaribo to Johan Adolf Pengel Airport (formerly known as Zanderij).

A statue of Lely stands on the western point of the Afsluitdijk. It was sculpted by Mari Andriessen and dedicated on September 23, 1954. A replica of this statue stands in the center of Lelystad, on a 35 meter high tower of basalt blocks, designed by Hans van Houwelingen. In Lelystad's city hall is a statue of Lely made by Piet Esser.