Occasionally, the remains of the Atlantic Wall poke their heads above the sand. The barriers, originally intended to halt invasion landing craft, are sometimes visible at low tide. They were called tetrahedrons because of their pyramid shape. The barriers were composed of six beams, each weighing 135 kilograms! Sometimes a mine was placed on top of the head. The tetrahedrons were then placed in large numbers on the low waterline.
Many were cleared after the war, but just as many remained, after the mines were removed, simply standing and slowly sinking into the sand. Up to the present day.
The poles lay three meters deep in their oblivion, waiting for Tennet’s excavation work. After all, the cables for the wind turbines had to be buried under the sand and the poles were in the way.
With combined efforts and with the help of the Van der Meij company, the volunteers of Rondje Wijk aan Zee fortunately managed to save several poles and two heads from demolition.
Rondje Wijk aan Zee hopes to give two Tetrahedrons a nice spot in the village in the future. The barriers are a tangible reminder of the wartime past. They will soon provide the opportunity to literally pause and reflect on the history of our coastal village during wartime during guided tou
