The booklet "Neerlands Nieuw Gewest" (New Dutch Region ) by Gilles van Hees is a charming and historically interesting publication that describes the development of the Noordoostpolder and the reclamation of the Zuiderzee—one of the largest and most ambitious projects in Dutch history. Published in 1931, the booklet aims to introduce readers—often young people or interested citizens—to the new land "reclaimed from the sea."
In lively and accessible language, Van Hees recounts the struggle against the water, the technical ingenuity of land reclamation, and the pioneering lives of the first inhabitants. He describes how workers, farmers, and engineers collaborated to create fertile fields, roads, and villages where once there were only waves. The book's tone is optimistic and nationalistic: it reflects the belief in progress, work, and community spirit that was so characteristic of the Netherlands in the immediate post-war period.
The publication has a cardboard cover and is illustrated with black-and-white photographs and line drawings of the new polder landscape, the dikes, locks, and first settlements.
