Anyone who grows up in Den Helder also grows up in the Den Helder Defence Line. Who didn't play in the dunes and bunkers during their childhood? This column highlights a different object from the Den Helder Defence Line each year. This time, it's the M219.

The M219 consists of two unique bunkers that were part of the Seezielbatterij Zanddijk. The location is in the dunes of Julianadorp, near the Zandloper beach, in the direction of the Zee van Tijd beach pavilion. Only two of these examples were built in the entire 5,000-kilometer-long Atlantic Wall. The bunker was intended to be completely camouflaged under the sand, except for the entrance and the gun. The gun was to be removed from the battleship Gneisenau and placed on the casemates. The bunkers were built in 1944, at the end of the war, so the gun was only partially installed. After the war, the bunkers were first measured, then sealed off and buried under the sand. For many years, young people, as well as visitors to Café de Zandloper, couldn't resist breaking into the bunkers. Eventually, the roof of the north bunker collapsed, and a large amount of drifting sand entered. Since 2014, a large group of volunteers from the Stelling Den Helder Foundation has been working to make the bunker accessible again. The first step? No fewer than two truckloads of rubble and sand were removed from one of the bunkers. An educational center is now being established there. The bunker on the south side is currently inaccessible to the public due to the breeding of the northern wheatear and the bat that reside there.

The M219 can be visited during Open Monument Day, Bunker Day and on appointment.

Photos: Stelling Den Helder Foundation