Editing Lelystad (section)

==History==
Lelystad is built on the seabed of the former [[Zuiderzee]]. About 6,500 years ago, this wetland was above high tide level and inhabited; the Netherlands have steadily subsided since. Near Lelystad at [[Swifterbant]], the oldest [[human skeleton]]s in Western Europe were discovered. Due to [[Floods in the Netherlands|rising water levels and storms]], the [[peat]]lands were washed away, and the [[Lake Flevo|Lacus Flevo]] (in Roman times) grew to be the [[Almere (lake)|Almere]] (Middle Ages) and became the [[Zuiderzee]]. The Zuiderzee (Southern Sea) was the main transport route from [[Amsterdam]] to the [[North Sea]] and the [[Hanseatic League]] cities. Due to the many [[shipwreck]]s in Flevoland, Lelystad now houses the National Centre for Maritime [[History]], with a [[museum]] and the [[shipyard]] that has built the [[Batavia (1628 ship)|''Batavia'']] replica.

[[File:Lelystad sunset.jpg|thumb|left|Sunset over the IJsselmeer, bordering Lelystad]]

After the Second World War the [[Zuiderzee Works]] continued, constructing the [[polder]] of Eastern Flevoland. In 1950 work commenced on several construction islands in the middle of the [[IJsselmeer]]. ''Lelystad-Haven'' was the largest island, and its wooden barracks housed a community of dyke-builders. In 1955 they reached the mainland, which made it possible to drive to Lelystad by car. One of the three [[pumping station]]s, which drained the polder in June 1957, was the diesel-powered ''Wortman'' in Lelystad-Haven. Until 1967 the only inhabitants of Lelystad were technical [[engineer]]s and [[laborer]]s and superintendents, living on the former construction island.