Waterproof is a coffee-table book that pays tribute to the Drechtsteden. The book is based on the rich history of this region.
We go back in time, 600 years to be exact. In the night of 18 to 19 November 1421, an enormous disaster occurred: the Sint Elisabethflood. Dozens of villages representing a large part of the Netherlands were swept away. Dredgers, dyke builders, hydraulic engineers, bridge and ship builders joined forces and settled along the river Noord. In 600 years, they grew together to become world players in the field of water management.
Waterproof honours the Drechtsteden and tells the story of the creation of the water/landscape and the relationship with the water that is always friend and foe. The water with which we wage a battle that is still incredibly topical today, given the rising sea level, among other things.
The book takes you through the region, with beautiful portrait photos of people who live and work in the area and impressive landscape photos. On a journey through 600 years of history!
Jeroen Everaert of Mothership is one of the initiators of Waterproof and helped with the production of this book. Some years ago, talks were held with Johan van den Bruele – van den Bruele vastgoed b.v. and Michiel Houdijk of Trichis Publishing. Trichis Publishing eventually published Waterproof in cooperation with Deal Drecht Cities.
On 18 November 2021, exactly 600 years after the St. Elizabeth’s flood, Euro MP Caroline Nagtegaal accepted the first copy during a festive occasion in Ridderkerk.
