Cornelis Lely statue dedication by Queen Juliana
My poor attempt at translating it follows:
Cornelis Lely of Amsterdam
As an engineer of the Zuiderze Association, he designed the closing and draining of the Zuiderzee (“South Sea”) for which he, as Minister of Water Management, acquired legislative approval In 1918.
Accident Law and State Mining Company are counted among the many benefits he advanced or created.
The Dutch people erect this statue in his honor.
Unveiled by Queen Juliana, September 23, 1954, on the centennial of his birth.
Transcription of the original:
CORNELIS LELYAMSTERDAMMERONTWIERP ALS INGENIEUR DER ZUIDERZEEVERENIGING DE AFSLUITING EN DROOGLEGGING DER ZUIDERZEE WAAROP HIJ ALS MINISTER VAN WATERSTAAT IN 1918 DE GOEDKEURING DER STATEN-GENERAAL VERWIERF.ONGEVALLENWET EN STAATSMIJNBEDRIJF TELLEN ONDER HET VELE HEILZAME DAT HIJ BEVORDERDE OF TOT STAND BRACHT.HET NEDERLANDSE VOLK RICHTTE HEM DIT STANDBEELD OP.ONTHULD OP ZIJN EEUWFEEST 23 SEPTEMBER 1954 DOOR KONINGIN JULIANA
ChatGPT yielded the following text which provides context as to the figure depicted in- and the location of (check out that map!)- the statue:
"The Cornelis Lely statue at the Afsluitdijk is a bronze statue of Cornelis Lely, the Dutch engineer and statesman responsible for the planning and execution of the Afsluitdijk project. The Afsluitdijk, a massive dam completed in 1932, separates the Zuiderzee from the North Sea and has had a significant impact on Dutch water management and land reclamation."