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W.M. Otto PhD was director of the IJsselmeerpolders Development Authority, in the Netherlands, from 1963 to 1967. His contribution to the first development of Flevoland, which had been newly reclaimed from the sea, was very important. So the name ‘starter motor of Flevoland’ is justified.
In this biography has been told how he led the designing and the first phase of the development of the new towns Lelystad and Almere. Will Otto was a tireless lobbyist for the interests of the former and the future population of Flevoland. A lot of them were originally inhabitants of Amsterdam.
Otto was at the same time ‘landdrost’ of the Southern IJsselmeerpolders Public Authority, in Lelystad as well as in Dronten. He exercised the duties and powers of the municipal council, the municipal executive and the mayor together. In practice Otto cooperated well with the advisory council, which had been elected by the citizens.
Otto also contributed to the land-use planning and the forestry policy in the Netherlands. His first job was forester in Dutch East Indies (1946-1950). Later he developed a vision on saving the tropical rainforest, especially in Indonesia. He initiated PROSEA (Plant Resources of South East Asia). This international project published 24 manuals, based on a database. This describes economically useful plants and trees in Southeast Asia.
Dutch version
This title is a translation of Will Otto (1919-2008), Startmotor van Flevoland, which appeared in 2017 in Dutch. The PDF of the original title is free for all as well, and can be found here: https://www.barkhuis.nl/product/will-otto-1919-2008/.
About the author
The author, M.F. Otto, being a son of Will Otto, is a historian.
Maps
Table of contents 5
Preface 14
Summary 19
1. Youth 23
2. Student; occupation period, 1938-1946 35
3. Forester in the Dutch East Indies, 1946-1950 47
4. The Otto family in the Netherlands 69
5. Character description and interests 80
6. The Agricultural Engineering Agency, 1950-1963 85
7. Director / landdrost in Flevoland, 1963-1976; introduction 98
8. The landdrost 115
9. Designing the city of Lelystad 129
10. The first phase of the development of the city of Lelystad 146
11. Designing the city of Almere 175
12. Environmental management and creating new natural reserves in Flevoland 189
13. The internal organization of the IJDA 193
14. ‘The Hague’ and the Zuiderzee project 206
15. The Markerwaard, whether to reclaim it or not? 216
16. Farewell to Flevoland 229
17. Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, 1976-1984 234
18. Otto’s vision on saving the tropical rainforest in Indonesia 253
19. Retired; administrative functions 1984-1993 264
Endnotes 273
Appendix 1 The Otto family 278
Appendix 2 Training and career of Will Otto 279
Appendix 3 Organization chart of the Ijsselmeerpolders Development Authority IJDA 1963-1970 282
Appendix 4 Organization chart of the Ijsselmeerpolders Development Authority (IJDA) in 1975 283
Appendix 5 Organization of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries 285
Appendix 6 Dutch political parties 289
Literature list 290
Archives 294
List of interviewed persons 295
Register of the illustrations 296
Subject Index 297