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Maatschappij tot Uitvoering van Zuiderzeewerken

The Maatschappij tot Uitvoering van Zuiderzeewerken (MUZ) (English: Society for the Execution of the Zuiderzee Works) was a consortium of Dutch dredging contractors, established in August 1926 for the purposes of constructing the Zuiderzee Works. The founding companies included:


 * M.J. van Hattum's Havenwerken of Beverwijk
 * Hollandsche Aannemingsmaatschappij of The Hague
 * A. Bos of Dordrecht
 * L. Volker.

The consortium was led by J.A. Ringers, an engineer previously employed by Rijkswaterstaat whose hydraulic engineering experience included overseeing the construction of the Noordersluis at IJmuiden. Whilst Ringers' involvement provided significant technical expertise and governmental trust, there remained some concerns that awarding a series of large infrastructure projects to a single joint venture entity created an effective monopoly. These concerns were partially assuaged by the formation of a rival consortium in 1927, known as Maatschappij tot Aanneming van Zuiderzeewerken (MAZ) (English: Society for Contracting Zuiderzee Works).

Projects and developments
The first project undertaken by the MUZ was the construction of the Pilot Polder at Andijk (Dutch: Proefpolder Andijk). On 17 September 1927, a competitor organisation known as the Society for Contracting Zuiderzee Works (Dutch: Maatschappij tot Aanneming van Zuiderzeewerken, MAZ) was founded. The MAZ was established by N.V. Maatschappij tot Aanneming van Werken, owned by A.L.J. (Leendert) Volker of Bussum, and Johannes Kraayeveld of Sliedrecht, with the company later becoming Boskalis. This consortium was based in Anna Paulowna, with its first project being the construction of a dike around the Boezemmeer south of Wieringen.

Over time, additional contractors joined the MAZ joint venture, including A. Prins and K.L. Kalis. Several companies from outside the two joint venture groups, such as Breejenbout and Zanen Verstoep, participated in the Zuiderzee Works through special arrangements.

During the Great Depression, economic challenges necessitated increased collaboration within the Netherlands dredging industry. This led to the establishment of the Centraal Baggerbedrijf (Central Dredging Company), which ultimately facilitated the merger of the MUZ and MAZ organisations. Historical records indicate significant cultural differences between these two organisations, with the MUZ often described as more formal. This perception is noted in an appendix to the 2001 reissue of the book Het verjaagde water, which includes a historical account of events undertaken by researchers from Delft University of Technology.