TERNEUZEN

Terneuzen is nowadays the main-city of Zeeuws-vlaanderen.
Terneuzen has a port which is the third biggest harbour of the Netherlands (after Rotterdam and Amsterdam).
In former days Terneuzen was a fortress. Nothing of the fortress has remained.

In the year 1325 the name 'Nose' or 'Neuse' was mentioned for the first time. Someone was selling of a piece of land , situated in 'Nose'.
The Old-Dutch word 'Neuse' = 'nose' in English.
The Old-Dutch word 'ter' = 'at' in English
The 'schorre van Neuse' (the salting of Neuse), was a spit of land, that looked like a nose. (See map nr 3 ,the 1570-map of Zeeuws-vlaanderen in the chapter 'Old-maps' on this site)
The damming-in was completed in 1339.

In 1375 there was mentionned a chapel for seamen as part of the parish Willemskerke/Vremdieke.
In 1376 was the flood which caused the 'Braakman' , which is still a big creek. (you can see it on every map, west of Terneuzen)

Untill the 16th century Terneuzen (Neuzen,Ter Neuzen, Ter Nose) was just a tiny village with a couple of hundred inhabitants.
Nowadays Terneuzen has over 30.000 inhabitants.
Probably Terneuzen was founded along the 'Soute Vaert' or 'Zoutvaart' (also called 'Oude Vaart'), which was the connection between the 'Bleie' (also called 'Blide') and the 'Honte' (also called 'Westerschelde'). It was probably situated a little south-east from the center of Terneuzen nowadays.
During the first centuries of it's existance Terneuzen was tortured by various disasters, like floods (e.g. 1375/1376 - 1404 - 1421 - 1424) and fires.
In 1382 Terneuzen was plundered and destroyed by the people from 'Gent'.

During the '80-jarige oorlog' (war of 80 years) from 1568-1648 Terneuzen was plundered and attacked several times.
In february 1573 Terneuzen was plundered and burned down by the 'Geuzen'. In April that same year it was attacked by the Spanish and in 1574 it was plundered and destroyed once more by the 'Geuzen'.
During the last plundering the sluice was seriously damaged. Because of the treaths of the 'Geuzen' , the Spanish constructed defences. In 1575 the fortress 'Aldano' was build.
In 1583 Terneuzen became part of the 'Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden'.
On april 23, 1584 Terneuzen (Neusen) obtained 'stadsrechten' (city-rights) from 'Prins Willem van Oranje' , because Axel was occupied by the Spanish. (Before that time Neusen belonged to Axel).

About 1600 Terneuzen was a completed fortress. There were 3 gates:


Because of wars in the 16th and 17th century, Terneuzen developed very slowly.

After 1600 'prins Maurits' conquered more land and that's how 'Staatsvlaanderen' was born. During this 'Staatse' period, began the rebuilding of the area now known as Zeeuws-vlaanderen.
During a peace-agreement of 12 years, the '12-jarig bestand' (1609-1621) the rebuilding was very successful (e.g. many dikes were restored).
Between 1621 and 1648 the war went on again, but after the famous 'Vrede van Munster' in 1648, big pieces of land were conquered from the water again.(known as 'polders')

The wars with France (1747-1749 and 1794-1814) and the annexation of Staatsvlaanderen by the French in 1795, didn't promote the development of Terneuzen either.
In 1814 the former 'Staatsvlaanderen' became part of 'Het Verenigd Koninkrijk der Nederlanden' (the united kingdom of the netherlands). From now on the new name is 'Zeeuws-vlaanderen' and it will be part of the province of 'Zeeland'.
In 1815 'De Noordelijke Nederlanden' and 'De Zuidelijke Nederlanden' (the northern-netherlands & the southern-netherlands) were united.

From 1824 till 1827 the canal from Gent to Terneuzen was digged. Before that time the town 'Gent' was connected to the 'Westerschelde' by the 'Sasse-Vaart'.
From 1833 till 1839 they builded the new fortress Neuzen, with 9 'bastions' ,
to protect the 'Schelde' and the 'sluizen' (lock-gates) in the canal from Gent to Terneuzen against the the Belgian Revolt.

After the peace between Belgium and The Netherlands, april 19th, 1839, Zeeuws-vlaanderen remained as part of The Netherlands.
This was the end of many fortresses in Zeeuws-vlaanderen, except for Terneuzen.
Terneuzen was a legal fortress untill september 18th, 1910.
After that 2 'bastions' remained untill 1920.

The 19th century was a very bad time for the development of Terneuzen.

Mostly during the latest decades, after World-war II , and the fact that Terneuzen was pointed out by the government to be a developing-area in 1959, Terneuzen is growing very fast.
The villages Driewegen, Othene and Sluiskil were part of the municipal Terneuzen.

Because of the re-classification of communities on April 1st, 1970, the villages Zaamslag, Hoek and Biervliet are becoming part of the municipal Terneuzen.

The new town-hall was build in 1969-1972. It looks like the bridge of a sea-going-vessel.

In 1996/1997 they rebuild most of old centre of Terneuzen. There are very modern buildings now. Most of the old buildings are gone. The new centre keeps its roots with the water. The new entrance of the city-centre is a building which looks like lock-gates (sluizen).
Another building looks like a sea-going-vessel.

The latest big project is the 'Westerschelde Oever Verbinding' or shortly 'WOV', a cross-river-connection between Zeeuws-vlaanderen (Terneuzen) and Central Zeeland (Ellewoutsdijk). The building-preparations started last year (1997). The real construction of the tunnel will start in 1998.


Last but not least: Some famous citizens of Terneuzen:
  • Jacob Cats
  • Petrus Hondius
  • Willem Vanderdecken (Vliegende Hollander)

    PERSONAL NOTE: (The modern architects are very creative, but it's a pity that the ancient history is completely destroyed by the modern improvement)



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