Saeftinghe
Encyclopedia
Saeftinghe was a city in eastern Zeeuws-Vlaanderen
, Belgium, near Nieuw-Namen
that existed until 1584. Nowadays the area is a swamp known as the Verdronken Land van Saeftinghe (Drowned Land of Saeftinghe) which is an official nature reserve area. The land is a crosspoint where the river Scheldt
meets the salty waters of the North Sea
in the estuary
known as the Western Scheldt
. It is a treacherous place where the tides easily consume large stretches of land in a matter of seconds and must not be explored without an experienced guide.
of Ter Doest. Willem van Saeftinghe was one of the best known occupants of the abbey and gave his name to the stretch of land claimed from the sea. Up to 1570, the land was very fertile polder
. Agriculture, peat burning and trade turned Saeftinghe into one of the most prosperous places in the region. There were three additional settlements nearby: Namen, Sint-Laureins, and Casuwele.
Most of the land around the city was lost in the All Saint's flood of 1570 (the Allerheiligenvloed). Four years later the drowned land reached into what is now Belgium
. Only Saeftinghe and some surrounding land managed to remain dry.
In 1584, during the Eighty Years' War, Dutch soldiers saw themselves forced to destroy the last intact dike and Saeftinghe sunk into the waters of the Scheldt
. Attempts to reclaim the area were made throughout history; the most serious project taking place in 1907, but even then only the Hertogin Hedwige-polder was conquered from the sea.
Saeftinghe itself has never been retrieved.
Zeeuws-Vlaanderen
Zeelandic Flanders is the southernmost region of the province of Zeeland in south-western Netherlands. It lies south of the Western Scheldt that separates the region from the remainder of Zeeland to the north...
, Belgium, near Nieuw-Namen
Nieuw-Namen
Nieuw-Namen is a town in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Hulst, and lies about 24 km south of Bergen op Zoom.In 2001, the town of Nieuw-Namen had 770 inhabitants...
that existed until 1584. Nowadays the area is a swamp known as the Verdronken Land van Saeftinghe (Drowned Land of Saeftinghe) which is an official nature reserve area. The land is a crosspoint where the river Scheldt
Scheldt
The Scheldt is a 350 km long river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands...
meets the salty waters of the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
in the estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
known as the Western Scheldt
Western Scheldt
The Western Scheldt in the province Zeeland in the southwestern Netherlands, is the estuary of the Scheldt river. This river once had several estuaries, but the others are disconnected from the Scheldt, leaving the Westerschelde as its only direct way to the sea. It is an important shipping route...
. It is a treacherous place where the tides easily consume large stretches of land in a matter of seconds and must not be explored without an experienced guide.
History
Saeftinghe was drained in the 13th century under the management of the abbeyAbbey
An abbey is a Catholic monastery or convent, under the authority of an Abbot or an Abbess, who serves as the spiritual father or mother of the community.The term can also refer to an establishment which has long ceased to function as an abbey,...
of Ter Doest. Willem van Saeftinghe was one of the best known occupants of the abbey and gave his name to the stretch of land claimed from the sea. Up to 1570, the land was very fertile polder
Polder
A polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments known as dikes, that forms an artificial hydrological entity, meaning it has no connection with outside water other than through manually-operated devices...
. Agriculture, peat burning and trade turned Saeftinghe into one of the most prosperous places in the region. There were three additional settlements nearby: Namen, Sint-Laureins, and Casuwele.
Most of the land around the city was lost in the All Saint's flood of 1570 (the Allerheiligenvloed). Four years later the drowned land reached into what is now Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. Only Saeftinghe and some surrounding land managed to remain dry.
In 1584, during the Eighty Years' War, Dutch soldiers saw themselves forced to destroy the last intact dike and Saeftinghe sunk into the waters of the Scheldt
Scheldt
The Scheldt is a 350 km long river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands...
. Attempts to reclaim the area were made throughout history; the most serious project taking place in 1907, but even then only the Hertogin Hedwige-polder was conquered from the sea.
Saeftinghe itself has never been retrieved.
The legend
A legend of Saeftinghe attributes the All Saint's flood to capturing a mermaid and not setting her free. This caused the region to be cursed by the merman, and led to the flood that destroyed the towns of Sint-Laureins, Namen and Casuwele, killing all inhabitants. The legend holds that a tower bell calls for help from the sunken city.External links
- Zeeuwse Landschap (in Dutch)