Schie
Encyclopedia
Schie is the name for four waterways in the area of Overschie
, South Holland, the Netherlands. There are the Delftse Schie, the Delfshavense Schie, the Rotterdamse Schie and the Schiedamse Schie. The existence of these four streams is the result of medieval rivalry among the cities of Delft
, Rotterdam
, and Schiedam
for toll rights.
that flowed into the former Merwede
at the current town of Overschie
. The city of Delft formed along this stream and gave it the name Delf, meaning "dig", indicating that this stream was at least partially dug out. The first excavations may have taken place back in Roman times, when the nearby Corbulo Canal also was dug.
In 1150, the Schielands High Seawall was built along the Merwede. When the outlying floodplains were made into polder
s afterwards, the Schie was extended southward and a dam was built at the new mouth. The settlement that formed there was named Schiedam
, and became an important city since it levied toll on the ships that sailed on the Schie to Delft and beyond.
In 1280, the Poldervaart was built to drain the eastern amts of Delfland. This canal had a direct connection to the Merwede outside Schiedam. Political rivalry among the various landlords and the cities of Schiedam, Delft, and Rotterdam led to the construction of a new canal between Overschie and Rotterdam in 1343, thereby spliting the Schie at Overshie in the Rotterdamse Schie and the original Schiedamse Schie. Schiedam's control over shipping on the Schie was now lost.
In 1389, the city of Delft received permission from Duke Albert I
, Count of Holland, to dig its own canal to the Merwede. The existing section from Delft to Overshie was widened, and became known as the Delftse Schie. From there a new canal was dug to the Merwede. At its mouth, Delft built its own new harbour: Delfshaven
. This section was named the Delfshavense Schie.
Since 1893, the Delftse Schie, together with the Vliet
, became part of the Rhine-Schie Canal that extends to Leiden.
In 1933, the Coolhaven (Cool harbor) was completed that provided a new and better connection between the Delfshavense Schie and the Nieuwe Maas
, reducing the shipping on the other Schie canals.
After the bombardment of Rotterdam
at the beginning of World War II, the rubble of the ruined city was used to backfill the Rotterdamse Schie. Only a small section at Overschie remains of the Rotterdamse Schie.
In 1989, the Delftse Schie between Delft and Rotterdam was transferred from municipal to provincial jurisdiction.
Overschie
Overschie is a former village in the Dutch province of South Holland, and now a neighbourhood of Rotterdam.The village of Overschie was located on the intersection of four rivers called "Schie": the Delftsche Schie, Schiedamsche Schie, Delfshavensche Schie, and Rotterdamsche Schie. It was a...
, South Holland, the Netherlands. There are the Delftse Schie, the Delfshavense Schie, the Rotterdamse Schie and the Schiedamse Schie. The existence of these four streams is the result of medieval rivalry among the cities of Delft
Delft
Delft is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland , the Netherlands. It is located between Rotterdam and The Hague....
, Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
, and Schiedam
Schiedam
Schiedam is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It is part of the Rotterdam metropolitan area. The city is located west of Rotterdam, east of Vlaardingen and south of Delft...
for toll rights.
History
The original Schie was a swampy creek in the area of SchiebroekSchiebroek
Schiebroek is a former village in the Dutch province of South Holland. It is now a neighbourhood of Rotterdam, and part of the borough of Hillegersberg-Schiebroek.Schiebroek was a separate municipality between 1817 and 1941, when it became part of Rotterdam....
that flowed into the former Merwede
Merwede
The Merwede is the name of several interconnected stretches of river in The Netherlands, all part of the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta. The Meuse river joins the Waal at Woudrichem to form the Boven Merwede...
at the current town of Overschie
Overschie
Overschie is a former village in the Dutch province of South Holland, and now a neighbourhood of Rotterdam.The village of Overschie was located on the intersection of four rivers called "Schie": the Delftsche Schie, Schiedamsche Schie, Delfshavensche Schie, and Rotterdamsche Schie. It was a...
. The city of Delft formed along this stream and gave it the name Delf, meaning "dig", indicating that this stream was at least partially dug out. The first excavations may have taken place back in Roman times, when the nearby Corbulo Canal also was dug.
In 1150, the Schielands High Seawall was built along the Merwede. When the outlying floodplains were made into 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...
s afterwards, the Schie was extended southward and a dam was built at the new mouth. The settlement that formed there was named Schiedam
Schiedam
Schiedam is a city and municipality in the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. It is part of the Rotterdam metropolitan area. The city is located west of Rotterdam, east of Vlaardingen and south of Delft...
, and became an important city since it levied toll on the ships that sailed on the Schie to Delft and beyond.
In 1280, the Poldervaart was built to drain the eastern amts of Delfland. This canal had a direct connection to the Merwede outside Schiedam. Political rivalry among the various landlords and the cities of Schiedam, Delft, and Rotterdam led to the construction of a new canal between Overschie and Rotterdam in 1343, thereby spliting the Schie at Overshie in the Rotterdamse Schie and the original Schiedamse Schie. Schiedam's control over shipping on the Schie was now lost.
In 1389, the city of Delft received permission from Duke Albert I
Albert I, Duke of Bavaria
Duke Albert I or Albrecht KG was a feudal ruler of the counties of Holland, Hainaut, and Zeeland in the Low Countries...
, Count of Holland, to dig its own canal to the Merwede. The existing section from Delft to Overshie was widened, and became known as the Delftse Schie. From there a new canal was dug to the Merwede. At its mouth, Delft built its own new harbour: Delfshaven
Delfshaven
Delfshaven is a borough of Rotterdam on the right bank of river Nieuwe Maas, in South Holland, the Netherlands. It was a separate municipality until 1886.The town of Delfshaven grew around the port of the city of Delft...
. This section was named the Delfshavense Schie.
Since 1893, the Delftse Schie, together with the Vliet
Vliet (canal)
The Vliet is a canal in the Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. It starts at the Oude Rijn at Leiden and joins the Delfshavense Schie canal at Delft...
, became part of the Rhine-Schie Canal that extends to Leiden.
20th century
In 1903, a dike broke near Kandelaar, nearly draining the entire Schie into the low-lying surrounding fields.In 1933, the Coolhaven (Cool harbor) was completed that provided a new and better connection between the Delfshavense Schie and the Nieuwe Maas
Nieuwe Maas
The Nieuwe Maas distributary of the Rhine River, and a former distributary of the Maas River, in the Dutch province of South Holland. It runs from the confluence of the rivers Noord and Lek, and flows west through Rotterdam. It ends west of the city where it meets the Oude Maas , near Vlaardingen,...
, reducing the shipping on the other Schie canals.
After the bombardment of Rotterdam
Rotterdam Blitz
The Rotterdam Blitz refers to the aerial bombardment of Rotterdam by the German Air Force on 14 May 1940, during the German invasion of the Netherlands in World War II. The objective was to support the German troops fighting in the city, break Dutch resistance and force the Dutch to surrender...
at the beginning of World War II, the rubble of the ruined city was used to backfill the Rotterdamse Schie. Only a small section at Overschie remains of the Rotterdamse Schie.
In 1989, the Delftse Schie between Delft and Rotterdam was transferred from municipal to provincial jurisdiction.