Zierikzee

In 976, Zierikzee appears under the name Creka (creek) in a document in which Emperor Otto II confirms the possessions of the St. Bavo's Abbey. The name Zierikzee first appears as Siricasha in a document from 1156.

In 1248, the town rights of Zierikzee were confirmed and extended by Count William II of Holland. The first town rights were granted between 1217 and 1220, but the exact date is not known.

By the end of the Middle Ages, Zierikzee was an important place in Zeeland and its surroundings. In 1303 and 1304, the city was besieged several times by Flemish troops under the leadership of Guy of Namur. The Flemish failed to capture Zierikzee and were ultimately defeated in the Battle of Zierikzee on August 11, 1304.

In 1466, a great city fire took place in Zierikzee.

During the Eighty Years' War, Zierikzee was taken by the Geuzen on August 8, 1572. In September 1575, Spanish troops landed on Schouwen and Duiveland and laid siege to Zierikzee. The city surrendered on June 29, 1576, but four months later a mutiny broke out among the Spanish soldiers due to overdue payments, after which the Spaniards left.

During World War I, on April 30, 1917, six bombs were dropped on the city by a lost British pilot. The pilot had confused Zierikzee with Zeebrugge, resulting in three casualties. After World War II, the city was first expanded eastward with Plan Malta, and then with the construction of the Poortambacht neighborhood ("Plan West") to the west.

Zierikzee, since 1971 a protected cityscape, is known as a city of monuments. For a relatively small city, Zierikzee has a large number of monuments, totaling 568. The most famous monument is the St. Lievensmonstertoren, colloquially known as the Thick Tower. This tower closely resembles the St. Rumbold's Tower in Mechelen.

MX-5 Roadster Club NL