The original IJzendijke was swallowed by the sea over five hundred years ago, but thanks to the Spanish Duke of Parma, the place was reborn a few kilometers away in the form of a defensive stronghold. In 1604, Prince Maurits expelled the Spaniards from their "Fort Ysendijck" and immediately reinforced the fortifications. After that, the city had to withstand various Spanish, French, and German assaults. IJzendijke was located on the front line in 1944 during the battle for the Westerschelde. The Belgians also showed interest in IJzendijke in 1830.