Bergen op Zoom, North Brabant, Netherlands

🇳🇱 Bergen op Zoom; called Berrege in the local dialect is a municipality and a city located in the south of the Netherlands.

History Bergen op Zoom was granted city status probably in 1212. In 1287 the city and its surroundings became a lordship as it was separated from the lordship of Breda. The lordship was elevated to a margraviate in 1559. Several noble families, including the House of Glymes, ruled Bergen op Zoom in succession until 1795, although the title was only nominal since at least the seventeenth century.

During the early modern period, Bergen op Zoom was a very strong fortress and one of the main armories and arsenals of the United Provinces. It had a remarkable natural defensive site, surrounded as it was by marshes and easily flooded polders. Furthermore, it could receive reinforcements and supplies by sea, if the besieging army did not have a fleet to blockade its port.

Due to these features, the city was one of the strategic points held by the Dutch during their revolt in the Eighty Years War, beginning in the late sixteenth century. It was at that time besieged by Alessandro Farnese first in 1588, and by Ambrosio Spinola a second time in 1622. Both sieges were unsuccessful, and Bergen op Zoom got the nickname La Pucelle or The Virgin as it was never successfully taken in a siege.

In 1747, during the War of the Austrian Succession, the French army laid siege to the city. Bergen op Zoom had been fortified by new works built at the beginning of the 17th century by Menno van Coehoorn, with three forts surrounding the city and a canalized diversion of the Scheldt acting as a ditch around its walls. However, it had no second line of fortifications, nor any fortress. After seventy days of siege, the city was taken and thoroughly sacked; the garrison was slaughtered.

During the War of the Sixth Coalition, the town was again besieged by the British in March 1814 in a failed attempt to dislodge the French garrison.

Trading town During the reign of Jan II van Glymes (1417–1494), nicknamed "Jan metten Lippen" (meaning "Jan with the big lips", probably caused by an infection), a surge in economic growth occurred in the city. Large fairs were held twice a year, in spring and fall, that were known both nationally and internationally. Merchants from all over Europe came to Bergen op Zoom to sell their goods.

Because of this major economic growth, the Sint-Gertrudischurch was enlarged. The enlargement was called the Nieuw Werck but was never finished, because of the economic recession of the mid-16th century. It fell into ruin. The economic recession was largely caused by the poor accessibility of the port, due to a number of floods in Zeeland and West-Brabant. Because of the great reliance on the port, the economic growth received a major blow. In addition, the modernization of trade techniques, such as establishing of a permanent stock exchange instead of the fairs, which took place twice a year, also damaged the local economy.

The fairs continued until 1910. Despite the end of the two big fairs, Bergen op Zoom still hosts all kinds of smaller fairs and events.

Population centres • Bergen op Zoom; ◦ Heimolen; ◦ Halsteren; ◦ Lepelstraat; ◦ Kladde.

City of Bergen op Zoom The Markiezenhof Palace, built in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, houses a cultural centre and a museum with a picturesque courtyard, paintings, period rooms, and temporary exhibitions. SABIC Innovative Plastics operates a major manufacturing facility in Bergen op Zoom. Philip Morris was another major employer until it closed its plant in 2014.

Transport Bergen op Zoom is a railway station located in Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands. The station was opened on 23 December 1863 and is located on the Roosendaal–Vlissingen railway. The services are operated by Nederlandse Spoorwegen.

The following services currently call at Bergen op Zoom: • 2x per hour intercity service Amsterdam - Haarlem - Leiden - The Hague - Rotterdam - Dordrecht - Roosendaal - Vlissingen (local service between Roosendaal and Vlissingen) • 2x per weekday intercity service Roosendaal - Vlissingen (express service between Roosendaal and Vlissingen in the peak direction, only stopping at Middelburg, Goes and Bergen op Zoom. Splits from/Combines with the regular Amsterdam - Vlissingen intercity service at Roosendaal).

Fort de Roovere Fort De Roovere is an earthen fort, constructed as part of the Dutch Water Line, (Hollandse Waterlinie), a series of water-based defences conceived by Maurice of Nassau in 1628 during the Eighty Years War where it defended against Spanish attackers. It is located near Halsteren.

In 1747, during the Austrian War of Succession (1740–1748) the fort was under siege by the French. This siege has been extensively documented. Eventually, the fortress Bergen op Zoom fell and the siege was abandoned.

During the Napoleonic Wars Bergen op Zoom was besieged again, this time by the English as they chased the French back to their homeland. During this time the Fort de Roovere seems to have received some upkeep but was not attacked. After the end of this conflict the fort was abandoned. The fort is open from the ‘back’, and the ‘front’ consists of two bastions. Until the renovation in 2010 the fort's moat was dry and the surrounding area and banks were overgrown with trees.

Renovation Over the years the de Roovere fort had fallen into major disrepair, but a foundation has now been established, "Friends of Fort de Roovere", whose goal is to make sure the fort is not forgotten. In mid 2010, extensive renovation of the fort began with the removal of the undergrowth and a deepening of the old moat so that the fort could be more easily recognizable as such. In addition, a novel bridge was designed by RO&AD Architecten in Halsteren, The Netherlands. To access the fort without disrupting its original design, and because the idea of a bridge crossing the moat seemed disrespectful, RO&AD conceived an unusual partially submerged bridge. The structure has taken on the name "The Moses Bridge", as it appears to divide the moat's waters. RO&AD Architecten also designed a watchtower named Pompejus on the site that doubles as seating for an open air theater.

The clearing of the area led to many local protests. Little to no interest was paid to archeological research as there should be traces of the French siege nearby. Local amateurs with metal detectors still regularly find cannonballs there, which likely originated from the siege.

The improvements include recreational functions, and the site contains several routes for cycling and hiking.