The Battle of Haarlemmermeer was a naval engagement fought on 26 May 1573, during the early stages of the Dutch War of Independence. It was fought on the waters of the

Haarlemmermeer Haarlemmermeer () is a municipality in the west of the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Haarlemmermeer is a polder, consisting of land reclaimed from water. The name Haarlemmermeer means ' Haarlem's lake', referring to the body of w ...

– a large lake which at the time was a prominent feature of North Holland (it would be drained in the 19th century). A Spanish fleet and a fleet belonging to the city of

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

(at the time still loyal to Spain),Rijksmuseum
(Dutch) commanded by the Count of Bossu, fought a fleet of rebellious Dutch

Geuzen Geuzen (; ; french: Les Gueux) was a name assumed by the confederacy of Calvinist Dutch nobles, who from 1566 opposed Spanish rule in the Netherlands. The most successful group of them operated at sea, and so were called Watergeuzen (; ; frenc ...

, commanded by Marinus Brandt, who were trying to break the

siege of Haarlem The siege of Haarlem was an episode of the Eighty Years' War. From 11 December 1572 to 13 July 1573 an army of Philip II of Spain laid bloody siege to the city of Haarlem in the Netherlands, whose loyalties had begun wavering during the pre ...

. After several hours of fighting, the Geuzen were forced to retreat.

Trivia

Amsterdam Schiphol Airport Amsterdam Airport Schiphol , known informally as Schiphol Airport ( nl, Luchthaven Schiphol, ), is the main international airport of the Netherlands. It is located southwest of Amsterdam, in the municipality of Haarlemmermeer in the province ...

is situated in what used to be the Haarlemmermeer.

Citations and notes

References

* * Naval battles of the Eighty Years' War Conflicts in 1573 1573 in the Habsburg Netherlands Eighty Years' War (1566–1609) {{Spain-battle-stub