Oostburg ( Zeelandic Flemish: ''Wòstburg'') is a city in the south-western

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

. It located in the municipality of

Sluis Sluis (; zea, label=Zeelandic, Sluus ; french: Écluse) is a town and municipality located in the west of Zeelandic Flanders, in the south-western Dutch province of Zeeland. The current incarnation of the municipality has existed since 1 January ...

, in the province of

Zeeland , nl, Ik worstel en kom boven("I struggle and emerge") , anthem = "Zeeuws volkslied"("Zeelandic Anthem") , image_map = Zeeland in the Netherlands.svg , map_alt = , m ...

. As of 1 January 2015, its population is 4731, down from 5008 in January 2005. It received

city rights Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...

in 1237. Before 1 January 2003, Oostburg was also the name of a municipality. It merged with

Sluis-Aardenburg Sluis-Aardenburg was a municipality in the province of Zeeland, in the south-western part of the Netherlands. It was created from a merger of Sluis and Aardenburg in 1995, and it merged with the municipality of Oostburg, on 1 January 2003, to form ...

to form the new municipality of Sluis. The municipality covered an area of 224.93 km², of which 1.05 km² was water. As well as the town of Oostburg, the former municipality also included the following towns, villages and townships: *

Breskens Breskens is a harbour town on the Westerschelde in the municipality of Sluis in the province of Zeeland, in the south-western Netherlands. Its population is 4,787 (). The town is noted for the ''Visserijfeesten'' (Fishery Festival), the largest f ...

Cadzand Cadzand is a village in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is located in the municipality of Sluis, about 8 km northwest of Oostburg. The village contains 790 inhabitants (2010). Better known to many visitors is the nearby beach at Cadzand- ...

Groede Groede () is a village in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is located about 5 km north of Oostburg in the municipality of Sluis. History The village was first mentioned in 1133 as Groede, and means "land accretion". The oldest village wa ...

Hoofdplaat Hoofdplaat is a village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Zeeland. It is located on the Westerschelde, about 7 km east of Breskens, in the municipality of Sluis. History The village was first mentioned in 1665 as Hooge Plaet, and is nam ...

IJzendijke IJzendijke is a city in the municipality of Sluis, about 10 km east of Oostburg, in the Dutch province of Zeeland. The town received city rights in 1303. History The town was first mentioned in 1127 as Isendica, and means " dike of Iso ...

Nieuwvliet Nieuwvliet is a village in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is located about 5 km north of Oostburg, in the municipality of Sluis The village was first mentioned in 1514 as Nieuvliet. "Vliet" means stream. Nieuw (new) was added to distingu ...

Schoondijke Schoondijke is a village in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is located in the municipality of Sluis, about 5 km south of Breskens. History Originally, the village was called Wlendike from 1150 onwards, and means "dirty dike". From 1250 o ...

Waterlandkerkje Waterlandkerkje is a village in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is located in the municipality of Sluis. The village was first mentioned in 1740 as "de Kerk op Waterland, en doorgaans Nieuw of Klein Kerkje geheeten", and means "little church o ...

Zuidzande Zuidzande is a village in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Zeeland. It is located in the municipality of Sluis. History The village was first mentioned in 1290 as "insula de Zuitzant", and means "south sand (bank)" and refers to the former is ...

Oostburg is typically a tourist town very close to the beaches at

. Every Wednesday is market day all year round but in the summer the city is busy and has many fun events.

The unicorn

Oostburg's symbol is the

unicorn The unicorn is a legendary creature that has been described since antiquity as a beast with a single large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead. In European literature and art, the unicorn has for the last thousand years o ...

, from which the townsfolk are said to derive strength and courage. In reality, the unicorn's presence is represented by a sculpture produced by the sculptress

Liesbeth Messer-Heijbroek Liesbeth Messer-Heijbroek (born Amsterdam, 25 April 1914: died Breda, 6 November 2007) was a Dutch sculptor and medal maker. Born Liesbeth Heijbroek, she studied in the city of her birth at the Rijksakademie (National academy) under both Jan ...

who for many years, with her husband, lived in the area: she evidently took inspiration from the name of a former inn. The sculpture has been repositioned at least once since it first appeared in 1952 during the postwar reconstruction: at one stage it adorned a small car park. Currently it shares with a modern fountain a spot in "Eenhoornplantsoen" (Unicorn Place) beyond the northern end of the old market square in the town centre.

WW2 Monument

During the Second World War approximately 140 Oostburg townsfolk died and most of all the buildings, shops and churches were destroyed. This monument is a tribute to them and the rebuilding of the town. Around the lower part of the monument are the names of those who perished.

Gallery

File:Oostburg Sint-Eligiuskerk R04.jpg, St Eligius Church File:Oostburg Unicorn after letter boxes turned orange.JPG, Oostburg unicorn File:World_War_2_Monument_in_Oostburg.jpg, World War II memorial File:Oostburg (Zeeuws-Vlaanderen) Verwoest pand De Gruyter. Een tank raast voorbij.…, Bestanddeelnr 31003 026.jpg, Oostburg in 1944

References

{{Authority control Cities in the Netherlands Municipalities of the Netherlands disestablished in 2003 Populated places in Zeeland Former municipalities of Zeeland Sluis