Schouwen-Duiveland () is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

and an

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

in the southwestern

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 ...

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 ...

. The municipality has 33,737 inhabitants (1 January 2016) and covers an area of (of which is water). The northside of the island has two fixed connections to

Goeree-Overflakkee Goeree-Overflakkee () is the southernmost delta island of the province of South Holland, Netherlands. It is separated from Voorne-Putten and Hoeksche Waard by the Haringvliet, from the mainland of North Brabant by the Volkerak, and from Schou ...

, the

Brouwersdam The Brouwersdam is the seventh structure of the Delta Works in the Netherlands. Brouwersdam forms a barrier across the former estuary known as the Brouwershavense Gat. As a result, the area of water became known as the Grevelingenmeer. Construct ...

and the

Grevelingen Grevelingen or Grevelingenmeer (Lake Grevelingen) is a closed off part of the Rhine-Meuse estuary on the border of the Dutch provinces of South Holland and Zeeland. It is situated between the islands of Goeree-Overflakkee (South Holland) and Sc ...

. The southside has two fixed connections to cross the

Oosterschelde The Eastern Scheldt ( nl, Oosterschelde) is a former estuary in the province of Zeeland, Netherlands, between Schouwen-Duiveland and Tholen on the north and Noord-Beveland and Zuid-Beveland on the south. It also features the largest national ...

to North Beveland, the Stormvloed Kering or Oosterscheldedam, part of the

Delta Works The Delta Works ( nl, Deltawerken) is a series of construction projects in the southwest of the Netherlands to protect a large area of land around the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta from the sea. Constructed between 1954 and 1997, the works con ...

and the

Zeeland Bridge The Zeeland Bridge ( nl, Zeelandbrug) is the longest bridge in the Netherlands. The bridge spans the Eastern Scheldt estuary. It connects the islands of Schouwen-Duiveland and Noord-Beveland in the province of Zeeland , nl, Ik worstel en ko ...

. The island is mostly flat and is, besides a small area, below the sea level. On the western tip is a dune whose highest point is about 42 meters above sea level. The island is, in the summer, very popular with (German) tourists. The

Renesse Renesse ( zea, Renisse) is a village in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland, and lies about 28 km west of Hellevoetsluis. Renesse is a popular tourist resort with zero-fare bus services in th ...

area is a popular holiday destination for young people. The Brouwersdam is a

dam A dam is a barrier that stops or restricts the flow of surface water or underground streams. Reservoirs created by dams not only suppress floods but also provide water for activities such as irrigation, human consumption, industrial use ...

, part of the

, from Schouwen-Duiveland to

Goedereede Goedereede () is a little town and former municipality in the western Netherlands, in the province of South Holland. The former municipality had a population of about 11,000 in 2010. It consisted of the west part of the island of Goeree-Overfla ...

, the west part of the island of

South Holland South Holland ( nl, Zuid-Holland ) is a province of the Netherlands with a population of over 3.7 million as of October 2021 and a population density of about , making it the country's most populous province and one of the world's most densely ...

History

The island of Schouwen-Duiveland originally consisted of four islands:

Schouwen Schouwen is the name of a former island of the Dutch province of Zeeland.Schouwen-Duiveland ...

Duiveland Duiveland is the name of a former island and a former municipality in the Dutch province of Zeeland. The island of Duiveland was joined to Schouwen in 1610, forming the island of Schouwen-Duiveland. It is the eastern part of the current island. Th ...

Dreischor Dreischor is a village in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland, and lies about 20 km southwest of Hellevoetsluis. Geography Population and surface In 2001, the village of Dreischor had 54 ...

, and

Bommenede Bommenede or Bommenee is a former island, village, and municipality in the Netherlands, located about 5 km east of the city of Brouwershaven. Village of Bommenede Bommenede was founded in the early 12th century by monks of the Cistercian mona ...

. Over the centuries it has grown by nature and man together. The dam between Schouwen and Duiveland dates from 1610. On 30 April 1900 the Rotterdam Tramway Company opened a steam tram line on the island running as public transport until 1 February 1953. After the floods of 1953, the service has not been restored and has been replaced by a bus line. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Schouwen-Duiveland was the only island that remained under

German occupation German-occupied Europe refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly occupied and civil-occupied (including puppet governments) by the military forces and the government of Nazi Germany at various times between 1939 an ...

until May 1945. In December 1944, the Germans had declared their intent to deport all local men aged between 17 and 40. The local resistance fighters made plans to sabotage this by stealing all the registers on the island with the help of nearby

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

, who were preparing to liberate the island. Events unfolded that led to the capture of ten local men who were subsequently executed. After the completion of the Brouwersdam in 1972 the island became a center of water sports. Surfing, sailing and diving are common activities on the North Sea beaches and the Grevelingenmeer.

Geography

Topography

''Dutch Topographic map of the island of Schouwen-Duiveland, as per Sept. 2014.''

Demography

The main population centres are listed in the tables below (as of 2021). There are two places in Schouwen-Duiveland, Zierikzee and Brouwershaven, which in the past had gained city rights. Then there are the hamlets

Looperskapelle Looperskapelle is a hamlet in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland, and lies about 23 km southwest of Hellevoetsluis Hellevoetsluis () is a small city and municipality in the western Netherla ...

, Moriaanshoofd,

Nieuwerkerk Nieuwerkerk is a village in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland, and lies about 23 km south of Hellevoetsluis. Nieuwerkerk was a separate municipality until 1961, when the new municipality of ...

, Nieuwerkerke, Schuddebeurs,

Westenschouwen Westenschouwen is a hamlet in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland, and lies about 21 km north of Middelburg Middelburg may refer to: Places and jurisdictions Europe * Middelburg, Zeeland, t ...

Zierikzee Zierikzee () is a small city in the southwest Netherlands, 50 km southwest of Rotterdam. It is situated in the municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland, Zeeland. The city hall of Schouwen-Duiveland is located in Zierikzee, its largest city. Zieri ...

, Beldert , Brijdorpe , Burghsluis, Capelle ,

Elkerzee Elkerzee is a hamlet in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland, and lies about 1 km south of Scharendijke.''ANWB Topografische Atlas Nederland'', Topografische Dienst and ANWB, 2005. Elkerzee is ...

and New Haamstede. The town hall is in Zierikzee. There is no village called Schouwen-Duiveland; the municipality takes its name from the island, which received its name when the former islands Schouwen and Duiveland (and Dreischor) were

polder A polder () is a low-lying tract of land that forms an artificial hydrological entity, enclosed by embankments known as dikes. The three types of polder are: # Land reclaimed from a body of water, such as a lake or the seabed # Flood plains s ...

ed together.

Nature in Schouwen-Duiveland

A large number of nature reserves can be found on Schouwen-Duiveland. They are usually managed by Staatsbosbeheer. Most nature reserves are accessible to visitors. The areas are particularly suitable for bird watchers and cyclists. In the nature of Schouwen Duiveland, European special species such as avocet, curlew and plover can be found. Boswachterij Westerschouwen is the largest forest in the province of Zeeland. In addition to the nature in and around the Grevelingenmeer, the following nature reserves can be found on Schouwen-Duiveland: *Boswachterij Westerschouwen (Westenshouwen Forest) *Kop van Schouwen *Slikken van Dijkwater *Dorpsbos Sirjansland (Sirjansland Village Forest) *Duinzoom *Gadra *Kakkersweel (Small lake between Kerkwerve & Noordgouwe) *Karolingische Burcht *Krekengebied Ouwerkerk *Meeuwenduinen *Naterskreek *Plan Tureluur ( Redshank reserve) *Prunje *Schelphoek (Wetland on site of former hamlet near Serooskerke) *Schouwse Dijkbeemden *Schuddebeurs (natuurgebied) *De Steenzwaan (The Stone Swan - creek/wetlands near Nieuwerkerk) *Vliegveld (natuurgebied) *Vroongronden *Zoeten en Zouten Haard

Governance

The municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland on 1 January 1997 came about after six municipalities were merged. These municipalities were

Brouwershaven Brouwershaven is a small city on the Grevelingen in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland, lies about 45 km southwest of Hellevoetsluis and 10 km north of Zierikzee. Brouwershaven recei ...

Bruinisse Bruinisse is a village in the south-west of the Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Schouwen-Duiveland, Zeeland. History The village was first mentioned in 1480 or 1481 as "Brunesse ... noviter erecta", and is a combination of hea ...

Middenschouwen Middenschouwen is a former municipality in the Netherlands, Dutch province of Zeeland. It covered the central part of the island of Schouwen-Duiveland. Middenschouwen was created in a merger of Duivendijke, Elkerzee, Ellemeet and Kerkwerve in 1961. ...

Westerschouwen Westerschouwen is a former municipality in the Dutch province of Zeeland. The municipality was formed in a merger of the municipalities Burgh, Haamstede, Noordwelle, Renesse, and Serooskerke on January 1, 1961. As the name indicates, it cover ...

and

. These six municipalities were created on 1 January 1961 from a previous reclassification.

City Council

The council of Schouwen-Duiveland consists of 23 seats. Below is the composition of the council since 1997: On 13 November 1996 ¹ reclassification elections were held. The first council was launched on 1 January 1997.
Explanations for the bracketed number of councillors for some parties between the 2018 and 2022 elections are below: *A councilor of the VVD left the party in 2018 and joined Leefbaar Schouwen-Duiveland in 2019. *A councilor of the ChristenUnie left the party in 2019 and joined the CDA *A councilor of GroenLinks left the party in 2018 and continued under the name "Lijst Jet van Gent" *"List Jet van Gent/ Hart voor Schouwen-Duiveland" merged with Leefbaar Schouwen-Duiveland in 2021"

Mayor & Aldermen

*Mayor Jack van der Hoek (None) *Councillor Jacqueline Burg ( Liveable Schouwen-Duiveland ) *Alderman Daniël Joppe ( CDA ) *Alderman Paula Schot ( SGP ) *Alderman Ankie Smit ( GroenLinks ) *Secretary Marieke van den Heuvel

Culture

Renesse World War II and Occupation Victims Memorial 2

There are a number of national monuments in the municipality, including the war memorial at Oude Moolweg in Renesse and the Jewish Memorial on Caustraat in Zierikzee. The war memorial commemorates in particular the ten local resistance fighters executed by the Germans on 10 December 1944. It also commemorates all local citizens who died during the Second World War or the ' police actions' in the Dutch East Indies. The Westenschouwen mermaid was the main character in a saga that is localized in Zeeland relating to the destruction of the village Westenschouwen on the island of Schouwen-Duiveland. The mermaid saga explains the decline of this once prosperous village. The saga predicts the demise of the village, with only the tower remaining. After the tower was demolished in 1845, the Plompe Tower was seen as the remaining tower of Westenschouwen. Plompe Tower is open to tourists and when you open the door of the tower the story of the mermaid will be played automatically and displayed via a carousel stories. The mermaid is celebrated in the local coat of arms.

Notable residents

Public thinking & Public Service

John III, Lord of Renesse Jan van Renesse (1249 – 16 August 1304) was a member of the Zeeland nobility. Together with Wolfert van Borselen he co-led a party favoring Flanders and against Holland, with considerable influence in Zeeland. With the support of Edward I of Engl ...

(1249–1304) Zeeland nobleman and warrior *

Cornelius van Zierikzee Cornelius van Zierikzee (ca 1405 – 1462) was a Dutch priest known for his work in Scotland. Life and times He was born at Zierikzee, Netherlands, about 1405. The strict observance of the Franciscan Rule, upheld and propagated throughout Italy by ...

(ca.1405 n Zierikzee – 1462) a Dutch priest, worked in Scotland * Petrus Peckius the Elder (1529 in Zierikzee – 1589) jurist, wrote about maritime law * Bonifacius de Jonge (1567 in Zierikzee – 1625) was Grand pensionary of Zeeland 1615-1625 * Joost Berman (1793 in Ouwerkerk – 1855) lawyer, judge, politician, poet, writer and editor *

Alexander Johan Berman Ds. Alexander Johan Berman (17 September 1828 in Zierikzee–14 February 1886 in Amsterdam) was the Dutch Reformed minister of Watergang. As an author, he wrote literary criticism, and, in his younger years, poetry. He published an anthology with ...

(1828 in Zierikzee – 1886) the Dutch Reformed minister of

Watergang Watergang (, literally "watercourse") is a village in the northwest Netherlands. It is located in the municipality of Waterland, North Holland, about seven kilometres (four miles) north of Amsterdam, on the east bank of the Noordhollandsch Kanaa ...

Anton Constandse Anton Levien Constandse (September 13, 1899 – March 23, 1983) was a Dutch anarchist author and journalist. Biography The son of a baptist hotelier, Constandse completed the normal school between 1914 and 1918 and in this period came into conta ...

(1899 in Brouwershaven – 1983) a Dutch anarchist, author and journalist * George van Heukelom (born 1949) a Dutch former politician *

Leen van Dijke Leendert Cornelis "Leen" van Dijke (born 3 September 1955) is a retired Dutch politician of the defunct Reformatory Political Federation (RPF) party and later co-founder of the Christian Union (CU) party and management consultant. As a member o ...

(born 1955 in Oosterland) a retired Dutch politician *

Hugo de Jonge Hugo Mattheüs de Jonge (; born 26 September 1977) is a Dutch politician serving as Minister of Housing and Spatial Planning since 2022 in the Fourth Rutte cabinet. A member of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), he was elected to its leade ...

(born 1977 in Bruinisse) a Dutch politician &

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...

Rutger Bregman Rutger C. Bregman (born 26 April 1988) is a Dutch historian and author. He has published four books on history, philosophy, and economics, including '' Utopia for Realists: How We Can Build the Ideal World'', which has been translated into thirt ...

(born 1988 in Westerschouwen) a Dutch popular historian and author Digna Sinke (1984)

The Arts

Jacob Cats Jacob Cats (10 November 1577 – 12 September 1660) was a Dutch poet, humorist, jurist and politician. He is most famous for his emblem books. Early years Jacob Cats was born on 10 November 1577 in Brouwershaven as son of Adriaen Cornelis ...

(1577 in Brouwershaven – 1660) a Dutch poet, humorist, jurist and politician, famous for his

emblem books An emblem book is a book collecting emblems (allegorical illustrations) with accompanying explanatory text, typically morals or poems. This category of books was popular in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries. Emblem books are collection ...

* Charles Hofmann (1763 – 1823 in Zierikzee) a Dutch musician and composer * Henry Van der Weyde (1838 in Zierikzee – 1924) Dutch-born English painter and photographer *

Leonard Ochtman Leonard Ochtman (October 21, 1854 – October 27, 1934) was a Dutch- American Impressionist painter who specialized in landscapes. He was a founding member of the Cos Cob Art Colony and the Greenwich Society of Artists. Biography and ca ...

(1854 in Zonnemaire – 1935) a Dutch-American Impressionist painter * Digna Sinke (born 1949 in Zonnemaire) a Dutch film director, producer and screenwriter * Jan van den Bosch (born 1950) TV presenter on RTL5 Dutch Wiki, Jan van den Bosch *

Ester Naomi Perquin Ester Naomi Perquin (born 16 January 1980) is a Dutch poet. She was born in Utrecht and grew up in Zierikzee. Perquin worked in the prison service to pay for her studies at the school of creative writing in Amsterdam. She was editor for the liter ...

(born 1980) a Dutch poet, brought up in Zierikzee

Science & Business

Jacob Bellaert Jacob Bellaert (born in Zierikzee) was an early Dutch publisher who produced seventeen books in Haarlem from 1483 to 1486. The early Netherlandish painter Master of Bellaert or Master of Jacob Bellaert is so called for his many woodcuts in Bellae ...

(born in Zierikzee) an early publisher of 17 books in Haarlem from 1483-1486 *

Levinus Lemnius Levinus Lemnius (20 May 1505 in Zierikzee – 1 July 1568 in Zierikzee) was a Dutch physician and author. Life Lemnius studied medicine at the University of Leuven under Rembert Dodoens and Konrad Gesner; and under Vesalius at Padua. He ...

(1505 in Zierikzee – 1568 in Zierikzee) a Dutch physician and author *

Johannes Cornelis de Jonge Jonkheer, Jhr. Johannes Cornelis de Jonge (9 May 1793 in Zierikzee – 12 June 1853 in The Hague) was a Dutch people, Dutch ''Rijksarchivaris'' (Chief Archivist of the Nationaal Archief, Dutch National Archives), historian, and politician. He ...

(1793 in Zierikzee – 1853) Chief Archivist of the Dutch National Archives * Johannes van de Velde Olivier (1795 in Serooskerke – 1845) a publisher, printer, bookbinder and bookseller * Pieter de Looze (1811–1881) newspaper publisher, founded the '' Zierikzeesche Nieuwsbode'' *

Pieter Zeeman Pieter Zeeman (; 25 May 1865 – 9 October 1943) was a Dutch physicist who shared the 1902 Nobel Prize in Physics with Hendrik Lorentz for his discovery of the Zeeman effect. Childhood and youth Pieter Zeeman was born in Zonnemaire, a small town ...

(1865 in Zonnemaire – 1943) a Dutch physicist who shared the 1902

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...

in Physics for their discovery of the

Zeeman effect The Zeeman effect (; ) is the effect of splitting of a spectral line into several components in the presence of a static magnetic field. It is named after the Dutch physicist Pieter Zeeman, who discovered it in 1896 and received a Nobel prize ...

Sport

Adrie Koster Adrianus Cornelis "Adrie" Koster (; born 18 November 1954) is a Dutch football manager who was most recently the manager of Willem II. He is a former winger and former manager of Ajax, Club Brugge and the Netherlands U21 team. Career He pla ...

(born 1954 in Zierikzee) a Dutch football manager *

Nelli Cooman Cornelli "Nelli" Antoinette Hariëtte Cooman (born 6 June 1964) is a former Dutch athlete of Surinamese origin. At the 60 metres, she is two-time World indoor champion, six-time European indoor champion and former world record holder, running ...

(born 1964) 60 metres two-time World indoor champion, six-time European indoor champion and former world record holder. Lives in

Gallery

File:Straatje in de vissersplaats Buinisse..JPG, Street in the fishing village of Buinisse File:Zonnemaire.jpg, Zonnemaire File:Aan de Korte Ring in Brunisse..JPG, Aan de Korte Ring in Brunisse File:Vergezicht op de stad, gezien vanaf de Havendijk - Zierikzee - 20374037 - RCE.jpg, View of the city, seen from the Havendijk - Zierikzee

References

External links

* (in Dutch) {{Authority control Municipalities of Zeeland Islands of Zeeland Regions of Zeeland Regions of the Netherlands Municipalities of the Netherlands established in 1997 Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta Islands of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta