Alkmaar has its Victory, Leiden annually celebrates the Relief of Leiden and Hoorn… It commemorated the Battle of the Zuiderzee, part of the Eighty Years’ War, once every fifty years. Until this year. Because this weekend Hoorn will be celebrating freedom for the first time during the De Slag op de Zuiderzee celebration.
A hidden history, but if it is up to Hoorn, that will change. The city wants to celebrate annually that it liberated itself from the Spaniards in 1573. Starting next weekend.
“October 11, 1573, the day of The Battle of the Zuiderzee, is an absolute turning point in the 80-year war”, Anne Doedens, maritime historian, tells NH Nieuws. “I can’t say it any clearer.”
What happened?
The towns of Hoorn, Enkhuizen and Medemblik sided with William of Orange, who fought against the Spaniards in the Eighty Years’ War. The North Holland Watergeuzen, who fought against the Spaniards from the water, threatened to block the Zuiderzee.
The Hispanics As a result, Amsterdam could no longer use the important shipping route across the Zuiderzee. The Spaniards wanted to break through that blockade in 1573 and sent a fleet to the Zuiderzee. A great naval battle took place between the Spanish fleet and the ships of the Watergeuzen. This was the Battle of the Zuiderzee.
“Even William of Orange wrote in his letters about the importance of Hoorn and Enkhuizen”
That naval battle was the turning point of a long struggle for the Zuiderzee. With this was the end of the domination of the Heralded by Spanish-minded people on the Zuiderzee and began a period of prosperity for West Friesland.
Hidden History
According to Doedens, The Battle of the Zuiderzee is a major event in Dutch history, but how is it possible that it is so little commemorated? “It’s a piece of underrated history,” he explains. “All attention went to the events at Den Briel. But the battle on the Zuiderzee is at least as important.”
Doedens therefore fully agrees that it should be celebrated more often and more extensively. “Even William of Orange wrote in his letters about the importance of Hoorn and Enkhuizen,” he adds.
This coming weekend’s celebration is the prelude to a much bigger party. In 2023 it will be 450 years since the battle was won. Hoorn and West-Friesland will then offer all kinds of activities and a traveling theater show about the battle.
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