Download The 2000 years old story of

2000 years
“Brugge
&
the Sea”
The Zwin
• Area between the Northsea
and Brugge, alternate sea and
land
• Gradually nature created a
permanent channel of 10 km
between the coast and the city
About the year 1000
• Small natural rivers
were deepened,
widened, fortified
and equipped with
dams and locks to
control the water
flow
13th century
• Building of the large port
of Damme, ± 5 km north
of Brugge
• Digging of a smaller
canal towards the halls
on the Market Square in
Brugge
• International trade of
goods: wool, cloth,
wine, luxury products…
• Flanders became one
of the richest areas in
Europe
15th century
• Stop of economic prosperity with the silting of
The Zwin region; the land became sandy and
salty
• Harbour traffic moved to other ports e.g.
Antwerpen
‘Bruges, la morte’
• The city faded away
till the 19th century
Around 1860
• Some politicians
and merchants
realised that the
building of an ‘open
seaport ‘was the
only way to regain
economic welfare
for Brugge and the
environment
1907 : Zeebrugge = Brugge by the Sea
• King Leopold II
inaugurated the new
seaport of Zeebrugge
• Link to the inner port
of Brugge by a
straight canal of 10
km
World War I
• Port of Zeebrugge was used by the German
army to launch U-boats
• Almost completely destroyed by the Allies
World War II
• Zeebrugge was used as part of
the German ‘Atlantic Wall’
• Partly devastated
1950-1960
• Trade with the UK;
start of the ‘ ferry ‘
lines e.g.
Zeebrugge- Dover
1970
• Worldwide oil
crisis
• Port of Zeebrugge
is deepened to
receive huge oil
tankers
1985
• The coastal port became a ‘deepsea port’
• Start of the development of Zeebrugge as
one of the most important entry ports for
the European market
• Extensive outer port, sea locks,
breakwaters of 4km long, modern
infrastructure in the inner port and the
hinterland
Activities
•
•
•
•
Container terminals
Gas and oil terminal
Cruises
Biggest car port in the
world
• RORO traffic = roll-on
roll-off
• …
Ecological aspect?
• A great concern about nature e.g. ‘ tern island’
artificially created as breeding spot for birds
• 2 windfarms to generate green energy
Interview with a fish dealer
• 2 pupils had an interview with the owner of a
fish company about : the harbour, today’s fish
market,economic crisis, the past and the
future…
•
Unfortunately the man couldn’t speak English so we have a Dutch text only
Click on this picture in presentation modus to watch the movie “Hundred years People & Sea”