Pearl Route Resilience - Brouwershaven

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Brouwershaven, a town on the Grevelingen and a town with many faces. Once a trading town where many goods were brought ashore or shipped in the time when Rotterdam was not yet easily accessible by water. And of course, it is the birthplace of the famous Jacob Cats. Among all these highlights, Brouwershaven also knows low points. But each time it recovered.

Smalstad (Narrow City)

In 1403, Brouwershaven receives city rights. But it remains a smalstad, a city too small to participate in the States of Zeeland. So, as a city, you had no say. In 1575, the barely fortified city is conquered by Spanish troops and subsequently set on fire. That must not happen again, and earthen city walls surrounded by a wet moat are built. Five gates give access to the city. During the storm flood of 1682, part of the fortifications is destroyed. The fortress is abolished in 1820 and subsequently dismantled. The ramparts and moats on the east and north sides of the city have been preserved, as you can still see.

1. Trading Town

Schouwen and Duiveland used to be two islands. A wide creek, called Gouwe, flowed between them. Tides created tidal creeks. One of these creeks ended in the land of Schouwen near Brijdorpe, then a village with a church. When the polder was reclaimed in the 12th century, a dam was built in the creek, and a lock in the dam to drain the polder water. A village had to be built around that dam. And so, Brouwershaven was built on the dikes that were constructed.

Brouwershaven grew into a beautiful town where much trade was conducted. Barrels of herring and madder (for the red dye) were loaded with a wooden crane from the market onto ships in the harbor and transported to, among others, Brabant, Rotterdam, and Antwerp. But a lot of money was also earned with mussels, shrimp, and beer. And at the weigh house, grain, flour, and metal were weighed. Meanwhile, there is not much trade anymore, but the remnants of this trading town are still present and clearly visible.

Watch & Question: Trading Town

Question 1: What was mainly in the barrels that the wooden crane moved on the market? Madder and … Note down the 1st letter.

2. Slingerbos (Winding Woods)

In February 1953, there was a major storm, and many dikes in the southwest of the Netherlands broke under the force of the pounding water. Brouwershaven was also affected. Three people died, and the water left behind a mess. Money was needed for the reconstruction, and it came from the municipality of Voorburg (near The Hague). This municipality adopted the town and donated 50,000 guilders (equivalent to about 23,000 euros). Buildings and streets were repaired, but much more happened. For example, 92 pairs of socks were knitted, and all 220 schoolchildren received a gift. In the renovated Slingerbos, a memorial stone was placed so that this special adoption would not be forgotten.

Watch & Question: Slingerbos

Question 2: By which municipality was Brouwershaven adopted? Note down the 2nd letter.

3. Harbor Town

Rotterdam was and is a world-class port city. But what do you do if you can't get there with your ship? Then you end up in Brouwershaven. This happened around 1840. Due to the silting up of the Brielse Maas and the Goereese Gat, seagoing vessels could not reach Rotterdam. Nor could they reach the port of Brouwershaven, which was much too small, and the access channel was too narrow and too shallow. So, dolphins (mooring posts) were quickly placed near the sandbar 'Dwars in de weg' (Crosswise in the way).

Hundreds of ships passed by, and that made Brouwershaven thrive. Many sea and river pilots (people who know a lot about the local waterways) came to live there, and they got their own office 'het gebouw van het Loodswezen' (the Pilotage building). There was also a huge barrel warehouse. The barrels stored here were used to indicate the fairway for ships. Red buoys on the right and green buoys on the left. The safe fairway is in between.

At that time, there were as many as 27 hotels and cafes in the town, not to mention the luxury spa hotel Catsburg. But in 1870, Rotterdam regained its connection to the sea. The bustling atmosphere was gone. People moved away, and the luxury spa hotel was demolished. Peace returned to Brouwershaven.

Watch & Question: Harbor Town

Question 3: What is the name of the luxury spa hotel? Note down the 1st letter.

4. Windmill

Because the windmill of Brouwershaven stands on the city's fortifications, you can see it from afar. Built in 1724, grain was still ground here until 1954. A few years later, the restoration began and uncovered traces of an old mill that had stood in the same place. The last restoration took place in the 1960s by the mill builder J. van den Hamer. The small mill 'Windlust' (Desire for Wind) was apparently good advertising! This mill also has a name, of course. What is it? You can find it on the cap of the mill.

Watch & Question: Windmill

Question 4: On which dike is this windmill located? Note down the last letter.

5. Town Hall

The back of this town hall was built in the 15th century and was probably the front then! The front part was built later, in the 16th century. The lions carry coats of arms. Coats of arms of Zeeland and coats of arms of Brouwershaven. Above the door, in a niche, you can see the blindfolded Lady Justice sitting with her sword and scales. She administers justice. Blindfolded because she is impartial. It doesn't matter who you are. She listens to everything and weighs (hence the scales) whether someone is guilty. If someone is guilty, a punishment follows. She already has her sword ready.

In the attic of the town hall, there was also a prison. Around 1765, a swindler, Johan Cato Kamerling, was imprisoned here. He told everyone he was a doctor, and many people believed him. He even married the mayor's daughter! But he was eventually exposed, thrown into prison, and even branded.

On top of the town hall, there is still a statue of a woman with three children. It is Charitas, or Charity, because this building also housed an orphanage. So, it was and is a house for many different people.

Watch & Question: Town Hall

Question 5: The coat of arms with the waves that the lion is holding is the coat of arms of? Note down the 2nd letter.

You have now collected a number of letters. These form a surname that you can find on the Markt (Market Square).