Berendrecht
Encyclopedia
Berendrecht is a village in Antwerp province
in Belgium
. Its name means "dike of the bear
", according to the area's dialect, or "dike of a man called Bear", or "passage by the marsh". But drecht or tricht means "ferry" or "crossing" (from Latin
trajectus), and ber or bere in Indo-European
means "dam
", "defence against water" (compare Slavic East Germany): the resulting meaning is "river crossing at a dam".
. The village was flooded again in February 1953
, hopefully for the last time. The village suffered much from foreign armies and lay often in the direct line of fire during the fight between the northern Netherlands
and the Spaniards
. Both of these warring parties frequently used the tactic of strategic flooding to attack the fort of Lillo
, and the fort De Frederik which in the meantine disappeared, and the reinforced blockhouse Zandvliet to force dispossession. The population was subject to the always changing warring parties for foreign armies. In the 15th centuries the Monnikenhof was founded, a dwelling with courtyards and ponds, splendid for that time. It belonged to the abbots and lords of the Sint-Michielsabdij of Antwerp. The Monnikenhof was located at the current district of Viswater. In 1958, Berendrecht and Zandvliet
and Lillo
were joined at Antwerp and the polder
landscape was mainly expropriated for the port extension.
Province
A province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. Its name means "dike of the bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
", according to the area's dialect, or "dike of a man called Bear", or "passage by the marsh". But drecht or tricht means "ferry" or "crossing" (from Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
trajectus), and ber or bere in Indo-European
Indo-European languages
The Indo-European languages are a family of several hundred related languages and dialects, including most major current languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and South Asia and also historically predominant in Anatolia...
means "dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
", "defence against water" (compare Slavic East Germany): the resulting meaning is "river crossing at a dam".
History
Berendrecht is an old parish which was already referred to in 1184 and in 1212 as a property of Godfried van Schoten, lord of Breda. The history of Berendrecht will always remain closely linked with the fight against water. For many years dike builders has fought with primitive resources to protect the inhabitants against the violence of water. The village was overflowed repeatedly and devastated partially, among other things during the 13th, 14th, 16th and 17th century. In 1328 Berendrecht was devoured by water, and was moved to higher land which was ceded by the municipality ZandvlietZandvliet
Zandvliet is a Belgian town forming part of the Antwerp district of Berendrecht-Zandvliet-Lillo. The place dates back to 1135 when it was known as Santflit, meaning "a navigable passage through sand"....
. The village was flooded again in February 1953
North Sea flood of 1953
The 1953 North Sea flood was a major flood caused by a heavy storm, that occurred on the night of Saturday 31 January 1953 and morning of 1 February 1953. The floods struck the Netherlands, Belgium, England and Scotland.A combination of a high spring tide and a severe European windstorm caused a...
, hopefully for the last time. The village suffered much from foreign armies and lay often in the direct line of fire during the fight between the northern Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and the Spaniards
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Both of these warring parties frequently used the tactic of strategic flooding to attack the fort of Lillo
Lillo
Lillo is a small farming town in Spain, 94 km south of the capital Madrid.The town has a population of 1000. Currently only low grade accommodations are available...
, and the fort De Frederik which in the meantine disappeared, and the reinforced blockhouse Zandvliet to force dispossession. The population was subject to the always changing warring parties for foreign armies. In the 15th centuries the Monnikenhof was founded, a dwelling with courtyards and ponds, splendid for that time. It belonged to the abbots and lords of the Sint-Michielsabdij of Antwerp. The Monnikenhof was located at the current district of Viswater. In 1958, Berendrecht and Zandvliet
Zandvliet
Zandvliet is a Belgian town forming part of the Antwerp district of Berendrecht-Zandvliet-Lillo. The place dates back to 1135 when it was known as Santflit, meaning "a navigable passage through sand"....
and Lillo
Lillo
Lillo is a small farming town in Spain, 94 km south of the capital Madrid.The town has a population of 1000. Currently only low grade accommodations are available...
were joined at Antwerp and the polder
Polder
A polder is a low-lying tract of land enclosed by embankments known as dikes, that forms an artificial hydrological entity, meaning it has no connection with outside water other than through manually-operated devices...
landscape was mainly expropriated for the port extension.