Zaamslag

Geschiedenis

Zaamslag is a village and statistical area in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is a part of the municipality of Terneuzen, and lies about 28 km southeast of Vlissingen.Zaamslag was a separate municipality until 1970, when it was merged with Terneuzen. Before being a municipality, it was a significant village in the Medieval Era (see below), and is a very important archaeological site.In 2001 Zaamslag village had 2004 inhabitants. The built-up area of the village was 0.52 km², and contained 823 residences. The Zaamslag statistical area, which includes some of the surrounding countryside, has a population of around 2920.'Stropielekkers' nicknameThe inhabitants of Zaamslag are called 'Stropielekkers' . This sort of nickname is a common tradition; the inhabitants of nearby Axel are called 'Aerpelkappers'. The origin of the nickname lies in the 19th century: around 1870, a retailer called Valk had a simple shop in the village. He bought barrels of syrup and brought them to the village on a cart; one day a barrel leaked, and the children of the village started gathering syrup. The incident was the start of this nickname tradition.History and archaeological evidencePossible originsThe first signs of settlement in the area around modern-day Zaamslag are very scarce. During the construction of a new road alongside the village, some evidence of a prehistorical dwelling place was found, probably dating back to the Upper Palaeolithic – Lower Neolithic period. Some surrounding villages and archaeological sites hold evidence for prehistoric activity.During the Roman occupation of the area, there was a fortress at the site of Aardenburg. The local tribe was the "Menapii". Some Roman coins were found at Zaamslag, which indicate a Roman origin; however, there is little actual evidence for a Roman predecessor of this village, and fixed structures have not been found.