Tholen: Zeeland Island Town Behind the Oesterdam
The Oesterdam, completed in 1986 as part of the Delta Works, closed the Oosterschelde's eastern arm and connected Tholen's island more firmly to the mainland. Before that, ferries and a single bridge provided the only links. About 7,475 people live in this Zeeland town, capital of the gemeente Tholen, on an island between the Oosterschelde and the Eendracht channel.
Tholen's compact old town retains its medieval street plan. The Grote Kerk dates from the 14th century, and fragments of the town wall survive. Mussel and oyster cultivation in the Oosterschelde waters remain economically significant. Agriculture, mainly potatoes and sugar beet, covers the island's flat polders. Bergen op Zoom is about 12 kilometres east across the Eendracht.
Flood risk shaped the island's history. The 1953 North Sea flood hit Tholen hard, killing dozens and destroying homes. The Delta Works that followed transformed the water management of the entire area. Commemorative markers in the town record the 1953 water levels.
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The Oesterdam, completed in 1986 as part of the Delta Works, closed the Oosterschelde's eastern arm and connected Tholen's island more firmly to the mainland. Before that, ferries and a single bridge provided the only links. About 7,475 people live in this Zeeland town, capital of the gemeente Tholen, on an island between the Oosterschelde and the Eendracht channel.
Tholen's compact old town retains its medieval street plan. The Grote Kerk dates from the 14th century, and fragments of the town wall survive. Mussel and oyster cultivation in the Oosterschelde waters remain economically significant. Agriculture, mainly potatoes and sugar beet, covers the island's flat polders. Bergen op Zoom is about 12 kilometres east across the Eendracht.
Flood risk shaped the island's history. The 1953 North Sea flood hit Tholen hard, killing dozens and destroying homes. The Delta Works that followed transformed the water management of the entire area. Commemorative markers in the town record the 1953 water levels.
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