HISTORY
HOW THE DUTCH MADE HOLL AND BIGGER
Nearly 800 years ago, The Netherlands was smaller than it is today
WORDS SCOTT DUTFIELD
Since the first settlers arrived in The Netherlands around the 5th century CE, its people have been finding ways to protect themselves from the thrashing waves of the neighbouring North Sea. From building villages on top of earthy mounds to barricading walls called dykes, the early history of the nation was governed by water management. However, in 1287, no amount of earth mounds could keep the North Sea out when a mighty flood surged inland during the Christian holiday of Saint Lucia’s Day on 13 December. The flood swept through the country, killing up to 80,000 people in the process. The deluge also created a new body of water around 60 miles inland called the Zuiderzee, meaning the Southern Sea.