Battle for Zoutkamp
| date | October 5, 1589 to October 9, 1589 |
|---|---|
| place |
Zoutkamp , Netherlands 
|
| output | Victory of the Protestant besiegers, capture of the redoubt |
| consequences | Completion of the city of Groningen from access to the sea |
| Parties to the conflict | |
|---|---|
| Commander | |
|
Hindrik van Os |
|
| Troop strength | |
| 400 foot troops | 84 soldiers |
The Battle of Zoutkamp (Dutch: Slag om Zoutkamp ) was a siege of the hill near the village of Zoutkamp (then Soltkamp ) started on October 5th, 1589 during the Eighty Years War . After five days the Spanish garrison surrendered to the Frisian troops under Wilhelm Ludwig von Nassau-Dillenburg .
In the run-up to the siege
In previous years, the States General had lost many territories to the Spaniards. Due to the overflow of the Frisian governor Georg von Lalaing , Count von Rennenberg, which went down in the Dutch history books as "Verraad van Rennenberg", Groningen and the so-called Ommelande (surrounding area), except for Friesland, fell into Spanish hands in 1580 . Wilhelm Ludwig van Nassau-Dillenburg became governor of Friesland in 1584 and had made two unsuccessful attempts to conquer Groningen and drive out the Spanish occupiers by 1589. Because this failed, he now pursued the strategy of cutting off Groningen from its supply routes. In 1585 Wilhelm Ludwig had a new ski jump built on the Frisian side of the Reitdiep, on the Lauwers river at Munnekezijl , in preparation . In the same year the Spanish military leader Francisco Verdugo tried to conquer this hill, but it failed.
The attack and the aftermath
The Zoutkamper Schanze was occupied by 84 men under the direction of Lieutenant Hindrik van Os . Actually, Tjaert Herema was responsible for the fortification, but he was in Hornhuizen during the attack on the Tammingaborg . On October 5th, 1589 Wilhelm Ludwig attacked the hill with 400 fighters. After a siege of five days, the military structure fell into the hands of the States. Hindrik van Os was killed during the attack. The States General had the Reitdiep in their hands and occupied Groningen lost its direct connection to the sea. Groningen then evaded overland via the port of Delfzijl in order to gain access to the sea, but this became impossible a few years later due to the occupation of Delfzijl.
The Battle of Zoutkamp was the actual prelude to the later capture of Groningen , which in 1594 enabled all northern parts of the country to be united in the Republic of the Seven United Provinces .
Since 2007 is Zoutkamp in every four years, every September, the battle as a tourist spectacle readjusted .