Test rep
Testerep (also called Ter Streep ) is the name of the former island on the Belgian coast east of the mouth of the Yser . Today it has completely risen in the mainland. The city of Ostend is located at its former eastern end .
history
In the early Middle Ages, Testerep was separated from the country by a natural canal. The island was not settled until the 7th and 8th centuries, it was mainly used for sheep breeding. The land belonged to the Count of Flanders, who gave parts of it as a fief to the St. Pieter Abbey in Ghent .
The first center of the island was in Mariakerke, which is also the oldest parish on the island. The creek , which separated Testerep from the mainland, has been secured with dykes since the 10th century . Since the 12th century the area was with locks and sluices dehydrated and abgedeicht the channel at the east end. The larger localities also emerged during this time. The place names Ostend, Westende and Middelkerke refer to the location on the former island.
In the course of time Testerep completely lost the character of an island due to the silting up of the canal.
Web links
- History of Oostende and Testerep in the Middle Ages at the Archief Oostende (Flemish)
- Leaflet with a description of a bike tour and historical information (Flemish; PDF file; 844 kB)
Coordinates: 51 ° 11 ′ N , 2 ° 50 ′ E