West chapel
 flag |
 coat of arms |
| province |
 Zeeland
|
| local community |
 Veere
|
|
Area - land - water |
8.93 km 2 8.38 km 2 0.55 km 2 |
| Residents | 2,610 (Jan 1, 2017) |
| Coordinates | 51 ° 31 ' N , 3 ° 27' E |
| height | 5 m NAP |
| Important traffic route |
 
|
| prefix | 0118 |
| Postcodes | 4357, 4361, 4363, 4374 |
 |
|
Westkapelle ( Zeeland Wasschappel ) is a tourist resort on the western tip of the Walcheren peninsula in the Dutch province of Zeeland . It has belonged to the municipality of Veere since 1997 and has a population of 2,610 (as of January 1, 2017).
location
The town center is protected by a dike. To the northeast is Domburg . In the south a dune belt stretches to Zoutelande with the highest dunes in the Netherlands. Up to 48.5 m NAP you are at the Valkenisse district .
history
West chapel with a Willibrordus church are mentioned in a document as early as 1071. About 150 years later, in 1223, the fishing village was granted city rights . In 1253, the Battle of Westkapelle took place near the village , the military climax of the Flemish War of Succession . Due to the constant threat to the protective dunes from wind and sea, it was decided between 1432 and 1470 to build a protective dike and a new church southeast of the village. Only later did the development join the new church and the village stretched between the new dike and the church. In the beginning, the inhabitants made their living from fishing, but from 1540 building dykes became their main source of income. In connection with the economic boom, a three-aisled hall church was built, of which only the church tower, which has now been converted into a lighthouse, has been preserved. In the Eighty Years' War which was Willibrorduskirche devastated and fell into the following decades. After a fire ignited by a first, simple beacon, the once again repaired central nave was then finally destroyed. The preserved brick tower has served as a lighthouse since then.
In World War II
On October 3, 1944 , the southern sea dike in front of Westkapelle was destroyed by British bombs, in order to render the German occupation troops incapable of action by the subsequent flooding. In this attack to liberate the Netherlands, 176 people lost their lives. The village was almost completely destroyed by the bombs and the incoming lake water. On November 1, 1944, the Allied troops landed in the course of the Battle of the Scheldt estuary , including with Sherman tanks, south and north of the dike breakthrough. One of these landing craft stands today as a monument to the liberation of the Netherlands on the dike near the Polderhuis Museum.
It was only more than a year later, on October 12, 1945, that the dike could be sealed. Various landing craft were sunk in the dike opening and filled with stones. Afterwards the reconstruction of the village could begin. Today only houses that stood above sea level and were not flooded with salt water are preserved. Examples are a few houses across from the market on Zuidstraat. The Dutch photographer Neeltje Flipse-Roelse lived here and took numerous pictures of the German occupiers from her roof window. Some of these photographs are on display in the Polderhuis Museum today. A remnant of the Second World War that is still visible today can be seen on the western edge of the village, the so-called Kreek - a small lake filled with brackish water, which today serves as a recreation area and fishing waters.
The history of the place, the dyke works and especially the war events are clearly presented - also in German - in the Polderhuis Museum.
Attractions
- Lighthouses
- Polderhuis; Dike and War Museum
- Sherman tank on the levee
- De Noorman village mill
- The Kreek
- Bird sanctuary on the edge of the village towards Domburg
- Ring riding
- Village and traditional festivals
Lighthouses
After the Eighty Years War and its devastation, the Willibrordus Church was declared dilapidated in 1692. The roof structure of the Gothic tower no longer supported the static loads, so that finally the bell fell down in 1702 and the church was then only partially rebuilt. In 1831 the church building burned down completely. After the securing demolition work, only the tower that was preserved today remained. It has served as a lighthouse since 1818 (simple beacon on the tower) and 1924 (repaired and modernized). Despite the devastating destruction in Westkapelle by the Second World War, the tower remained largely undamaged. On February 1, 1946, it resumed its service initially with simple emergency lighting. This was replaced in 1951 by today's new electrical equipment. The upper panel carries the lighting system with a capacity of 2.6 million CDs at a height of 54 m . The light beam extends 19.5 nautical miles (approx. 35 km) and appears every 3 seconds with a duration of 0.1 seconds. The tableau with lenses and mirrors rotates 5 times per minute. The tower can be climbed on certain days. The opening times are posted at the lower entrance. There are an impressive 179 steps to the top of the tower, the last 17 of which are made of wood. The height to the viewing platform is 40 m and the total height of the tower 57 m. The lighting system itself cannot be viewed. Due to the very tight winding of the stairs, the visit is not recommended for people with limited fitness or mobility.
A second small lighthouse, the IJzeren torentje, stands on the dike at the so-called Western Cape. As a striking red and white landmark, it can be seen from afar and is easy to find. A picture is included at the bottom of this page.
Fair
Every weekend after the first Wednesday in July, the famous fair with the more than 400 year old Gaaischieten takes place in Westkapelle . Here, self-cast lead bullets are shot at three ship models, which symbolize attacking English ships. This rifle association - unlike German rifle associations not particularly militarily organized - emerged from a kind of vigilante group that was supposed to protect the village and the ports of Vlissingen and Antwerp on the Scheldt against attacks from the sea.
Artist
Over the decades, Westkapelle has always been the place of residence or work of various artists.
Among other things, worked or lived here:
- Jan Toorop (1858–1928, painter)
- Piet Mondriaan (1872–1944, painter)
- Egbertus Antonie Jansen (1877–1957, painter)
- Denis Galloway (1878–1957, draftsman)
- Johannes Gabrielse (1881–1945, illustrator)
- Jan Heyse (1882–1954, watercolorist)
- Reimond Kimpe (1885–1970, painter)
- Charley Toorop (1891–1955, painter)
- Ferenc László Hernády (1901–1956)
- Jan Campert (1902–1943, poet)
- Adriaan (Jons) Viruly (1905–1986, writer)
- Eva Besnyö (1910-2003, photographer)
- John Fernhout (1913–1987, filmmaker)
- Neeltje Flipse-Roelse (1921–2008, photographer)
- Bas Jan Ader (1942–1975, visual artist)
- Rudi van der Wint (1942-2006, sculptor)
- Johannes Gramm (1964-, photographer)
- Machteld van der Wijst (1974-, visual artist)
Transport links
Highway A58 from the mainland ( Bergen op Zoom ) across the peninsula South Beveland to the provincial capital of Middelburg , then to the west 16.2 km highway over Buttinge, Grijpskerke and Aagtekerke to Westkapelle.
Public transport: By train, Nederlandse Spoorwegen (NS), direction Vlissingen to the Middelburg station. From the train station with the Connexxion -Bus ( Lijn ) 53 every hour to Westkapelle. Westkapelle cannot be reached by water as it has no port. You go to one of the ports of Vlissingen or Middelburg and from there by car, bus or bike to Westkapelle.
photos
Westkapelle, market
Westkapelle, church on the market
West chapel, windmill "De Noorman"
Sherman Tank, Liberation Monument on the levee
Sherman Tank, Liberation Monument on the levee
Lighthouse with the modern electrical equipment
Ring riding in the market
View over the dunes at Westkapelle
Front of the lighthouse in the typical brick construction
The tower at the end of the village
West Chapel as seen from the lighthouse
A typical row of stakes on the beaches in front of Westkapelle
At the very top you can see Westkapelle from the air
Westkapelle - bird sanctuary north of Westkapelle
Web links
- Polderhuis website (German, Dutch, English)
- Westkapelle: Website of the tourist association VVV Zeeland (German, Dutch, English)
- Homepage for Westkapelle with comprehensive information about the place, history, panoramas, virtual tour, maps ( page no longer available )
- further private homepage with information about Westkapelle and tips on sights
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Kerncijfers wijken en buurten 2017 Centraal Bureau voor de Statistiek , accessed on April 13, 2018 (Dutch)
- ↑ To this day, people outside Westkapelle are jokingly referred to as van achter de toren / from behind the tower
- ↑ http://www.vvvzeeland.nl/de/inseln/walcheren/westkapelle Article about Westkapelle
- ^ Zeeland - Holland's wet west coast. Report in MareTV from 36:22 min about the fair in Westkapelle. Archived from the original on September 29, 2013 ; Retrieved September 11, 2013 .
- ↑ http://www.westkapellecultuurbehoud.nl/cultuur/kunst-en-wetenschap?start=1 Deichweg at Westkapelle
- ↑ http://www.gemeentemuseum.nl/collection/item/1020 Mondriaan lighthouse
- ↑ http://www.tooropinwestkapelle.nl/?page_id=16 Memorial for Charley Toorop
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from September 24, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Portrait of a woman from Westkapelle
- ↑ http://www.historici.nl/Onderzoek/Projecten/BWN/lemmata/bwn3/campert Jan Campert
- ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Some pictures from Westkapelle
- ^ Schaduw van John Fernhout, Strand Westkapelle 1933. Photo of Eva Besnyö of Fernhout's shadow on the beach of Westkapelle. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014 ; Retrieved September 12, 2013 (Dutch).
- ↑ http://www.pzc.nl/regio/walcheren/boek-en-expositie-flipse-roelse-1.1991511 Dutch page on Flipse-Roelse
- ↑ Lezing Bas Jan Ader in Zeeland. Archived from the original on September 11, 2013 ; Retrieved December 22, 2015 (Dutch).
- ↑ http://verwehte-spuren.de.tl/_Westkapelle.htm Article about monuments in Zeeland
- ↑ http://www.polderhuiswestkapelle.nl/exposities/eerdere-exposities/het-gezicht-van-de-zee-2012/?lang=de ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically saved as marked defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Polderhuis exhibition
- ↑ http://www.machteldvanderwijst.nl/ Biography van der Wijst
Veere | Gapinge | Vrouwenpolder | Serooskerke | Domburg | Oostkapelle | Aagtkerke | Grijpskerke | Meliskerke | Koudekerke | Biggekerke | Zoutelande | West chapel