The present-day landscape of Northern Flanders is largely the result of centuries of interaction between tidal processes and military intervention, according to historical-geographical research by Marc Buise. While the landscape influenced military strategy, military inundations in turn left a lasting imprint on the landscape itself.
Buises' research focuses on the history of the water defences along the southern bank of the Western Scheldt. 'Between approximately 1300 and 1945, the salt marshes, mudflats, tidal channels and deliberately flooded polders formed an integral part of a defensive system.'
Military intervention and natural processes jointly shaped the landscape
For centuries, military inundations in Northern Flanders relied on the area's distinctive landscape characteristics. In particular, the intertidal zone, with its salt marshes, mudflats and tidal channels, played a crucial role.
'Protection behind water was only possible through the continuous interaction between natural processes and military action,' Buise explains.
The research shows that, following the deliberate breaching of the sea dykes between 1583 and 1586, a largely seaward defensive waterline was created, which was maintained through a range of interventions until the eighteenth century.
As more land was reclaimed and embanked, the emphasis gradually shifted towards inland defensive waterlines. Military authorities increasingly determined the conditions under which the landscape was developed, while the area's soil composition and tidal dynamics simultaneously constrained the possibilities for military operations.
'The development of the waterlines was shaped not only by military decisions, but also by tidal action, sedimentation and erosion,' says Buise.
Northern Flanders within the wider network of waterlines
Although Northern Flanders formed part of the wider network of defensive waterlines in the Low Countries, the region was distinguished by its location on the border between Belgium and the Netherlands and by the influence of the Western Scheldt.
'The high-water levels, the considerable tidal range, together with sedimentation and erosion, created a unique landscape dynamic both in the intertidal zone and within the embanked polders. These processes strongly influenced the development of the waterlines,' Buise explains.
Historical maps, archival sources and field research
For his research, Buise examined historical archives, written sources and a wide variety of historical maps. He also verified historical evidence through extensive fieldwork. In addition, his analysis of tidal processes builds upon more than fifty years of practical experience in the Verdronken Land van Saeftinghe (the Drowned Land of Saeftinghe).