Piraten op de Zuiderzee ~ Pirates on the Suydersea

De eerste afbeelding is een kaart van Zuiderzee uit 1666 en de tweede is een stukje tekst en komt uit de 'Historie der vermaerde zee- en koop-stadt Enkhuisen door Geeraert Brand en Sebastiaan Centen', op google books te vinden. De geschiedschrijver verhaalt van Munsterse piraten die zeer waarschijnlijk vanuit een Overijsselse haven de Zuiderzee afstroopten maar in een gedocumenteerd geval zelf door de Staatsen werden gepakt. Dat de Munstersen zo ver kwamen wist ik niet.

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The first pic is a map depicting the Suydersea, now IJsselmeer, of the year 1666. Nowadays it's a lake, disconnected from the sea by a giant dam, but in the 17th century it was an open water, which could bring fortune or major disasters. At that time it was the only link of then powerful cities like Hoorn, Enkhuizen and Amsterdam to the sea.

The second pic comes from a book about the history of the city of Enkhuizen, stating that Munster pirates were caught on the island of Urk and taken to Enkhuizen. I was not aware of the fact that the Munster troops got so far.

On a personal note, I was born in Enkhuizen and a great deal of my family still lives there, so I can visit the city from time to time. Enkhuizen was an East Indies Company city, in the 17th century it was quite big, but the city (yes, they had city rights!) deteriotated in the late 18th century, to rise again in the middle of the 19th century. The city is full of 16th and 17th century buildings, the city walls are partially still there and in my personal biased view the colour of the militia is one of the nicest I have ever seen.