Brouwershaven was founded in 1285 as a new harbor for
Brijdorpe, although today the harbor has
silted up. The town was built as a fortified
bastide, and is considered to be the first of this type of settlement in the Netherlands. The name Brouwershaven (Brewers Haven) is anecdotally thought to have originated from the import of
Beer from
Delft through the port. and is first mentioned in 1318. In 1403 the city obtained town rights, but had no seat in the
States of Zeeland. In 1426, the town witnessed the
Battle of Brouwershaven in which troops of
Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, defeated an English force. The history of Brouwershaven has always had a connection with the water. Fish and shellfish were an important source of income, as was trade in wine and beer, wood, stone, wool and
flax,
turnips and
beets. Another staple industry of the town is salt from
evaporated
seawater. In 1575 the little Bastide town was conquered by
Spanish troops and then set on fire. From 1590 Brouwershaven was provided with earthen ramparts, surrounded by a moat. Five gates gave access to the city. In the flood of 1682 a part of the fortifications was destroyed. The fortress was dismantled in 1820; ramparts and moats to the east and north sides of the city, however, are preserved. The 17th century was a heyday of the fishing port. However, with the development of larger ships came the problem of accessing the narrow port entrance, and its economy began to decline. In the 19th century Brouwershaven experienced a slight revival when the
Brielle Meuse and
Goereese Gat silted up. Rotterdam threatened to become unreachable for ships, so some shipping stopped in Brouwershaven, where the cargo was transferred to smaller vessels. The government also built a large office for
pilotage and for the tax authorities there. However, a new canal in 1872 eliminated its function in favor of Rotterdam again. After the floods of 1953, improved connections and the Delta Works, the construction of a marina and promotion of tourism have once again improved the civic life of the town. ==Heraldry==