Bruges: The Forgotten City

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William Bell Mr. Gween Honors 10 Period 4 February 8th, 2011 Brugge: The Forgotten City The city of Brugge lies in the West Flanders region of Belgium. With its location in a mere 8 miles away from the North Sea Bruges was destined to become a popular tourist and trade location. It has an expansive history dating back to the first century B.C. Brugge originated from a small Viking settlement which could not survive on agricultural alone; many things were gained through trade with surrounding nations (Brugge). It quickly evolved into an international trade port due to its good location. However, for several centuries Brugge had very little written history. This is due to what many historians referred to as the slumber of Brugge good location (Rodenbach). Brugge’s historical 200 year slumber is due to Brugge’s sharp decline in the 16th century. This gradual decrease in power slowly sucked the life out of the city of Brugge until it reached a point of desperation and poorness in the 18th century (Lonely Planet). The fall of Brugge happened due to three things; the silting of the Zwin canal around 1500, the rise of Antwerp as a successful maritime trader in 1510, and the Protestant Reformation in 1580. These events forced Brugge to step into the shadows of surrounding cities and become a shell of great trading and information city it once was. Of all the causes of Brugge’s downfall, the silting of the Zwin canal was the most influential. The Zwin canal was Brugge’s lifeline, being that it was Brugge’s connection to the sea. Up until 1500 the Zwin had lead to a boom in Brugge’s economic status, boasting a population in Brugge of over 200,000 individuals. This was double of London and made Brugge a widely renowned city. However, once the Zwin canal silted up and became inaccessible for travel, it created a domino effect (Lonely Planet). To silt up is a simple
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