The Dubbelman Connection
Where the Dubbelman family's of Jan and Michiel lived and worked.
The Origins and History of Lage Zwaluwe and Hooge Zwaluwe
Around this time (1347), the plague spread from Sicily, severely affecting the province of Brabant. It’s likely that the inhabitants of both Zwaluwe villages also suffered losses due to the plague. The disease was transmitted by rats, which thrived in the conditions near the harbor and river. The plague lasted for four years.
Around 1350, the “Hook and Cod Wars” began—a period of unrest that would last until around 1490. It was mainly a conflict between the lower nobility and bourgeoisie versus the higher nobility, though the division wasn’t always clear. The Biesbosch as we know it today didn’t exist yet, and the small settlements in the region suffered from frequent raids and looting.
On January 22, 1377, the lordship of Zwaluwe was divided into Lage Zwaluwe and Hooge Zwaluwe. Beatrys and her eldest son retained Lage Zwaluwe, while Hooge Zwaluwe was granted to Margriet van der Lippe, Lady of the Leck and Breda, wife of Jan van Polanen, and her eldest son. This transaction brought Hooge Zwaluwe under the House of Nassau. In 1404, Beatrys’s son reunited the Zwaluwe territories under the House of Dongen.
The St. Elizabeth flood of November 18–19, 1421, submerged the entire region that now forms the Biesbosch. A total of 64 villages disappeared under water, with an estimated 10,000 lives lost and about 5,000,000 square meters of land flooded. South of the river Maas, a village named Dubbelmonde was among those lost. The flood was partly due to poor dike maintenance. Soil was excavated in front of the dikes and burned to produce salt, weakening the dikes. The Hook and Cod Wars also drained resources that could have been used for dike upkeep.
The flood of 1421 transformed a large area into an inland sea, creating opportunities for fishing. Large quantities of salmon, sturgeon, smelt, and other fish were brought into the harbors of Drimmelen and Lage Zwaluwe. The harbor provided a livelihood for many. Over time, the rivers deposited clay on shallow areas, gradually forming new land.
In 1517, Luther famously nailed his 95 theses to the church door (though this may be historically inaccurate). This moment is generally considered the start of the Reformation in Europe. Luther’s ideas quickly spread in the Netherlands. Some adopted the new faith, including many merchants, though the vast majority remained Catholic. Catholics generally had no issues with Lutherans. Most Lutherans were found in cities like Antwerp, Bruges, Amsterdam, Woerden, Bodegraven, and the province of Groningen. In Hooge and Lage Zwaluwe, part of the population became Reformed while another part remained Catholic. These divisions ran straight through the village, and by the early 20th century, the groups had little contact with each other.
The Biesbosch increasingly contained patches of land that remained above water during low tide. Some areas were almost always dry, offering economic opportunities. Around 1800, “Griendbazen” (willow bosses) began planting willow shoots. The willow provided branches used for furniture, barrel hoops, erosion mats, and more. Some Griendbazen employed over a hundred workers. These workers would stay in the Biesbosch for up to two weeks until their flat-bottomed boats were filled with willow branches. They lived in handmade huts or on boats with small cabins.
Around 1900, fishing in the Biesbosch nearly disappeared due to silting, pollution, and overfishing. Demand for willow wood also declined with the advent of new materials. Former fishermen turned to cargo transport. The expanding land created by willow planting was converted into farmland. Harvests were transported by boat to the shore.
During World War II, the Netherlands was occupied. The Biesbosch provided a safe haven for people needing protection from the Germans. From Lage Zwaluwe, many nighttime missions departed to deliver food to those hiding in the Biesbosch, using large flat-bottomed boats with wooden huts. Toward the end of the war, North Brabant was liberated while the rest of the country was not. Many “runners” ensured that news and people were transported across the divide.
In 1953, the North Sea flood caused a dike breach near Lage Zwaluwe, flooding the polder. My father recalls that only the dike remained habitable. The backyard and cellar of their house were also flooded. My grandmother showed me on the fence how high the water had reached—it was above her head at the lowest point in the garden. The house stood on the dike, with a lower garden and a cellar below dike level. After repairs, the Delta Works project began, permanently transforming the Biesbosch from a tidal area into inland waters.
In its pursuit of a thriving community, Hooge and Lage Zwaluwe focus on attracting tourists, especially water tourists. In 2007, plans were made to expand the harbor.
In the photo, the original harbor is visible on the left. The large section is newly constructed.