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Middelburg ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality and a city in the south-western...

Middelburg ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a municipality and a city in the south-western Netherlands and the capital of the province of Zeeland. It is situated on the peninsula of Walcheren. It has a population of about 46,600. The city of Middelburg dates back to the early 9th century or possibly the late 8th century. The first mention of Middelburg was as one of three fortified towns (i.e., borgs) erected on Walcheren (then an island) to guard against Viking raids. In 844 a monastery was built on the site, which remained in use until the Eighty Years' War, when the northern Netherlands won their independence from Spain. Middelburg was granted city rights in 1217. During the Middle Ages, it became an important trading centre in the trade between England and the cities of Flanders. Later, in the 17th century (the Dutch Golden Age), it was an important centre for the Dutch East India Company. Much of the old city center was bombed on May 17, 1940 by the German Luftwaffe, to force the surrender of the Dutch armies in Zeeland. After the war, much of the centre was rebuilt as much as possible along prewar lines. The city's archives, however, were lost to the flames. After the