On this page I'll tell you some facts about Spijkenisse's history. I don't claim that it is complete. The pictures are from the book:" Spijkenisse from 1900 till now".

Archaeological investigations prove that there were people living in the area of what is now Spijkenisse from about 10000 years ago. During that time fishing people lived there. They mostly fished for sturgeon.

From 2500 BC a group of people from the "Vlaardingen culture" lived on a bank of the creek at Hekelingen. When the creek disappeared they left the area and moved on. Archaeological proof can still be found in Spijkenisse.

In the Iron age (800 BC) farmers started living in the area.

During the Roman period there was trade contact between people from the Spijkenisse area and the Romans. Some imported Roman artifacts were found in a grave area in the Hartelpark.

After the year 250 AD, because of changes in the landscape, people were forced to leave the area.

In the 10th century people started living in the Spijkenisse area again. Remains of 6 farms from this period were found in the Hartelpark.

In the 12th century big floods changed the area. These floods formed the Haringvliet. The remaining habitable grounds were protected by dikes of about 1 meter. By this way the ring or core polders appeared. Some were Spijkenisse, Putten, Geervliet and Vriesland. Later, by building connection polders like Hekelingen, Brabant and Kapershoek one big area, the island Putten, was formed.

During working activities on the Hartelcanal the oldest known house from Spijkenisse was found. It was probably built in the period between 1180 and 1190, AD.

The first time the name Spijkenisse (then Spickenisse) appeared in books is the year 1231.

In the year 1530, 1532 and 1570, numerous people living in Spijkenisse were killed during heavy floods. A lot of misery and poverty were the result.

In 1648, 1741 and 1748 big fires destroyed many houses and farms. With the big fire of June 13, 1648, a fifth of the population lost their home. The fire of April 14, 1741, destroyed 21 homes and 14 sheds and the one of November 27, 1748, destroyed 10 homes and 21 sheds.

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