Hulst

Hulst, in the eastern part of the Flemish coastal lowlands, received its town rights in the twelfth century. Its position near the Scheldt made it a valuable fortified place during the long struggle between Spain and the Dutch Republic. Maurice of Orange took it in 1591, only for Archduke Albert to recover it five years later. Frederick Henry's forces failed to capture Hulst in 1640, but returned in 1645 and took the town after a siege. The star-shaped fortifications built in the seventeenth century surrounded it with ramparts and bastions. Hulst later endured another attack in 1702 and was taken by the French in 1747.