First dike off
The first diking off took place in 1487 in the area of the current village Sint Philipsland. This took place at the initiative of Anna of Burgundy, an illegitimate child of Duke Philip of Burgundy who was married to Adriaan van Borssele. Probably inspired by the name of her father, Anna named the new diked-off area Sint Philipsland.
The new land did not last long – the island flooded in 1530, and 20 people drowned. The dikes were restored in early 1531, but on November 2, 1532 they were breached again, after which the polder was abandoned.
Battlefield
History was made in the flooded area. In 1575, during the Eighty Years' War, the Spaniards managed to wade through the Zijpe with 1,500 men on foot via the undiked-off Sint Philipsland – these days 40 meters deep – reaching Schouwen-Duiveland, where they conquered Zierikzee.
The battle on the Slaak, which took place in 1631, was won by the Zeelanders. After a chase, the Zeeland fleet under the direction of Marinus Hollaere destroyed the Spanish fleet. Only a few ships escaped. Thousands of crewmen were captured and imprisoned in Reimerswaal.