History of the Netherlands Dutch-speaking territory in the Netherlands was taken from Spain, but not in Flanders, which to this day remains part of Belgium. Flanders was the most radical anti-Spanish territory. Many Flemish fled to Holland, among them half of the population of Antwerp, 3/4 of Bruges and Ghent and the entire population of Nieuwpoort, Dunkerque and countryside. His successful campaign gave the Catholics control of the lower half of the Low Countries, and was part of the Catholic Counter-Reformation. The war dragged on for another half century, but the main fighting was over. The Peace of Westphalia, signed in 1648, confirmed the
History of the Dutch language uuatare"" ("A fish was swimming in the water") and ""Gelobistu in got alamehtigan fadaer"" ("Do you believe in God the almighty father"). The latter fragment was written around 900. Arguably the most famous text containing what is traditionally taken to be Old Dutch is: ""Hebban olla vogala nestas hagunnan, hinase hic enda tu, wat unbidan we nu"" ("All birds have started making nests, except me and you, what are we waiting for"), dating around the year 1100, written by a Flemish monk in a convent in Rochester, England. The oldest known single word is "wad", attested in the toponym "vadam"