In the 13th century Bergen-op-Zoonι became the seat of Count Gerhard of Wesemael, who surrounded it with walls. In 1533 it was erected by Charles V. of Germany into a marquisate, which was successively held by the families of Berghes, Merode, Witthem, s’Heerenbergh, Hohenzollern, Tour d’Auvergne, and Sulzbach, and thus passed to the house of Bavaria, which, however, in 1801 abdicated itβ rights in favour of the Dutch republic. In 1576 the town joined the United Netherlands, and was shortly afterwards fortified, in 1588 it was unsuccessfully besieged by the duke of Parma (see Motley’s United Netherlands, chap, xx.), and in 1605 it was suddenly attacked by Du Terail (Ibid. chap, xliv.) In 1622 it defied the utmost attempts of Spinola, who was forced to abandon the enterprise after a siege of ten weeks and the loss of 1200 men. Its fortifications were greatly strengthened in 1688 by Cooehoorn, who, it was believed, had almost rendered it impregnable; and in 1725 they were further extended. In 1747, however, the town was taken by the French general Lowendal. Restored at the end of the war, it was again in 1795 taken by Pichegru. The English, under Sir Thomas Graham, afterwards Lord Lynedoch, in March 1814 made an attempt to take it by a coup de main, but were driven back with great loss by the French, who, however, surrendered the place by the treaty of peace in the following May.