Dendermonde
Encyclopedia
Dendermonde is a Belgian
city and municipality located in the Flemish
province
of East Flanders
in the Denderstreek
. The municipality comprises the city of Dendermonde proper and the towns of Appels, Baasrode, Grembergen
, Mespelare, Oudegem, Schoonaarde, and Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde
. As its name implies, Dendermonde is located at the mouth of the river Dender
, where it flows into the Scheldt
.
The current Mayor of Dendermonde is Piet Buyse (Christian Democratic and Flemish).
artifacts were found in Appels, proof that this region of the Scheldt
was inhabited in prehistory. Grave sites from the 2nd and 6th century also attest to dense settlement in Gallo-Roman and Merovingian times. In 843, the Treaty of Verdun
placed Dendermonde in Lotharingia
. After the Norman
invasions of 883, however, Baldwin II took over the region and incorporated it into the German
part of the newly founded County of Flanders
.
Otto II built a fort here in the 10th century, encouraging further settlements in the area. The town received its city charter
in 1233 and grew quickly after that thanks to a thriving cloth industry. Several cloisters, chapels and churches, and a fortified defensive wall were built as well. A cloth hall and belfry were erected on the market square in the mid 14th century. The town’s prosperity, however, gave rise to severe competition with cities such as Ghent and to occasional attacks and plunders by neighbours. In 1384, the whole area came under the control of the Valois Dukes of Burgundy
The 16th century saw a decline in Dendermonde’s fortunes. In 1572, the Spanish
troops under Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma
, took over the city and mostly destroyed it. A decade later, the Spaniards built their own fortress between the Dender and the Scheldt. In 1667, it was France’s turn to advance on the city, but the allied troops of the Netherlands
and England
, under the Duke of Marlborough
, caused the heaviest damage in 1706. The city was then fortified by the Austria
ns against further French ambitions. After a last siege by Louis XV, the city could finally breathe to the point that the fortifications were dismantled a few decades later.
The second half of the 18th century was generally prosperous, with the advent of the Industrial Revolution
and a local cotton
industry. After 1800, the port facilities were modernized and the first railways were laid down, allowing other industries (oil, shoe, leather…) to move in.
The onset of World War I
in September 1914 was disastrous for the city as more than half of its housing and the city archives were either bombed or burned down. Today, the city is an administrative, commercial, educational, and medical centre for the surrounding region.
Gallery: de Grote Markt
. Legend has this horse saving his master and his three brothers from capture by Charlemagne
.
On August 19, 2006, 28 prisoners managed to escape Dendermonde prison. Seven of them were captured within hours. A few have been found in Italy & Russia. They managed to escape because the lock was old & rusty. They simply walked away, tied all their sheets together, climbed over the wall, jumped on a phone booth and ran away.
On 23 January 2009, a 20 year old Flemish man named Kim de Gelder attacked
a children's daycare centre in the village of Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde
, stabbing three people to death and wounding as many as twenty. One of the school teachers and two babies, aged 8 and 9 months, died in the attack. Italian singer Luciano Ligabue
dedicated to the victims a song, inserted in his 2010 album, .
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
city and municipality located in the Flemish
Flemish Region
The Flemish Region is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium—alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. Colloquially, it is usually simply referred to as Flanders, of which it is the institutional iteration within the context of the Belgian political system...
province
Provinces of Belgium
Belgium is divided into three regions, two of them are subdivided into five provinces each.The division into provinces is fixed by Article 5 of the Belgian Constitution...
of East Flanders
East Flanders
East Flanders is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Netherlands and in Belgium on the provinces of Antwerp, Flemish Brabant , of Hainaut and of West Flanders...
in the Denderstreek
Denderstreek
The Denderstreek or Denderland is a region in the heart of Belgium. It is named after the river Dender. Though the river stretches over three provinces, Hainaut, East Flanders and Flemish Brabant, the region called after the river is situated in East-Flanders. The Dutch word streek means region....
. The municipality comprises the city of Dendermonde proper and the towns of Appels, Baasrode, Grembergen
Grembergen
Grembergen is a town in the municipality of Dendermonde in the Denderstreek in the province of East Flanders in Belgium. It is not to be confused with the municipality of Grimbergen in the province of Flemish Brabant....
, Mespelare, Oudegem, Schoonaarde, and Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde
Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde
Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde is a part of the municipality of Dendermonde in the Denderstreek in East Flanders in Belgium, a typical agricultural village in the Dendervallei near the junction of the railroads to Ghent, Mechelen and Brussels....
. As its name implies, Dendermonde is located at the mouth of the river Dender
Dender
The Dendre or Dender is a 65 km long river in Belgium, right tributary of the river Scheldt. The confluence of both rivers is in the Belgian town Dendermonde....
, where it flows into the Scheldt
Scheldt
The Scheldt is a 350 km long river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands...
.
The current Mayor of Dendermonde is Piet Buyse (Christian Democratic and Flemish).
Origins to the 15th century
Some interesting La-TèneLa Tène culture
The La Tène culture was a European Iron Age culture named after the archaeological site of La Tène on the north side of Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland, where a rich cache of artifacts was discovered by Hansli Kopp in 1857....
artifacts were found in Appels, proof that this region of the Scheldt
Scheldt
The Scheldt is a 350 km long river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands...
was inhabited in prehistory. Grave sites from the 2nd and 6th century also attest to dense settlement in Gallo-Roman and Merovingian times. In 843, the Treaty of Verdun
Treaty of Verdun
The Treaty of Verdun was a treaty between the three surviving sons of Louis the Pious, the son and successor of Charlemagne, which divided the Carolingian Empire into three kingdoms...
placed Dendermonde in Lotharingia
Lotharingia
Lotharingia was a region in northwest Europe, comprising the Low Countries, the western Rhineland, the lands today on the border between France and Germany, and what is now western Switzerland. It was born of the tripartite division in 855, of the kingdom of Middle Francia, itself formed of the...
. After the Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
invasions of 883, however, Baldwin II took over the region and incorporated it into the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
part of the newly founded County of Flanders
County of Flanders
The County of Flanders was one of the territories constituting the Low Countries. The county existed from 862 to 1795. It was one of the original secular fiefs of France and for centuries was one of the most affluent regions in Europe....
.
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
in 1233 and grew quickly after that thanks to a thriving cloth industry. Several cloisters, chapels and churches, and a fortified defensive wall were built as well. A cloth hall and belfry were erected on the market square in the mid 14th century. The town’s prosperity, however, gave rise to severe competition with cities such as Ghent and to occasional attacks and plunders by neighbours. In 1384, the whole area came under the control of the Valois Dukes of Burgundy
16th century until today
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
troops under Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma
Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma
Alexander Farnese was Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1586 to 1592, and Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1578 to 1592.-Biography:...
, took over the city and mostly destroyed it. A decade later, the Spaniards built their own fortress between the Dender and the Scheldt. In 1667, it was France’s turn to advance on the city, but the allied troops of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, under the Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough
John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, Prince of Mindelheim, KG, PC , was an English soldier and statesman whose career spanned the reigns of five monarchs through the late 17th and early 18th centuries...
, caused the heaviest damage in 1706. The city was then fortified by the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
ns against further French ambitions. After a last siege by Louis XV, the city could finally breathe to the point that the fortifications were dismantled a few decades later.
The second half of the 18th century was generally prosperous, with the advent of the Industrial Revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
and a local cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
industry. After 1800, the port facilities were modernized and the first railways were laid down, allowing other industries (oil, shoe, leather…) to move in.
The onset of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
in September 1914 was disastrous for the city as more than half of its housing and the city archives were either bombed or burned down. Today, the city is an administrative, commercial, educational, and medical centre for the surrounding region.
Places of interest
- The béguinageBéguinageA béguinage or begijnhof is a collection of small buildings used by Beguines. These were various lay sisterhoods of the Roman Catholic Church, founded in the 13th century in the Low Countries, comprising religious women who sought to serve God without retiring from the world.-Description:A...
is a UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage SiteWorld Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
since 1998. - The city hall and belfryBelfries of Belgium and FranceThe Belfries of Belgium and France is a group of 56 historical buildings designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Site, in recognition of an architectural manifestation of emerging civic independence in historic Flanders and neighbouring regions from feudal and religious influences, leading to a...
have also been designated a World Heritage Site since 1999. The belfry houses a carillonCarillonA carillon is a musical instrument that is typically housed in a free-standing bell tower, or the belfry of a church or other municipal building. The instrument consists of at least 23 cast bronze, cup-shaped bells, which are played serially to play a melody, or sounded together to play a chord...
and was formerly part of the Cloth Hall. - Dendemonde has a BenedictineBenedictineBenedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
abbey right in the centre of town. - The Dendermonde-Puurs Steam RailwayDendermonde-Puurs Steam RailwayThe Dendermonde–Puurs Steam Railway is a heritage railway situated in the Belgian provinces of East Flanders and Antwerp ....
is a heritage railwayHeritage railwaythumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
, running 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from Dendermonde to PuursPuursPuurs is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. It is located in the Flemish Region. The municipality comprises the towns of Breendonk, Liezele, Kalfort, Ruisbroek and Puurs proper. On January 1, 2006 Puurs had a total population of 16,029...
.
Gallery: de Grote Markt
Events
Dendermonde likes to be known for its decennial procession, featuring the heroic horse, Ros BeiaardRos Beiaard Dendermonde
Ros Beiaard of Dendermonde is a folkloristic horse of big dimensions. It differs from the other Ros-Beiaard horses because it is used only once every ten years and because the horse is carried by people...
. Legend has this horse saving his master and his three brothers from capture by Charlemagne
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was King of the Franks from 768 and Emperor of the Romans from 800 to his death in 814. He expanded the Frankish kingdom into an empire that incorporated much of Western and Central Europe. During his reign, he conquered Italy and was crowned by Pope Leo III on 25 December 800...
.
On August 19, 2006, 28 prisoners managed to escape Dendermonde prison. Seven of them were captured within hours. A few have been found in Italy & Russia. They managed to escape because the lock was old & rusty. They simply walked away, tied all their sheets together, climbed over the wall, jumped on a phone booth and ran away.
On 23 January 2009, a 20 year old Flemish man named Kim de Gelder attacked
Dendermonde nursery attack
The Dendermonde nursery attack was a stabbing attack on the Fabeltjesland daycare centre in the village of Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde in Dendermonde, Belgium, at 10:00 a.m. CET on 23 January 2009. Three people were stabbed to death, and twelve were mutilated in the attack...
a children's daycare centre in the village of Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde
Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde
Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde is a part of the municipality of Dendermonde in the Denderstreek in East Flanders in Belgium, a typical agricultural village in the Dendervallei near the junction of the railroads to Ghent, Mechelen and Brussels....
, stabbing three people to death and wounding as many as twenty. One of the school teachers and two babies, aged 8 and 9 months, died in the attack. Italian singer Luciano Ligabue
Luciano Ligabue
Luciano Ligabue , more commonly known as Ligabue or Liga, is an Italian rock singer-songwriter, film director and writer.-Biography:...
dedicated to the victims a song, inserted in his 2010 album, .
Famous inhabitants
- Polydore de KeyserPolydore de KeyserSir Polydore de Keyser , was a lawyer and the first Roman Catholic since the Reformation to be elected Lord Mayor of London . He was born in the Belgian city of Dendermonde, near Ghent, Belgium....
, Right Honourable Lord Mayor of London in 1887 - Alwin de PrinsAlwin de PrinsAlwin de Prins is a former competitive swimmer who represented Luxembourg. Born in Dendermonde, Belgium, he first represented Luxembourg in 1995 at the European Championships in Vienna....
, competitive swimmer (b. 1978) - Pierre-Jean De SmetPierre-Jean De SmetPierre-Jean De Smet , also known as Pieter-Jan De Smet, was a Belgian Roman Catholic priest and member of the Society of Jesus , active in missionary work among the Native Americans of the Midwestern United States in the mid-19th century.His extensive travels as a missionary were said to total...
, missionary among the Native Americans (1801–1873) - James Oliver Van de VeldeJames Oliver Van de VeldeJames Oliver Van de Velde was a U.S. Catholic bishop born in Belgium. He served as the second Roman Catholic Bishop of Chicago between 1849 and 1853. He traveled to Rome in 1852 and petitioned the Pope for a transfer to a warmer climate, due to his health...
, bishop of Chicago and, later, of Mississippi (1795–1855) - Geert De VliegerGeert De VliegerGeert de Vlieger is a retired Belgian football goalkeeper.He started his career in his home country playing for Anderlecht and Beveren before moving to Holland and playing for Willem II for four years between 2000 and 2004...
, Belgian international soccer player (b. 1971) - Jan De VosJan De VosJan Baptist De Vos was mayor of Antwerp from 15 March 1909 until 21 July 1921. He stayed on as mayor after the capture of Antwerp by German forces during World War I, and remained in office after the end of German occupation and World War I.Jan Baptist De Vos was born in Dendermonde...
, mayor of Antwerp (1844–1923) - Emmanuel HielEmmanuel HielEmmanuel Hiel , was a Flemish-Dutch poet and prose writer.Hiel was born at Sint-Gillis-Dendermonde. During his life he held various jobs, from teacher and government official to journalist and bookseller, busily writing all the time both for the theatre and the magazines of North and South...
, poet and prose writer (1834–1899) - Fernand KhnopffFernand KhnopffFernand Edmond Jean Marie Khnopff as a Belgian symbolist painter.- Youth and Training :...
, painter (1858–1921) - Kim KayKim KayKim Kay is a Belgian singer. Despite being Flemish, she sings primarily in French.Kay lives in Wichelen and studies psychology in Ghent. In 2004, she was diagnosed as having cancer....
(pseudonym of Kim Van Hee) (Dendermonde, 27 February 1978) is a Belgian singer. - Caroline MaesCaroline MaesCaroline Maes is a Belgian tennis player.Maes is active in the singles game since 1997 and doubles since 1999. The highest place she ever achieved on the WTA-ranking in singles is 151st on 28 May 2007. In doubles she got to the 143rd place on 9 July 2007...
, tennis player (b. 1982) - Johannes OckeghemJohannes OckeghemJohannes Ockeghem was the most famous composer of the Franco-Flemish School in the last half of the 15th century, and is often considered the most...
, composer, was said to be born in Dendermonde (c. 1410-1497) - Ivo Van DammeIvo Van DammeIvo Van Damme was a Belgian middle distance runner.Van Damme was born in Dendermonde. He played football until he was 16, but then switched to athletics...
, middle distance runner (1954–1976) - Pat Van Den HauwePat Van Den HauwePatrick William Roger "Pat" Van Den Hauwe is a former professional footballer who made 401 appearances in the Football League playing for Birmingham City, Everton, Tottenham Hotspur and Millwall...
, Welsh internationalWales national football teamThe Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
soccer player, former husband of Mandy SmithMandy SmithMandy Smith is an English dance-pop singer, former model and aspiring counsellor.-Early life:In 1983, at age 13 she started dating 47-year-old The Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman, with the consent of her mother...
(b. 1960) - former Belgian Prime Minister Guy VerhofstadtGuy VerhofstadtGuy Verhofstadt is a Belgian politician who was the 47th Prime Minister of Belgium from 1999 to 2008. He is currently a Member of the European Parliament and leader of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe.- Early career :...
was born and raised in Dendermonde (b. 1953), as was his younger brother the political scientist Dirk VerhofstadtDirk VerhofstadtDirk Verhofstadt is a Belgian social liberal theorist and brother of former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt. He has a keen interest in political philosophy, and his philosophical outlook is influenced by Karl Popper, John Stuart Mill, Thomas Paine, Amartya Sen and Martha Nussbaum...
(b. 1955). - Frans Courtens, painter, born in Dendermonde (1854–1943)
- Jaak Vanderperren, pilot in the Royal Air Force during WWII, was born in Dendermonde (1920–1944) but killed in action during a close air support mission against the German Army with his Supermarine SpitfireSupermarine SpitfireThe Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
XIV - Jan VerhasJan VerhasJan Francois Verhas was a genre painter and is considered the founder of the School of Dendermonde, best known for his paintings of children of the Belgian bourgeoisie, in a classical style but with a natural feeling to them....
, painter (1834–1886). - Franz Verhas, painter (born circa 1827-died circa 1897)
- Remi VermeirenRemi VermeirenRemi Vermeiren is a Belgian banker and businessman.-Education:He went to high school at the Royal Athenaeum of Dendermonde and graduated as licentiate in commercial and financial sciences at the Hoger instituut voor Handels- en Bestuurswetenschapen in Brussels .-Career:He started his career at the...
(b. Dendermonde, 23 February 1940), businessman. - Vanessa ChinitorVanessa ChinitorVanessa Chinitor is a Belgian singer, best known outside Belgium for her participation in the 1999 Eurovision Song Contest.- Early career :...
, singer, born in Dendermonde 13 October 1976.
External links
- Official website - Only available in DutchDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
- Cultural website about Dendermonde - Only available in DutchDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
- Youth community site for Dendermonde - Only available in DutchDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...