Hoeilaart
Encyclopedia
Hoeilaart is a municipality
in the province of Flemish Brabant
, in Flanders
, one of the three regions of Belgium
. The name Hoeilaart is of Gallic
-Celtic
origin, coming from "Ho-Lar," meaning a high clearing in the woods. Residents are called Hoeilanders or Doenders. The municipality only comprises the town of Hoeilaart proper. On January 1, 2006 Hoeilaart had a total population of 10,074. The total area is 20.43 km² which gives a population density
of 493 inhabitants per km². Hoeilaart also sometimes called "The Glass Village" because of the greenhouse grape cultivation that once took place.
The official language is Dutch
. Local minorities consist of nationals from many European union
-countries, USA
and Canada
, and from French-speakers.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the province of Flemish Brabant
Flemish Brabant
Flemish Brabant is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Belgian provinces of Antwerp, Limburg, Liège, Walloon Brabant, Hainaut and East Flanders. Flemish Brabant also completely surrounds the Brussels-Capital Region. Its capital is Leuven...
, in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
, one of the three regions of Belgium
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...
. The name Hoeilaart is of Gallic
Gauls
The Gauls were a Celtic people living in Gaul, the region roughly corresponding to what is now France, Belgium, Switzerland and Northern Italy, from the Iron Age through the Roman period. They mostly spoke the Continental Celtic language called Gaulish....
-Celtic
Celtic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
origin, coming from "Ho-Lar," meaning a high clearing in the woods. Residents are called Hoeilanders or Doenders. The municipality only comprises the town of Hoeilaart proper. On January 1, 2006 Hoeilaart had a total population of 10,074. The total area is 20.43 km² which gives a population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 493 inhabitants per km². Hoeilaart also sometimes called "The Glass Village" because of the greenhouse grape cultivation that once took place.
The official language is Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch 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...
. Local minorities consist of nationals from many European union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
-countries, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and from French-speakers.
Sightseeing
- Woodland Museum Jan van Ruusbroec
- Neo-Romanesque Church dating from 1870-1874
- Kasteel de Man
- "Serristenvillas" from the 1920s
- Smeyberghoeve
- The old millhouse of the Groenendaal Priory
Famous inhabitants
- Jan van Ruusbroec (1291-1381), one of the greatest mystics of the southern Netherlands.
- Armand PienArmand PienArmand Pien was a Belgian weatherman for 37 years. He was popular because his weather predictions were funny and somewhat cryptic....
, weather forecaster on Flemish TV - Marc SleenMarc SleenMarcel Honoree Nestor, Knight Neels , known with his pseudonym Marc Sleen, is a Flemish/Belgian comics artist and cartoonist. He is mostly known for his comic The adventures of Nero and co.-Biography:...
, comicsFranco-Belgian comicsFranco-Belgian comics are comics that are created in Belgium and France. These countries have a long tradition in comics and comic books, where they are known as BDs, an abbreviation of bande dessinée in French and stripverhalen in Dutch...
artist, author of Nero - Jaak Pijpen
- Walter BaeleWalter BaeleWalter Baele is a Flemish cabaretier and actor, best known for creating characters. At the moment he lives in Hoeilaart.- Television acts :* Marcel de Neudt in Familie Backeljau* Jacky Lebot in U Hoort Nog Van Ons...
- David Klawans
- Michael Klawans
- Patrick Hunout, President and Founder of The Social Capital Foundation
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...