Mol (Belgium)
Encyclopedia
Mol is a municipality
located in the Belgian
province of Antwerp
. The municipality only comprises the town of Mol. On January 1, 2010 Mol had a total population of 34,113 inhabitants. The total area is 114.26 km² which gives a population density
of 299 inhabitants per km².
Mol is a popular holiday resort, with a number of lakes surrounded by woods. There are two main tourist lakes:
Furthermore, there is a Sun Parks holiday centre called "Kempense Meren" with an indoor swimming pool.
The museum of Jakob Smits is located in the former vicarage of Mol-Sluis. This displays works of the artist Jakob Smits
(1855-1928) and other painters of the Molse School
, who were attracted to the area by its rustic views including several windmills (of which only one remains).
In the north-east corner of Mol, near the Dutch border, lies the Norbertine Postel Abbey
. Mol is also home to the SCK•CEN
Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, the Flemish institute for technological research
(VITO) and a European School
. The first industries in Mol were the Vieille Montagne company and the explosive factory N.V. La Forcite. In 1872 the Sablières et Carrières Réunies (SCR), now Sibelco
, was founded in order to extract the silica sand layers in Mol for industrial applications. The company became the global market leader in this sector with production sites all over the world.
The 15 chapels were built by Pater Helsen in 1815 with 14 co-workers of the region. It is a protected monument.
See the corresponding maps or zoom from here.
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...
located in the Belgian
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...
province of Antwerp
Antwerp (province)
Antwerp is the northernmost province both of the Flemish Region, also called Flanders, and of Belgium. It borders on the Netherlands and the Belgian provinces of Limburg, Flemish Brabant and East Flanders. Its capital is Antwerp which comprises the Port of Antwerp...
. The municipality only comprises the town of Mol. On January 1, 2010 Mol had a total population of 34,113 inhabitants. The total area is 114.26 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 299 inhabitants per km².
Mol is a popular holiday resort, with a number of lakes surrounded by woods. There are two main tourist lakes:
- Zilvermeer, which opened as a Provincial Park in 1959 and offers a white sand beach as well as facilities such as an outdoor playground and a underwater museum for divers.
- Zilverstrand: Originally, it had only on outdoor lake with a white sand beach. Later, a caravan park was built and mid 1990's an indoor swimming pool was created.
Furthermore, there is a Sun Parks holiday centre called "Kempense Meren" with an indoor swimming pool.
The museum of Jakob Smits is located in the former vicarage of Mol-Sluis. This displays works of the artist Jakob Smits
Jakob Smits
Jakob Smits or Jacob Smits was a Dutch-Flemish painter. He was born as son of a decorator. Jakob studied in Rotterdam at the academy and helped its father in the decoration business. From 1873 up to 1876 het studied at the Academy in Brussels, and afterwards also in Munich , Vienna and Rome...
(1855-1928) and other painters of the Molse School
Molse School
Molse School, translated as "School of Mol", is a common term for some international paint artists or a specific genre of paintings in late 19th and early 20th century. The paintings typically show picturesque and rustic places, farms, ... of the Belgian municipality Mol, which is located in the...
, who were attracted to the area by its rustic views including several windmills (of which only one remains).
In the north-east corner of Mol, near the Dutch border, lies the Norbertine Postel Abbey
Postel Abbey
Postel Abbey is a Premonstratensian abbey in the Belgian municipality of Mol in the province of Antwerp.-History:In 1138 Premonstratensian canons from Floreffe Abbey founded the monastery at Postel as a dependent priory. In 1613 Postel became independent of Floreffe and in 1618 was raised to the...
. Mol is also home to the SCK•CEN
SCK•CEN
SCK•CEN is the Belgian nuclear research centre located in Mol, Belgium. SCK•CEN is active in various areas of research and services in the nuclear sector.-Organisation profile:...
Belgian Nuclear Research Centre, the Flemish institute for technological research
Flemish institute for technological research
The Flemish institute for technological research or VITO, is a research centre, located in Mol, Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium. The institute performs contract research and develops products and processes in the fields of energy, environment and materials, for both the public and the private sector...
(VITO) and a European School
European School, Mol
The European School of Mol is third of the European Schools. It is in Mol, a municipality in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The school was established in 1960 for children of the Central Bureau for Nuclear Measurements , Euratom, Eurochemic, and the SCK•CEN personnel...
. The first industries in Mol were the Vieille Montagne company and the explosive factory N.V. La Forcite. In 1872 the Sablières et Carrières Réunies (SCR), now Sibelco
Sibelco
Sibelco has over 245 production units worldwide and is the disputed market leader in the extraction, production and distribution of the main industrial minerals: quartz, cristobalite, nepheline syenite, plastic clay and olivine...
, was founded in order to extract the silica sand layers in Mol for industrial applications. The company became the global market leader in this sector with production sites all over the world.
The 15 chapels were built by Pater Helsen in 1815 with 14 co-workers of the region. It is a protected monument.
Municipality structure
The municipality of Mol is divided in different townships respectively named:- Mol-Centrum;
- Mol-Donk;
- Mol-Ezaart;
- Mol-Ginderbuiten;
- Mol-Gompel;
- Mol-Heidehuizen;
- Mol-Millegem;
- Mol-Postel;
- Mol-Wezel.
- Mol-Rauw.
See the corresponding maps or zoom from here.
Famous born or raised inhabitants
- Tom BoonenTom BoonenTom Boonen is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer who won the 2005 World Road Race Championship. He is a member of the team, and is considered a single-day road race specialist with a strong finishing sprint...
, professional cyclist, 2005 World Road Race Champion. - Filip DewulfFilip DewulfFilip Dewulf is a former professional male tennis player from Belgium.In his career he won 2 ATP Tour singles titles and 1 title in doubles...
, tennisTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player, semi-finalist on the French Open. - Kirsten FlipkensKirsten FlipkensKirsten Flipkens is a professional female Belgian tennis player since 2003. Her career high rank for singles is No. 59 . She won 10 ITF Singles titles, and 1 ITF Doubles title....
, tennis player, ITF Junior World ChampionInternational Tennis FederationThe International Tennis Federation is the governing body of world tennis, made up of 205 national tennis associations.It was established as the International Lawn Tennis Federation by 12 national associations meeting at a conference in Paris, France on 1 March 1913...
in 2003. - Hadise AçıkgözHadiseHadise Açıkgöz , is a Belgian born Turkish singer of Circassian descent. Hadise's career began in 2004 with the release of her debut single "Sweat", which peaked at 19 on the Flanders chart. Hadise continued to release more successful singles, most notably the single "Milk Chocolate Girl"...
, former Pop Idol 2003 contestant, and now a singer. - Joël SmetsJoël SmetsJoël Smets is a former motocross world champion from Belgium, who was named Belgian Sportsman of the Year in 2000.-International career:...
, former motocrossMotocrossMotocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
world champion. - Barbara DexBarbara DexBarbara Deckx , better known by her stage name Barbara Dex, is a Belgian singer who represented her country in the 1993 Eurovision Song Contest with the song "Iemand als jij". Dex had qualified via the Belgian national heat, Eurosong 93, held at the Casino Knokke on March 6...
, singer. - Tanja DextersTanja DextersTanja Dexters was crowned Miss Belgium 1998 and represented her country at Miss Universe 1999 and Miss World 1998....
, former Miss Belgium (1998) - Ann Van ElsenAnn Van ElsenAnn Van Elsen is a model and TV personality from Mol, Antwerp in Belgium. She was crowned Miss Belgium in 2002.- Biography :...
, former Miss Belgium (2002) - Wilfried PeetersWilfried PeetersWilfried Peeters is a former Belgian professional road bicycle racer. Nowadays, he is sportif director of the Quick Step team. During his cycling-career, he was a major help for Johan Museeuw in classics such as the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris–Roubaix.- Major victories...
, ex-cyclist, now groupsleader of cyclingteam Quick-Step. - Rob PeetersRob PeetersRob Peeters is a Belgian professional racing cyclist for UCI Professional Continental team Telenet-Fidea.-Career highlights:# 2004: 2º in Koksijde, Cyclo-cross, U23 # 2005: 3º in Pijnacker-Nootdorp, Cyclo-cross, U23...
, cyclo-cross rider. - Rob Teuwen, actor.
- Zjef Vanuytsel, artist.
- Guy DufourGuy DufourGuy Dufour is a Belgian football player who currently play as a midfielder for FC Eindhoven.- PSV :Guy Dufour played for PSV jeugd as a schoolboy since 2001. He had gained a constant promotion each year. In 2005, he was promoted to PSV Jong and was constantly assigned as the captain...
Footballer. - Edmond van Eetvelde († 8 December 1925), former diplomat and State Secretary, and the right hand to Leopold II of BelgiumLeopold II of BelgiumLeopold II was the second king of the Belgians. Born in Brussels the second son of Leopold I and Louise-Marie of Orléans, he succeeded his father to the throne on 17 December 1865 and remained king until his death.Leopold is chiefly remembered as the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free...
- Charles de BroquevilleCharles de BroquevilleCharles Marie Pierre Albert, Count de Broqueville was the 20th Prime Minister of Belgium, serving during World War I. He was born in Postel, Belgium. He was the leader of Belgium's Catholic Party, and he served as prime minister between 1911 and 1918...
(† 5 September 1940), former prime minister - Senne Rouffaer († 14 July 2006), actor and director.
- Johan Gielen (23 February 1968), professional DJ.
- Viktor LazloViktor LazloViktor Lazlo is a French-Belgian singer of Grenadian and Martiniquan descent. She studied in Belgium, where she is primarily known. Her biggest hit was "Breathless" in 1987...
(7 October 1960), singer and actor - Ann Lemmens (8 September 1980) TV presenter
- Guy Mortier (24 March 1973) journalist and TV personality
- Anne-Marie Ilie (9 March 1985) Miss Belgian Beauty 2007