Wilrijk
Encyclopedia
Wilrijk is a district of the municipality
and city of Antwerp in the Flemish Region
of Belgium
. Wilrijk had been a separate municipality before January 1, 1983; the enlarged municipality of Antwerp was decentralized
in 2000 and Wilrijk became one the city's nine districts.
This suburb is also known as the Goat village, because of its Goat parade. Every five years this parade attracts a lot of tourists. The most recent one was held on September 19, 2010.
A cocktail of hospitality, sport and recreation in a green environment, makes of Wilrijk one the pearls in the crown of Antwerp.
Civilization in this area was already present in 600 BC. This has a been shown by the excavation of a Celt
ic burial site in Wilrijk, which until now is the oldest sign of civilization discovered in the region around Antwerp.
past of Wilrijk.
One of the current theories is that the name Wilrijk is actually derived from the Gallo-Roman word Villariacum (meaning: "Part of the domain of a Roman Villa
"). Evidence for the existence of a Roman villa was found in a nearby village Kontich
.
After the closing of the Zwyn and the decay of Bruges, the city of Antwerp became of more importance.
At the end of the 15th century the foreign trading gilds moved from the city of Bruges
to Antwerp. These "foreigner" were well received by the families in Antwerp. Some of the richer people from Antwerp escaped their busy lives in the center of the city and, attracted by the rural character of Wilrijk (and other towns surrounding Antwerp), started building large houses (little castles) there. These houses are called Hoven van plaisantie, some of these still exist even today: Klaverblad, Schoonselhof, Ieperman, Steytelinck, Middelheim, De Brandt, Hof Ter Beke. Others didn't survive: Jezuietenhof, Ooievaarsnest (Oversnes), Hoonsnest (Hondsnest of Hof van Van Dael), Groenenborgerhof, Elsdonkhof, Standonk, Korenbloem. But their names still remain in the consciousness of the people living in Wilrijk through names of streets and neighbourhoods.
On November 30, 1589 the village was completely burnt by some Geuzen
coming from Bergen op Zoom
. It took Wilrijk 20 year to start reconstruction of the houses, in that time the population had to live in poor wooden huts.
In the middle of the 18th century an important road was constructed between Antwerp and Boom
. Because of the expansion of Antwerp some suburbs (Kiel and Beerschot) that were a large source of food products for Antwerp, started to get too crowded. Their function was taken over by the farmers in Wilrijk and they started delivering milk, vegetables and flowers to Antwerp.
On October 6, 1819 Wilrijk received its own coat of arms
from King William I of the Netherlands
and the Hoge Raad van Adel. It consists of a picture of Saint Bavo
as a knight on a blue background, with in his left hand a falcon
and in his right hand a sword, the right corner contains an image of the Saint Bavo
church in Wilrijk.
In the second half of the 19th century the town started to change because of the construction of two forts in the neighbourhood of Wilrijk (Fort 6 and 7) (1859–1865). These were part of a whole array of 8 forts protecting the city of Antwerp. At the same time some important connections were constructed between these fortications, leading to new roads and railroads in Wilrijk and even a railway station.
Mayor M. Willems(1863–1870) started the planning of a new town hall. The architect of the province of Antwerp Eugeen Gife was given the task to design this new building, but it was the next mayor Jules Moretus (1870–1874) who would see the actual start of the construction. The town hall was finished in 1873, some changes were made to it in 1920, 1936, 1952, 1963, 1970 and 1977. Since 1994 it is officially protected as a monument.
Until the 19th century Wilrijk had stayed a rural, quite poor community independent of Antwerp. From then on a lot of the inhabitants started to search for a job in the center of Antwerp, and Wilrijk flourished. In 1810 Wilrijk had 1660 inhabitants, this increased in 1840 to 2275, and in 1875 it were already 3553, to become 6243 in 1900. It was a slow evolution, and Wilrijk evolved from a rural village into a small suburb.
In the 20th century some of the Hoven van plaisantie were demolished, and their large surrounding parks were used to construct new housing projects. The primary goal was to create new urban areas after the First World War. The first new immigrants were mostly people moving from the city to the fresh air in the suburbs. Some of Wilrijks district that were created this way are Eenheid, Elsdonk and Valaar.
During the Second World War, Wilrijk suffered a lot because of bombardments by the Germans
with the V1
and V2
. 71 civilians were killed by as much as 65 bombs.
After the war Wilrijk again started to grow rapidly. The agricultural character disappeared and was replaced by industry. Again a lot of people migrated from the center of Antwerp to the suburbs. This time also the first high buildings appeared in Wilrijk. The population number attained its top. In 1950, 27.213 inhabitants, in 1956 30,000 and in 1964, 40,000. On January 1, 1975 the number of inhabitants was officially 44.219, from this day on the population size would decrease steadily.
In 1960 the town council decided to renew the town center. This urbanistic project included some high buildings, a shopping center and a cultural center. It was agreed to create a large industrial area of 1.5 km² next to the important economical axes Antwerp-Boom (Boomsesteenweg(A12)). More than 6000 people are employed in this area right now.
Because of the increase in traffic the Boomsesteenweg(A12) was modernised in 1958 (also because of the Expo '58
in Brussels
). In 1978 the highway Antwerp-Brussels(E10, now called E19) and the R11 were constructed, further dividing Wilrijk into different parts. The communal road network was more than 200 km.
Until then Wilrijk had been an independent town with its own town council and mayor, but this was about to change.
, Borgerhout
, Ekeren
, Hoboken, Merksem
and Deurne - part of one big city of Antwerp. This way a city with more than 500.000 inhabitants was created. All the former towns became "districten (in Dutch
)" of Antwerp. A lot of city services were centralised and the town (district) council lost almost all of its powers. Every district kept its own districtshuis (former town hall) with services like: information, social affaires, registry of births, deaths and marriages, etc.
However, this move to a centralised administration created some resistance among the inhabitants. In a gesture "to bring the government back to the civilians" a decentralisation was started on January 1, 2001. Some of the powers went back to the districts, including: the "look" of the town, youth policy, festivities, sports and communication.
is a mythical being that appears in a lot of folk tales in Flanders
. According to belief (especially from people living in Wilrijk) Lange Wapper was born in Wilrijk, near the Hoven van plaisantie De Brandt and Middelheim on the fields of farmer Peer-Jan. One day he found a huge red cabbage
between his vegetables. He touched it, and found out that it was actually a newborn. Because he was too poor to raise the child, it was adopted by a family from Antwerp. The boy grew up, and he became known as someone who always protected the helpless. One day he saved an old lady from drowning and she gave him the gift to make himself very tall or very small whenever he liked it. This is how he got his name Lange (Long) Wapper. Since he always protected people he got some respect, but he also made some strange noises, sounding like a goat, and that's why he also became known as a water devil.
Since people in Wilrijk wanted to make sure the entire world would believe that Lange Wapper
really was theirs, they organised a great party in 1964 to baptise an 8 meter long giant, Lange Wapper, with beer in the presence of a monk from Deerlijk
. After that the giant was officially made inhabitant (honoris causa) of Wilrijk by mayor Kiebooms. This, of course, created only more discussion between the center of Antwerp and Wilrijk about who actually "owned" Lange Wapper.
He is one of the main figures of the Goat parade in Wilrijk.
language)). From this time on, Wilrijk was known as the 'Goat town'. As with a lot of these names, after a while it become a title of honor for people living in Wilrijk. So, when in 1965 Wilrijk celebrated its 1200 year existence, the people organised a 'Goat parade', consisting of decorated carts, people wearing costumes and of course...goats. There was also a cart showing Lange Wapper
.
After the fusion with Antwerp in 1983 people became nostalgic, and they started to look at their common past. Plans were made to organize a new Goat parade, which happened for the first time again, after 25 year of silence, on September 16, 1990. Since then, a Goat parade is organised every five years (1995, 2000, 2005). The last one featured: 1500 participants in special costumes, 10 groups of dancers, 12 decorated carts, 16 groups of musicians, giants, coaches, horses, ... and a record breaking amount of goats.
and art exhibitions. In the streets surrounding the town hall you can find farmers showing their animals (goats, horses, cows and other livestock) and there are also competitions to decide which farmers have the best animals.
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...
and city of Antwerp in the Flemish Region
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...
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...
. Wilrijk had been a separate municipality before January 1, 1983; the enlarged municipality of Antwerp was decentralized
Decentralization
__FORCETOC__Decentralization or decentralisation is the process of dispersing decision-making governance closer to the people and/or citizens. It includes the dispersal of administration or governance in sectors or areas like engineering, management science, political science, political economy,...
in 2000 and Wilrijk became one the city's nine districts.
This suburb is also known as the Goat village, because of its Goat parade. Every five years this parade attracts a lot of tourists. The most recent one was held on September 19, 2010.
Overview
Part of the bigger city of Antwerp, Wilrijk has been able to conserve its own town-like look. Consisting of modern living areas mixed with older neighbourhoods, this suburb shows a nice balance between living, commercial and industrial activities.A cocktail of hospitality, sport and recreation in a green environment, makes of Wilrijk one the pearls in the crown of Antwerp.
Civilization in this area was already present in 600 BC. This has a been shown by the excavation of a Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic burial site in Wilrijk, which until now is the oldest sign of civilization discovered in the region around Antwerp.
Demography
The total area of Wilrijk is 13.61 km² and it has 38.220 inhabitants (2004)http://www.dma.be/feitenencijfers/demografie/Wilrijk.htm.Nineteenth century
| Year | 1806 | 1816 | 1830 | 1846 | 1856 | 1866 | 1876 | 1880 | 1890 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | 1.629 | 1.626 | 2.009 | 2.356 | 2.355 | 2.985 | 3.827 | 3.908 | 5.495 |
| Note:Counted on 31 December | |||||||||
Twentieth century until fusion with Antwerp
| Year | 1900 | 1910 | 1920 | 1930 | 1947 | 1961 | 1970 | 1980 | 1982 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population size | 6.043 | 7.810 | 9.634 | 20.361 | 26.150 | 37.396 | 43.485 | 43.161 | 41.967 | |
| Note:Counted on 31ste of December until 1970 + 1 January 1980 + 31 December 1982 | ||||||||||
From a Celtic settlement to a modern suburb
Probably the first time people lived in this area was around 600 BC. In 1003 the first document appeared in which the name uuilrika was mentioned. This document tells about the existence in 743 AD of a community living around the central square in Wilrijk which is called Bist. The triangular shape of the Bist shows the FrankishFranks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
past of Wilrijk.
One of the current theories is that the name Wilrijk is actually derived from the Gallo-Roman word Villariacum (meaning: "Part of the domain of a Roman Villa
Roman villa
A Roman villa is a villa that was built or lived in during the Roman republic and the Roman Empire. A villa was originally a Roman country house built for the upper class...
"). Evidence for the existence of a Roman villa was found in a nearby village Kontich
Kontich
Kontich is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the towns of Kontich proper and Waarloos. On December 31, 2010 Kontich had a total population of 20,584...
.
After the closing of the Zwyn and the decay of Bruges, the city of Antwerp became of more importance.
At the end of the 15th century the foreign trading gilds moved from the city of Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
to Antwerp. These "foreigner" were well received by the families in Antwerp. Some of the richer people from Antwerp escaped their busy lives in the center of the city and, attracted by the rural character of Wilrijk (and other towns surrounding Antwerp), started building large houses (little castles) there. These houses are called Hoven van plaisantie, some of these still exist even today: Klaverblad, Schoonselhof, Ieperman, Steytelinck, Middelheim, De Brandt, Hof Ter Beke. Others didn't survive: Jezuietenhof, Ooievaarsnest (Oversnes), Hoonsnest (Hondsnest of Hof van Van Dael), Groenenborgerhof, Elsdonkhof, Standonk, Korenbloem. But their names still remain in the consciousness of the people living in Wilrijk through names of streets and neighbourhoods.
On November 30, 1589 the village was completely burnt by some Geuzen
Geuzen
Geuzen was a name assumed by the confederacy of Calvinist Dutch nobles and other malcontents, who from 1566 opposed Spanish rule in the Netherlands. The most successful group of them operated at sea, and so were called Watergeuzen...
coming from Bergen op Zoom
Bergen op Zoom
Bergen op Zoom is a municipality and a city located in the south of the Netherlands.-History:Bergen op Zoom was granted city status probably in 1266. In 1287 the city and its surroundings became a lordship as it was separated from the lordship of Breda. The lordship was elevated to a margraviate...
. It took Wilrijk 20 year to start reconstruction of the houses, in that time the population had to live in poor wooden huts.
In the middle of the 18th century an important road was constructed between Antwerp and Boom
Boom, Antwerp
Boom is a municipality located in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium, and in the Flemish province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the town of Boom proper. On January 1, 2006 Boom had a total population of 16,096. The total area is 7.37 km² which gives a population density of...
. Because of the expansion of Antwerp some suburbs (Kiel and Beerschot) that were a large source of food products for Antwerp, started to get too crowded. Their function was taken over by the farmers in Wilrijk and they started delivering milk, vegetables and flowers to Antwerp.
Coat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
from King William I of the Netherlands
William I of the Netherlands
William I Frederick, born Willem Frederik Prins van Oranje-Nassau , was a Prince of Orange and the first King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg....
and the Hoge Raad van Adel. It consists of a picture of Saint Bavo
Saint Bavo
Saint Bavo of Ghent is a Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox saint.-Life:Bavo was born near Liège, Belgium, to a Frankish noble family that gave him the name Allowin...
as a knight on a blue background, with in his left hand a falcon
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
and in his right hand a sword, the right corner contains an image of the Saint Bavo
Saint Bavo
Saint Bavo of Ghent is a Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox saint.-Life:Bavo was born near Liège, Belgium, to a Frankish noble family that gave him the name Allowin...
church in Wilrijk.
In the second half of the 19th century the town started to change because of the construction of two forts in the neighbourhood of Wilrijk (Fort 6 and 7) (1859–1865). These were part of a whole array of 8 forts protecting the city of Antwerp. At the same time some important connections were constructed between these fortications, leading to new roads and railroads in Wilrijk and even a railway station.
Mayor M. Willems(1863–1870) started the planning of a new town hall. The architect of the province of Antwerp Eugeen Gife was given the task to design this new building, but it was the next mayor Jules Moretus (1870–1874) who would see the actual start of the construction. The town hall was finished in 1873, some changes were made to it in 1920, 1936, 1952, 1963, 1970 and 1977. Since 1994 it is officially protected as a monument.
Until the 19th century Wilrijk had stayed a rural, quite poor community independent of Antwerp. From then on a lot of the inhabitants started to search for a job in the center of Antwerp, and Wilrijk flourished. In 1810 Wilrijk had 1660 inhabitants, this increased in 1840 to 2275, and in 1875 it were already 3553, to become 6243 in 1900. It was a slow evolution, and Wilrijk evolved from a rural village into a small suburb.
In the 20th century some of the Hoven van plaisantie were demolished, and their large surrounding parks were used to construct new housing projects. The primary goal was to create new urban areas after the First World War. The first new immigrants were mostly people moving from the city to the fresh air in the suburbs. Some of Wilrijks district that were created this way are Eenheid, Elsdonk and Valaar.
Wilrijk as a suburban town
When the population exceeded 20,000 inhabitants in 1928, the town acquired the Hof van plaisantie Steytelinck. From then on, Wilrijk had its own public park, close to the center.During the Second World War, Wilrijk suffered a lot because of bombardments by the Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
with the V1
V-1 flying bomb
The V-1 flying bomb, also known as the Buzz Bomb or Doodlebug, was an early pulse-jet-powered predecessor of the cruise missile....
and V2
V-2 rocket
The V-2 rocket , technical name Aggregat-4 , was a ballistic missile that was developed at the beginning of the Second World War in Germany, specifically targeted at London and later Antwerp. The liquid-propellant rocket was the world's first long-range combat-ballistic missile and first known...
. 71 civilians were killed by as much as 65 bombs.
After the war Wilrijk again started to grow rapidly. The agricultural character disappeared and was replaced by industry. Again a lot of people migrated from the center of Antwerp to the suburbs. This time also the first high buildings appeared in Wilrijk. The population number attained its top. In 1950, 27.213 inhabitants, in 1956 30,000 and in 1964, 40,000. On January 1, 1975 the number of inhabitants was officially 44.219, from this day on the population size would decrease steadily.
In 1960 the town council decided to renew the town center. This urbanistic project included some high buildings, a shopping center and a cultural center. It was agreed to create a large industrial area of 1.5 km² next to the important economical axes Antwerp-Boom (Boomsesteenweg(A12)). More than 6000 people are employed in this area right now.
Because of the increase in traffic the Boomsesteenweg(A12) was modernised in 1958 (also because of the Expo '58
Expo '58
Expo 58, also known as the Brussels World’s Fair, Brusselse Wereldtentoonstelling or Exposition Universelle et Internationale de Bruxelles, was held from 17 April to 19 October 1958...
in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
). In 1978 the highway Antwerp-Brussels(E10, now called E19) and the R11 were constructed, further dividing Wilrijk into different parts. The communal road network was more than 200 km.
Until then Wilrijk had been an independent town with its own town council and mayor, but this was about to change.
Wilrijk as part of Antwerp
On January 1, 1983 Wilrijk became, together with seven other communities - Antwerp, BerchemBerchem
The 'Ring', Antwerp's circular motorway which follows the track of the former city defense walls, cuts Berchem in two parts, separating the urban inner city area of Oud-Berchem from the more residential and suburban areas Groenenhoek en Nieuw Kwartier .-Demography:Berchem's total surface is over ,...
, Borgerhout
Borgerhout
Borgerhout is a district of the municipality and city of Antwerp in the Flemish Region of Belgium. The district houses 41,614 inhabitants reflecting 90 nationalities...
, Ekeren
Ekeren
Ekeren is a northern district of the municipality of Antwerp in the Flemish Region of Belgium. The suburb celebrated its 850th birthday in 2005; the name of the town was first mentioned in 1155, as "Hecerna"....
, Hoboken, Merksem
Merksem
Merksem is a district of the municipality and city of Antwerp in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It has almost 41,000 inhabitants.-History:The history of Merksem goes back to Gallo-Roman times. During that period the region was mentioned as Merk and Heim being part of the diocese Kamerijk...
and Deurne - part of one big city of Antwerp. This way a city with more than 500.000 inhabitants was created. All the former towns became "districten (in 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...
)" of Antwerp. A lot of city services were centralised and the town (district) council lost almost all of its powers. Every district kept its own districtshuis (former town hall) with services like: information, social affaires, registry of births, deaths and marriages, etc.
However, this move to a centralised administration created some resistance among the inhabitants. In a gesture "to bring the government back to the civilians" a decentralisation was started on January 1, 2001. Some of the powers went back to the districts, including: the "look" of the town, youth policy, festivities, sports and communication.
Lange Wapper
Lange WapperLange Wapper
Lange Wapper is a legend about a giant who irritates or provokes people. The story is well known in Antwerp. The legend was also told in other Flemish cities.- Legend :...
is a mythical being that appears in a lot of folk tales 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...
. According to belief (especially from people living in Wilrijk) Lange Wapper was born in Wilrijk, near the Hoven van plaisantie De Brandt and Middelheim on the fields of farmer Peer-Jan. One day he found a huge red cabbage
Red Cabbage
The red cabbage is a sort of cabbage, also known as Red Kraut or Blue Kraut after preparation....
between his vegetables. He touched it, and found out that it was actually a newborn. Because he was too poor to raise the child, it was adopted by a family from Antwerp. The boy grew up, and he became known as someone who always protected the helpless. One day he saved an old lady from drowning and she gave him the gift to make himself very tall or very small whenever he liked it. This is how he got his name Lange (Long) Wapper. Since he always protected people he got some respect, but he also made some strange noises, sounding like a goat, and that's why he also became known as a water devil.
Since people in Wilrijk wanted to make sure the entire world would believe that Lange Wapper
Lange Wapper
Lange Wapper is a legend about a giant who irritates or provokes people. The story is well known in Antwerp. The legend was also told in other Flemish cities.- Legend :...
really was theirs, they organised a great party in 1964 to baptise an 8 meter long giant, Lange Wapper, with beer in the presence of a monk from Deerlijk
Deerlijk
Deerlijk is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality only comprises the town of Deerlijk proper. On January 1, 2006 Deerlijk had a total population of 11,310. The total area is 16.82 km² which gives a population density of 673 inhabitants per km².-External...
. After that the giant was officially made inhabitant (honoris causa) of Wilrijk by mayor Kiebooms. This, of course, created only more discussion between the center of Antwerp and Wilrijk about who actually "owned" Lange Wapper.
He is one of the main figures of the Goat parade in Wilrijk.
Goat parade (Geitestoet)
In the period that Wilrijk was still a poor town, a lot of people kept a little goat at home, to give them some meat and milk if needed. Because of this, the richer people were laughing with the silly people from Wilrijk with their goats. When in 1895 there was an election for the town council, there was a big election fight between the Catholic and the liberal parties. The liberals accused the Catholics of fraud, and because the people of Wilrijk didn't want to listen to them, they called them 'Goat heads'(Geitekoppen(DutchDutch 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...
language)). From this time on, Wilrijk was known as the 'Goat town'. As with a lot of these names, after a while it become a title of honor for people living in Wilrijk. So, when in 1965 Wilrijk celebrated its 1200 year existence, the people organised a 'Goat parade', consisting of decorated carts, people wearing costumes and of course...goats. There was also a cart showing Lange Wapper
Lange Wapper
Lange Wapper is a legend about a giant who irritates or provokes people. The story is well known in Antwerp. The legend was also told in other Flemish cities.- Legend :...
.
After the fusion with Antwerp in 1983 people became nostalgic, and they started to look at their common past. Plans were made to organize a new Goat parade, which happened for the first time again, after 25 year of silence, on September 16, 1990. Since then, a Goat parade is organised every five years (1995, 2000, 2005). The last one featured: 1500 participants in special costumes, 10 groups of dancers, 12 decorated carts, 16 groups of musicians, giants, coaches, horses, ... and a record breaking amount of goats.
Annual fair (Jaarmarkt)
In a lot of towns there is an ancient custom to have an Annual Fair to create an opportunity for farmers to show and trade their livestock. All the farmers in the region come to the town with the livestock or other goods they want to sell. Over time this has evolved in a larger cultural event. This annual fair is still held every year in Wilrijk in August. It consists of a weekend during which a large amount of activities are organised: a painters competition, an old-timer rally, a funfairFunfair
A funfair or simply "fair" is a small to medium sized travelling show primarily composed of stalls and other amusements. Larger fairs such as the permanent fairs of cities and seaside resorts might be called a fairground, although technically this should refer to the land where a fair is...
and art exhibitions. In the streets surrounding the town hall you can find farmers showing their animals (goats, horses, cows and other livestock) and there are also competitions to decide which farmers have the best animals.
Notable natives
- Toby AlderweireldToby AlderweireldTobias "Toby" Albertine Maurits Alderweireld is a Belgian football defender who currently plays for Ajax.An all-round defender, Alderweireld is mostly known for his long passes and physical strength...
(born 1989) footballer - Kathleen Van BremptKathleen Van BremptKathleen Van Brempt , born in Wilrijk, is a Belgian social-democratic politician and member of the SP-A. She currently serves as Member of the European Parliament as part of the Party of European Socialists ....
(born 1969), politician - Bruno BrokkenBruno BrokkenBruno Brokken is a former Belgian high jumper. In 1976 he got the bronze medal at the European Indoor Championships with a jump of 2.19 meter.-Biography:...
(born 1953), high jumper - Moussa DembéléMoussa DembéléMoussa Sidi Yaya Dembélé is a Belgian footballer who currently plays as an Attacking Midfielder for Fulham in the English Premier League. He has a Malian father and a Belgian mother.-Early career:...
(born 1987), footballer - Gabriel FehervariGabriel FehervariGabriel Fehervari is a Belgian businessman and CEO of the Alfacam Group, which consists of three divisions: Alfacam, Euro1080 and Eurolinx. He is the son of Hungarian immigrants...
(born 1960), businessman and CEO of the Alfacam Group - Frans GrootjansFrans GrootjansFrans Edward Elisabeth Grootjans , was a Belgian politician and minister for the PVV.Grootjans was born at Wilrijk. He became a licentiate in the trade and consular sciences and was chief editor and director of the newspaper De Nieuwe Gazet...
(born 1922), politician and minister for the PVV - Brian LesherBrian LesherBrian Herbert Lesher is a former backup outfielder in Major League Baseball who played for three different teams between and...
(born 1971), baseball player - Jan LeyersJan LeyersJan Leyers is a singer, songwriter, and television personality. He was a member of the group Soulsister and later became a solo musician and host of various television series.-Music career:...
(born 1958), singer - Rik Van LindenRik Van LindenRik Van Linden is a Belgian former road bicycle racer who won the green jersey in the 1975 Tour de France. He also won several stages in all of the three Grand Tours...
(born 1949), cyclist - Linda MertensLinda MertensLinda Mertens is a Belgian female singer. She is the female singer for the group Milk Inc..Mertens was born at Wilrijk in Antwerp. She studied Art and after high school, she went to hairdresser school for two years...
(born 1978), singer - Mohamed MessoudiMohamed MessoudiMohamed Messoudi is a Belgian footballer of Moroccan descent. He currently plays for KV Kortrijk.-Career:Messoudi is a midfielder who has made his debut in professional football, being part of the Germinal Beerschot squad in the 2002-03 season, before joining Willem II Tilburg...
(born 1984), footballer - Tom NuyensTom NuyensTom Nuyens was awarded the first Mister Belgium and Mister World title in 1996.He works as a model and travels all around the world.-External links:*...
(born 1973), model - Karel PomaKarel PomaKarel Emiel Hubert, Baron Poma is a Belgian liberal and politician for the PVV. He is a son of Carolus Poma, who was a lieutenant of the Antwerp fire brigade, and subsequently council member and mayor of the town Wilrijk. He is married to Juliana Walgraeve, and together they have two children; a...
(mayor of Wilrijk 1953-1958), chemist and politician - Kristof SneldersKristof SneldersKristof Snelders is a Belgian professional football player. He is usually fielded as a striker, although he is also able to play as right winger....
(born 1982), footballer - Rudy TrouvéRudy TrouvéRudy Trouvé is a Belgian musician from Antwerp.In the early nineties he founded the Heavenhotel record label and released dozens of records since...
(born 1967), musician - Dirk VerbeurenDirk VerbeurenDirk Verbeuren is a heavy metal drummer for Swedish melodic death metal band, Soilwork, French melodic death metal band, Scarve , French melodic death metal band, Phaze I, Dutch death-thrash metal band, Anatomy of I, and American thrash metal band, Powermad...
(born 1975), heavy metal drummer - Koen VervaekeKoen VervaekeKoen Vervaeke is a Belgian diplomat and since 6 December 2007 the first European Union’s ambassador as Special Representative and Head of the European Commission delegation to the African Union in Addis Abeba...
(born 1959), diplomat - Marcia De WachterMarcia De WachterMarcia De Wachter is a Belgian businesswoman who is a Director of the National Bank of Belgium and a member of the Bankcommissie, Belgium's financial regulatory authority. She was appointed Director of the NBB on 1 March 1999 for a first term of 6 years, which was renewed on 1 March 2005 for a...
(born 1953), economist - Ronald de WitteRonald de WitteRonald de Witte was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer.- Palmarès :1969Ronald de Witte was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer.- Palmarès :1969...
(born 1946), cyclist
Sport
- The town hosted the archeryArchery at the 1920 Summer OlympicsArchery at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp marked the return of the sport after a 12-year absence following it not being contested in the 1912 Summer Olympics and the cancellation of the 1916 Summer Olympics due to World War I. The only competitors were men, and from only three countries...
events for the 1920 Summer Olympics1920 Summer OlympicsThe 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium....
in Nachtegalen ParkNachtegalen ParkNachtegalen Park is a park located in the Antwerp, Belgium municipality of Wilrijk. It served as the archery venue for the 1920 Summer Olympics....
. - VTV (Vlaamse Tennis Vereniging): A tennis school where Kim ClijstersKim ClijstersKim Antonie Lode Clijsters is a Belgian professional tennis player. As of 7 November 2011, Clijsters is ranked No. 13 in singles. Clijsters is a former World No. 1 in both singles and doubles....
trained in 1996 and where she met her coach Carl Maes (1996–2002). You might say that it is here her career really started. - KFCO Wilrijk (Soccer club)
- SK Wilrijk (Soccer club)
- Antarctica (Large ice skating facility)
- Aspen (Artificial skiing slope)
- AVI (Athletics club)
- Wilrace (Table tennis)
Commercial/industrial/institutional sites
- Universiteit Antwerpen Campus Drie Eiken: One of the four campuses of the University of Antwerpen (the site in Wilrijk was formerly known as UIA (Universitaire Instelling Antwerpen)
- Faculty for Comparative Religion
- IKEAIKEAIKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
: One of the 6 IKEA stores in Belgium. Size store: 18.600 m², - Agfa-GevaertAgfa-GevaertAgfa-Gevaert N.V. is a European multinational corporation that develops, manufactures, and distributes analogue and digital imaging products and systems, as well as IT solutions. The company has three divisions. Agfa Graphics offers integrated prepress and industrial inkjet systems to the...
: Part of the Agfa Gevaert MortselMortselMortsel is a city and municipality close to the city of Antwerp located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the city of Mortsel proper. On January 1, 2006 Mortsel had a total population of 24,427 people. The total area is 7.78 km² which gives a population density of...
site - Coca-Cola Company: One of the three production/distribution centers of the Coca-Cola Company in Belgium. Number of employees: 541 (in 2005)
- ISVAG: A large facility that burns household waste from Antwerp and other towns in the region. Burns 100.000-150.000 tons a year
- Atlas CopcoAtlas CopcoAtlas Copco is a Swedish industrial company that was founded in 1873. It manufactures industrial tooling and equipment.The Atlas Copco Group is a global industrial group of companies headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. Revenues for 2009 totaled 63 billion SEK. The Group employs more than 33,000...
Airpower: The largest fabrication facility of air compressors in the world. Number of employees: 2300 (in 2005) - RizlaRizlaRizLa+ , known in English as Rizla is a brand of rolling papers and cigarette tubes or blanks in which tobacco is rolled or stuffed to form handmade cigarettes....
: Part of the Imperial Tobacco Group it is a major producer of tobacco rolling papers in the world. The site in Wilrijk has 160 employees and produces 30 billion leaves a year (2004).
External links
- The official site of Wilrijk is http://www.wilrijk.be (this site is in the 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...
language). - The site of the Goat parade http://wilrijk.antwerpen.be/geitenstoet/ (this site is in the 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...
language). - A site containing information about the history of the name 'Goat village' http://www.touringcarchauffeur.info/Landen/Belgie/Wilrijk.htm (this site is in the 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...
language). - Legends of Wilrijk http://home.tiscali.be/legendes/Antwerpen/Wilrijk/Geitendorp.htm (this site is in the 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...
language). - History of Wilrijk http://users.pandora.be/saja/wilrijk/wilrijk.htm (this site is in the 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...
language).