Assenede

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Assenede
Assenede wapen.svg flag
Assenede (East Flanders Province)
Assenede
Assenede
State : BelgiumBelgium Belgium
Region : Flanders
Province : East Flanders
District : Eeklo
Coordinates : 51 ° 14 ′  N , 3 ° 45 ′  E Coordinates: 51 ° 14 ′  N , 3 ° 45 ′  E
Area : 87.22 km²
Residents: 14,256 (Jan 1, 2019)
Population density: 163 inhabitants per km²
Post Code: 9960 (Assenede)
9961 (Boekhoute)
9968 (Bassevelde, Oosteeklo)
Prefix: 09
Mayor: Philippe De Coninck

Local government address : 		Kasteelstraat 3
9960 Assenede
Website: www.assenede.be
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Assenede is a municipality in the province of East Flanders ( Flanders Region ) in Belgium . It is located in the arrondissement Eeklo 14 km northeast of Eeklo in the so-called Meetjesland . The municipality is located directly on the border with the Netherlands and borders the municipality of Terneuzen in the province of Zeeland . Assenede consists of four sub-municipalities and has 14,256 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2019), which are called Assenedenaar in Dutch .

Community structure

Map of Assenede
# Surname Area
km² 		Population
(01/04/2006)
I. Assenede 32.18 5,846
II Boekhoute 16.27 2,029
III Bassevelde 21.94 2,972
IV Oosteeklo 16.82 2,707
Source: Assenede municipality

  • Holy Cross Church Boekhoute

  • Our Lady of the Assumption Church, Bassevelde

  • Holy Cross and Our Lady Oosteeklo

Boekhoute

At the beginning of the 20th century, the 700 Boekhoutenaren made a living from fishing. The Braakman , the connection between the fishing port and the sea, silted up completely in 1952. The fishing fleet of almost 50 ships could no longer go out. A large part of this is due to neglected dredging and maintenance work during the Second World War . A fishing boat in the village and the “Garnaalfeesten” that take place in September are a reminder of the fishing past. Boekhoute is still officially a fishing port under the law; the boats are now (2008) across the border in Zealand in Terneuzen or Breskens and can be recognized by the inscription BOU (for the old spelling of the place Bouchaute ).

Bassevelde

Bassevelde was an independent municipality until the end of 1976. In the north-west is the hamlet of Landsdijk .

Oosteeklo

See also: Oosteeklo Cistercian Abbey

The origin of the name Oosteeklo can be divided into Oost (east), eke and lo , "Eke" refers to oak while "Lo" indicates a forest or a landscape of shrubs and trees. The name Eeklo means an oak grove or a wood with a particularly striking oak. Located on a sand ridge that crosses the region from west to east, the forest was a clear landmark for travelers, so that Eke-lo became a place name. Oosteeklo is therefore to the east of this wood.

The heavy impact of an aerial bomb on a tram in the Stroomstraat turned October 9, 1943 into a black day in Oosteekloer's history. 22 people were killed and eight others later died of their injuries. A small chapel commemorates this day. The Bassevelde-Evergem tram line was closed on June 2, 1956. The singer Ivan Heylen (* 1946) and the TV reporter Martin Heylen (* 1956) were born in Oosteklo .

history

St. Peter and Martinskirche

According to many studies, Assenede seems to be one of the oldest communities in Flanders, and has been mentioned in written sources since the 10th century. Local historical research was and is carried out by the local local history association De Twee Ambachten . There is no consensus on the etymological origin of the name "Assenede". Some sources suggest that the name means "Essen aan de Ede" (ash trees on the Ede). "It" stands for the common ash, the Ede is said to have been a medium-sized stream that no longer exists today, at least not under this name.

The name Assenede is also popularly pronounced as “Asnee”, which in oral communication can lead to confusion with the village of Afsnee near Ghent, which it has nothing to do with.

Incidentally, Assenede has its own dialect, but the number of speakers is now decreasing. It is characterized by characteristic differences to the dialects of most of the communities in the vicinity. This dialect can therefore sometimes be difficult to understand even for other residents of East Flanders.

Population development

  • Source: NIS, www.meetjesland.be and Assenede municipality - Note: 1806 to 1991 = censuses; 1977, 2002, 2008 = population on January 1st
  • (End of 1976) 1977: incorporation of Bassevelde, Boekhoute and Oosteeklo

politics

City Hall of Assenede

The political balance of power in Assenede has changed significantly since the 1970s. While the (mainly Catholic) Christian Democrats ( CD&V ) were able to unite almost half of the votes in the 1976 elections (47.43% - typical for traditional Flemish farming villages), the seed-plus alliance from the Greens won in the 2012 elections ( Groen ), Liberals ( Open VLD ) and Social Democrats ( SP.a ) almost as many votes (45.48%), while the Christian Democrats only got 28%. This shift in power began with the election in 2000.

The 23 seats on the municipal council are distributed as follows for the period 2012 to 2018:

  • SamenPlus: 13 seats
  • CD&V: 7 seats
  • N-VA : 3 seats

The mayor and the six lay judges belong to the SamenPlus alliance . ( nl.samen = German. together )

Commercial and industrial

Assenede had four breweries in its history; the Cruyl, Van Hoorebeke, Van Overbeke and De Rudder breweries. The Cruyl brewery's Breughel beer enjoyed regional fame. In the eighties it was brewed once again by the Bios brewery from neighboring Ertvelde. Today the brewing trade has basically completely disappeared from the village. The death knell for the brewery trade in Assenede came when the breweries' copper kettles were requisitioned during World War II, when the National Socialists went hunting for copper for ammunition production. The most important employer for Assenede and the hinterland has been the automotive supplier ECA for many years. Many workers from Assenede are also employed at SIDMAR ( Arcelor Mittal ) in nearby Zelzate .

traffic

Assenede owes its relative isolation to the low number of public transport connections to Ghent and Bruges , a factor that leads to a continuous outflow of young adults who do not return to the municipality after training and studying because of a lack of jobs for highly qualified people.

For some years now, at least one direct regular bus connection with the center of Ghent has been established (De Lijn line 52) and the N49 expressway (part of European route 34 ) runs through Assenede . Nature lovers find that this road has destroyed the rural character of Meetjesland. The local economy, on the other hand, is rather happy about the infrastructural connection.

Culture

literature

The oldest known writer is Diederic Van Assenede, author of the Central Dutch translation Floris ende Blancefloer of the old French novel Floire et Blanceflor. Marc Coene, Jan Bernard van Peene and Claude van de Berge were also born here. Art photographer Hans de Greve (* 1963) also published four volumes of poetry and performed several times during the Nights of Poetry in the Music Center Vredenburg Utrecht (NL).

Festivals

Until a few years ago, Assenede hosted the multidisciplinary and multi-day arts festival A (rt) ssenede three times a year, which provided local and international talent with a platform for music, poetry and installation art, but the associated non-profit association ceased to exist with the turn of the millennium. At the moment there is the biennial Jazz Festival as a replacement, which attracts jazz lovers from all over the province. There is also an annual Harley-Davidson Day, which (last year) more than 1,000 Harley riders from Germany and abroad took part.

Painting and exhibitions

Pim De Rudder owns a gallery on the market square. Wim Ricourt is one of the most famous painters in the village. He regularly exhibits in renowned galleries both at home and abroad. Hans de Greve, who is in close contact with the aforementioned artists, is also known as a photographic artist. Several of his photo books have been published. He specializes primarily in theater and concert photography, but is also known for his appealing photo reports. de Greve is also one of the photographers reporting on the Ghent Film Festival.

music

Debuutrock brought Assenede into conversation all over Belgium. This tournament was so bursting at the seams that they had to move to Ghent. Assenede is currently also sending his own sons out into the musical world. Bruno de Bruxelles was recently on the Ancienne Belgique (AB) stage with Afro Celt Sound System; Sebastiaan "Omerson" Van Vooren clarifies the world with his Pornorama and the estimated drummer Frederik Van Den Berghe could Arno accompanied on tour.

theatre

In Assenede the local amateur theater life is flourishing through two associations: "NAT" (Nieuw Asseneeds Toneel) under socialist patronage, and "Floris ende Blancefloer" under Catholic patronage. On various occasions, both worked together for larger open-air theater performances, such as "de heks van Assenede" (The Witch of Assenede) and the much more recent "Bouchaute, het vooronder van de zee".

carnival

The village has a rich carnival tradition, which is not constant, but characterized by breaks, lean alternating with years of flourishing dynamism. In peak years, the carnival attracts partiers and spectators from all over the region, even from Ghent. The community currently has eight carnival clubs that are known far beyond the community in carnival life.

Sports

The women of the local soccer club Assenede played in the highest national league for years. Assened volleyball was also very good at the top for years, but has since fallen back to a much lower level of competition due to various problems.

A few years ago the football club of Assenede merged with that of the Boekhoute sub-municipality. The new club "Assenede-Boekhoute" started in the second provincial league where FC Assenede had played before. At the beginning of 2007 Boekhoute decided to part ways with Assenede again. You started in the fourth provincial league as VC Boekhoute. After a disappointing 2008 season, FC Assenede slumped from the second to the third provincial league.

particularities

  • Assenede is known as a shell village. In the center there are some highly valued, renowned mussel restaurants that attract guests from far away during the high season.
  • In the municipality are some creeks of the Meetjesländer prielen area, including the Rode Geul and the Grote Geul . In the north there is a polder landscape with a fertile bran ground (dit was zee tot het zo'n 1000 jaar geleden werd ingepolderd). The south has been woodland since ancient times, especially on dry sandy ground. The community has a height difference of about eight meters between north and south.
  • The latest attraction that Assenede made known beyond its own borders is a maze of maize plants. The labyrinth is so large that it was included in the Guinness Book of Records .
  • In the center of the village is the St. Peter and Martin Church, which was destroyed in World War II and subsequently rebuilt.
  • There are still some authentic apartments on the market square. Assenede has managed to preserve the old streets in its center to this day.
  • A hallmark of the community is the cobblestones, even if it is less common, which is why the villagers got their nickname as "kasseibijters" (cobblers).

mentality

The villagers were and are often accused of having a certain arrogance and selfishness. In local history texts, this supposed mentality is explained by the fact that the sea originally had to be conquered here and the village therefore ensured its own existence against all dangers.

Known residents

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ VRTtaal.net - Assenede
  2. ↑ Samenstelling ( Memento from July 24, 2013 in the Internet Archive )

Web links

Commons : Assenede  - collection of images, videos and audio files