Dendermonde

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Dendermonde
Dendermonde wapen.svg Dendermonde Belgium.svg
Dendermonde (East Flanders Province)
Dendermonde
Dendermonde
State : BelgiumBelgium Belgium
Region : Flanders
Province : East Flanders
District : Dendermonde
Coordinates : 51 ° 2 ′  N , 4 ° 6 ′  E Coordinates: 51 ° 2 ′  N , 4 ° 6 ′  E
Area : 55.67 km²
Residents: 45,769 (Jan 1, 2019)
Population density: 822 inhabitants per km²
Post Code: 9200
Prefix: 052
Mayor: Piet Buyse ( CD&V )

Local government address : 		Franz Courtensstraat 11
9200 Dendermonde
Website: www.dendermonde.be
lb le ls lh
Big market Dendermonde
The old Dender in Dendermonde (May 2004)
The Court of Justice in Dendermonde

Dendermonde (Dutch, local Deiremonne ; French Termonde ) is a municipality in the Denderstreek in the Belgian province of East Flanders and the administrative seat of the arrondissement of the same name .

The name of the city, literally translated as "Dendermünde", provides information about its location: It is located at the mouth of the Dender in the Scheldt .

history

Dendermonde 1649 by J. Blaeu

During excavations in the Dendermond polder area, tools from the Neolithic were discovered. On the Zwijvekekouter archaeologists found the remains of two Gallo-Roman cremation graves from around 125–150 AD. On the Hoogveld (high field) there was a Celtic-Roman sanctuary.

Towards the end of the Franconian period, a branch was established at the site of today's flax market, and another one followed on the left bank in the shadow of a castle built by Emperor Otto II in the second half of the 10th century. Surrounded by the Dender and the Fischgracht, it was located at the site of the present-day justice building. The castle was the administrative center of the country of Dendermonde, although the city had not belonged to it since 1233. The name Dendermonde is first mentioned in a document from 1087 in connection with a certain Rainghouts de Thenremonde . In 1223 a Cistercian abbey was founded and in 1233 Robrecht van Bethune gave Dendermonde town charter. As early as the 13th century, Dendermonde was a walled city.

In 1572 Dendermonde was conquered by William of Orange , but shortly afterwards it was captured and looted by Spanish troops. Shortly afterwards, a new city fortification was built. The French King Louis XIV besieged the city in 1667 unsuccessfully and narrowly escaped his own death - he had to withdraw his army after Dendermonde flooded the polder area. In 1706 the city was blown to rubble by John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough . The second barrier treaty of 1717 resulted in the Dendermond barracks being manned by Dutch and Austrian troops who had to guarantee protection against possible French aggression with troops in the other barrier cities. Later, the city was occupied by the French King Louis XV. to suffer. At the beginning of the 19th century, Dendermonde had 5000 inhabitants. The bustle of the harbor and the numerous religious buildings determined the cityscape within the walls, remains of which are still preserved today. After Brussels and Mechelen, Dendermonde was the third city on mainland Europe to have its own rail link. In 1850 King Leopold I visited the city.

Shortly after the outbreak of World War I, half of the houses in the city center were devastated after the German military set them on fire. Due to its former function as a fortress and garrison town and due to the disaster of 1914, Dendermonde has not developed into a larger town despite its favorable location. 1933–1934 a concrete viaduct was built between Dendermonde and Sint-Gillis-Dendermonde. In the second half of the 20th century, important public works such as the filling of the medieval canal "Oude Vest", the construction of the Noordlaan, the construction of a second bridge over the Scheldt and the diversion of the Dender around the city center were carried out.

As a result of the municipal reforms, the urban area grew to include the following formerly independent municipalities: 1971 Appels, Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde; 1976 Baasrode, Grembergen, Mespelare, Oudegem en Schoonaarde. Today, the city has a greater attraction, especially regionally, for the surrounding communities through its shopping opportunities, its numerous general and art schools and the Belgica cultural center. The city is also home to a renowned documentation center on jazz and blues music (Jazz Centrum Vlaanderen). In addition, Dendermonde is the seat of its own judicial district, which also includes Sint-Niklaas and the Aalst region . The city has tennis and soccer fields, a municipal swimming pool and its own soccer club, KAV Dendermonde. The industrial area Hoogveld is located between the N41, the main road 'Hoogveld' and the Mechelsesteenweg. On September 24, 2010, the new public library in the Kerkstraat was opened by Mayor Piet Buyse and Honorary Mayor Norbert De Batselier.

Integrated municipalities

In addition to the core town, the municipality also includes the towns of Appels, Baasrode, Grembergen, Mespelare, Oudegem, Schoonaarde and Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde.

# Surname Area
(km²) 		Inhabitants
01/01/2009 		Year of
incorporation		 Residents
then
I. Dendermonde 8.20
II Appels 3.87 2677 1971 2900
III Baasrode 8.23 6058 1977 6342
IV Grembergen 9.92 6416 1977 6100
V Mespelare 1.98 524 1977 0540
VI Oudegem 7.25 3967 1977 3950
VII Schoonaarde 5.64 2163 1977 3950
VIII Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde 10.59 12,923 1971 0?
Source: City of Dendermonde

Appels

The place was incorporated in 1971 and at that time had 2900 inhabitants on 387 hectares. It is a typical residential and farming village in the Scheldt and Dender valleys. The old Scheldt near Appels is a meander that was cut off to make navigation easier. The meaning of the name (in use since the 13th century) is still unknown today. Some assume that the name comes from a stream or river that used to run through the local area and was called the "Apls". Another possibility is to compress the name "Apollonia" . Appels was a place of pilgrimage for St. Apollonia (patroness of dentists), to whom the listed local church St. Apollonia (1786–1788) is dedicated, which is furnished with furniture, paintings and portraits from the 18th century.

Apart from a few interruptions, Appels remained in the possession of the Cistercian Abbey of Zwijveke until the French Revolution . The church property was sold and the pastor was executed in 1796. The inhabitants of the Scheldt village are called "Appelsenaren". The rural character is gradually being displaced by the increase in apartment buildings.

In Appels, pedestrians and cyclists can take a ferry (one of the last available) across the Scheldt to Berlare . Every year, from Saturday to Monday of the week of July 21st (Belgian national day), a well-known fair is organized (the largest in Dendermonde) with numerous attractions and a musical final fireworks display.

Demographic development
  • Sources: NIS en Stadt Dendermonde - 1806 - 1970 = censuses
  • 1986: Boundary corrections between Appels, Dendermonde en Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde, whereby Appels increased in area, but lost around 600 inhabitants

Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde

St-Gillis-Buiten Church

Sint-Gillis was incorporated into Dendermonde in 1971. The place has 12,923 inhabitants (2009) and thus most of the inhabitants of all sub-municipalities of Dendermondes, including the old center. The typical residential and farming village is located in the Dendertal at the Ghent-Mechlin-Brussels railway junction and south of the city center of Dendermonde, with which it is now closely connected.

In particular, the annual Flower Parade (Bloemenstoet) on the first Sunday in September is known to move into the magnificently decorated flower cars, created through various neighborhoods with annually changing motto through the town.

The Cinema Albert (the only cinema in Dendermonde) is one of the oldest cinemas in Belgium. Films have been shown here sporadically since 1914, and after the First World War it became a full-fledged cinema. It is still run by the same family. It has two cinema halls and is ranked 36th out of 140 in the top list of Belgian cinemas.

The Dendermond Rugby Club is at home in Sint-Gillis . The annual Flanders Open Rugby International Tournament is held here.

St. Gillis is the birthplace of the poet Emmanuel Hiel (1834-1894) and the literary scholar Wies Moens (1898-1982).

Baasrode

St. Gertrudiskirche zu V Klassenbroek (July 2004)

Baasrode is located in the Schelden Valley and has both residential and commercial functions in terms of infrastructure. Baasrode has been incorporated into Dendermonde since 1977 (then 6342 inhabitants). On the border with Buggenhout you can also find the associated hamlet of Briel in the district. Furthermore, in the north is the attractive artists' village of V Klassenbroek, which is close to the Schelddeich. The village structure concentrates on the picturesque late Gothic St. Gertrudiskirchlein from the first half of the 17th century, which is listed as a monument together with the immediate landscape.

Baasrode in a painting from 1556 by Pieter Bruegel the Elder

The St. Ursmarus Church, originally from the 16th century, is also located near the Scheldt. Unfortunately, she was one of the first victims of the iconoclasm in 1566 and was badly damaged in subsequent field battles, such as the Battle of Baasrode at the end of the 16th century. The current renaissance-style tower is from 1677, while the nave was repaired and widened between 1779 and 1830.

Before the shipyard closed, Baasrode was known as a shipbuilding village. You can find out more about the history of inland shipping in the Maritime Museum, where numerous ship models, prints and many other exhibits provide information. There are currently plans to convert the old shipyard into a recreation area with museum ships and tour boats.

In addition, Baasrode is on the tourist railway line Dendermonde-Puurs. This line includes the Baasrode-Nord station, the "headquarters" of Stoomtrein Dendermonde-Puurs , which maintains the line. Here you can see a collection of old railway goods, u. a. Locomotives, freight and passenger wagons, signaling works and an old steam locomotive every Sunday from July to September. On the so-called train weekend at the beginning of July, the steam locomotive and the stations are decorated with flowers.

The Scheldt Festival on the third weekend in September is a village festival that is organized with the September fair. The Mosselrock Festival takes place on Saturday and the Tuning Day is part of Sunday, which has meanwhile become an almost independent event. There is a fair on the Tuesday after the fair. The carnival in Baasrode lasts from Mardi Gras Sunday to Ash Wednesday and thus takes place at the same time as the Aalster Carnival. The highlight is the carnival parade on Sunday.

Baasrode has several sports clubs, VA Baasrode, the basketball club Panters Baasrode and the soccer club Voetbalclub KFC Baasrode, which is affiliated with the KBVB . Since 1985 there has also been an active Kraftball club (ndl. Krachtbal) 't Botterken Baasrode.

Demographic development
  • Bron: NIS; Opm: 1806 t / m 1970 = volkstellingen; 1976, 1985, 1995, 2005, 2007 = inwoneraantal op 31 december

Grembergen

Grembergen, incorporated into Dendermonde (then 6100 inhabitants) since 1977, is in contrast to Dendermonde and its other sub-municipalities on the left bank of the Scheldt.

The earliest history of the place coincides with that of Zele in a manorial and ecclesiastical respect . For the first time there is talk of a 'Grenberga' 1019 in written records. Grend is etymologically related to grind, which stands for silica sand. Grembergen therefore describes a sand or pebble hill. This reference to sand hills can still be found today in the naming of the hamlets 'Klein Zand' and 'Groot Zand' in Grembergen.

At the end of the 11th century or the beginning of the 12th century a church was built close to the Scheldt. The first mention in a document of April 20, 1194 reports that Bishop Stephanus von Doornik declared the donation of Zele (and also Grembergen) to the St. Bavo Abbey in Ghent to be invalid and the previous owners, the Werden abbey , regained their rights approved.

The period between 1560 and 1600 was particularly dramatic for Grembergen: floods, devastation, iconoclasm and a plague epidemic etc. followed one after the other. In 1675 the walls of the cemetery were razed and the stones moved to the place of the new church to be built. The new church was consecrated on November 10, 1710.

Grembergen survived the First World War without damage, but was more severely affected in the Second World War .

The parish church of St. Margaretha (1710) has a pear-shaped tower and is in possession of valuable church furniture. Every year on the Sunday of June 29th or the Sunday following this date, the St. Eligius equestrian procession takes place. On the Tuesday of the fair (Tuesday after the second Sunday in September) there is a wagon parade, where groups on converted wagons make fun of events and well-known Grembergers.

The Villa Ritten was built around 1913–1915 and still has its valuable original Art Nouveau and Art Deco cladding with wood and forge and numerous colorful glass windows by F. Aerts. The Hof ter Geesten goes back to the 18th century, when it can be seen on Ferraris maps from 1771 to 1778. The Groot Schoor nature reserve is also worth seeing .

The symbolist painter Fernand Khnopff (1858–1921), the choreographer Ingrid Coppieters ( Lido Paris ) and dancer Bernice Coppieters ( Ballet von Monaco ) were born here. The actor Kurt Rogiers and the writer Christina Guirlande also live in Grembergen.

Mespelare

Church of St. Aldegondis in Mespelare

Mespelare was incorporated in 1977 (with 540 inhabitants at the time) and is located on the Dender.

The Romanesque church of St. Aldegondis from the 12th century was already consecrated to this saint when it was founded. The chimes of Mespelare contains bells from the 18th to 20th centuries. There are only 21 bells with a total weight of 381 kg and a bass bell of 38 kg. This makes it the lightest hand-playable carillon in Belgium. It is known as the clearest in Flanders, which is why it is popularly known as "The pearls of Mespelare" (De pareltjes van Mespelare) . In Mespelare you will also find the Spanish Court , a country house from 1643, and a pillory from the 17th century.

Oudegem

Oudegem with its 3950 inhabitants at the time was incorporated in 1977 and is located on the Dender and Schelde. The Gothic Church of Our Lady with an early Gothic tower and a vault from the 13th century is located in the village . There is also the Kloosterhoeve and Bokkenhof (both 18th century). Oudegem has a large sports hall, a football club (SK Oudegem), a volleyball club (VC Oudegem B) and a riding hall. In addition, Oudegem is known for the Fiësta Aaghem .

Schoonaarde

Schoonaarde was incorporated in 1977; at that time it had 3950 inhabitants. The place is located farthest from the center on the Scheldt east of Wichelen and is connected to Berlare by a bridge . At the beginning of 2009 the community had 2,163 inhabitants.

Schoonaarde Church

There has been a chapel here since the first years of the 14th century, dedicated to " Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows ". In the 18th century, a priest was employed for the Schoonaarde chapel in Wichelen, who also moved into residence there. By royal decree of 1873, Schoonaarde from Wichelen was excluded and thus independent.

At the beginning of the Second World War, the bridge over the Scheldt was blown up by the Belgian military. It was replaced by an emergency bridge in 1941.

The Church of Our Lady of the Seven Pains dates back to 1857. The original tower was demolished in 1964 because of the risk of collapse and replaced in 1980 by the current, shorter and stubby tower without clockwork.

politics

mayor

since 1914

  • Leon Bruyninckx ( Catholic Party ) (1914-1919)
  • Albéric Van Stappen (Catholic Party) (1919–1934)
  • Jozef Verbelen (1934-1939)
  • Fernand Portmans (Catholic Party / CVP ) (1939–1964)
  • William Bruynincx (CVP) (1965–1972)
  • Albert Cool (CVP) (1972–1986)
  • Maurits Dierick (CVP) (1986-1994)
  • Norbert De Batselier ( SP.A ) (1995-2006)
  • Theo Janssens (SP.A) (2006)
  • Piet Buyse ( CD&V ) since 2007

Municipal council

The 35 seats in the City Council in the 2013-2018 electoral period are distributed among the individual parties as follows:

Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V) 16 seats
Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (N-VA) 09 seats
Socialist Partij Anders (sp.a) 04 seats
Open Vld 03 seats
Vlaams Belang (VB) 02 seats
Great 01 seat

traffic

Train stations
  • Dendermonde train station
  • St. Gillis train station
  • St. Gillis railway station (Dendermonde-Jette railway line)
  • Oudegem train station
  • Schoonaarde station
  • Baasrode-Noord station (Dendermonde-Puurs-Antwerp railway line, steam locomotive line)
  • Baasrode-Zuid train station

Parishes and churches in Dendermonde

Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk, Dendermonde
  • Dendermonde-Centrum: The Church of Our Lady ( Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk ) on the Kerkstraat
  • Dendermonde-Sint-Gillis-Binnen: St. Egidius within the walls on Brusselsestraat and Heldenplein
  • Dendermonde-Keur: St. Jozef the worker at the end of the Ommegancklaan
  • Sint-Gillis-Centrum: St. Egidius in the Sint-Gillislaan
  • Sint-Gillis-Lutterzele: St. Lutgardis
  • Sint-Gillis-Boonwijk: Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Van-Zwijveke
  • Baasrode-Centrum: St. Ursmarusin in the Sint-Ursmarusstraat
  • Baasrode-V Klassenbroek, St. Gertrudis in the center of Vklassbroek
  • Baasrode-Briel: Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-Van-Den-Briel on the Provincialebaan
  • Appels: St. Appolonia in the main street
  • Oudegem: Church of the Assumption in the Hofstraat
  • Schoonaarde: Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-van-Zeven-Weeënkerk , dedicated to the Seven Sorrows of Mary , in the Schoonaardebaan
  • Grembergen: St. Margriet in the Dr. Haekstraat
  • Mespelare: St. Aldegonde in the Mespelarestraat

The Protestant parish includes all of Dendermonde, Hamme en Zele. The Protestant church is on the corner of Oude Vest and Lindanusstraße.

tourism

Day trip tourism prevails and grows. After Ghent and Oudenaarde, Dendermonde is the third most attractive tourist destination in East Flanders. Every year foreign tourists visit v. a. from the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden the city. These numbers skyrocketed when Ros Beiaard moved in May 2010; the number of overnight stays is increasing. The cycle routes through Dendermonde, the Ros Beiaard route and the Reuzen route are also popular.

Attractions

Town hall with belfry
Monumental building on the market square: Fleischhaus (Vleeshuis)

Worth seeing is the medieval market square ( Grote Markt ), with medieval and medieval-looking houses in a historical style, which has been car-free since 2004 and was newly laid out. A bronze palm tree nicknamed "Coconut for Dendermonde" was added a year later. The town hall of Dendermonde was built in Gothic style in the 14th century as a cloth hall. This building also includes the city's belfry , which has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage "Belfries in Belgium and France" since 1999 . The meat house from 1461 with its corner tower is another eye-catcher of the large market square. It houses the historical museum with a collection that focuses on the urban folklore of Dendermondes. There you can also find pottery from Gallo-Roman antiquity and many pieces from the Middle Ages and early modern times. Fossils and a complete 28,000 year old mammoth skeleton can also be admired there.

Sint Alexius Beguinage
  • The Sint-Alexius- Beguinage has existed here since 1288, making it one of the oldest of its kind. 61 houses from the 17th century and a chapel (built in 1927) are grouped around an interior area. Since 1998 it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site "Flemish Beguinages".
  • The Gothic Church of Our Lady in Dendermonde from the 13th century with the statue of Pieter-Jan De Smets , Jesuit and missionary of the natives of the Rocky Mountains in the USA
Abbey of St. Peter and Paul on the flax market
  • The Benedictine Abbey of Saint Peter and Paul with its neo-Gothic church from 1902. The library has the original Dendermonde codex by Hildegard von Bingen .
  • The courthouse, built in 1927, is at the end of the Kerkstraat where the medieval castle of the Lords of Dendermonde once stood.
  • The church of Saint Aegidius within the walls from the 18th century with towers from the 15th century
  • The Mechler and Brussels city gates from 1822
  • The Cistercian abbey Zwijveke from the 18th century with its handling from 1690
  • The preserved parts of the fortification with earth walls and bastions
  • The old arm of the dender through the historic center of the city
  • The 1825 arsenal
  • The former imperial guard barracks with 22 imperial guard houses from 1879
  • The prison from 1863
  • The infantry barracks from 1830
  • The neo-Gothic monastery of the Black Sisters on the Vlasmarkt from 1923
  • The Royal Academy of Fine Arts, built in the Dijkstraat in the style of Art Deco
  • The former commercial bank in the style of Art Deco
  • The cemetery with the original walling, access gate and magnificent graves
  • The Kerkstraat and Koningin Astridlaan and the Statieplein with houses in the style of historicism
  • The old workers' apartments in Weldadigheidstraat
  • The former fish market
  • Statue of Ros Beiaard by Jan Desmarets

Cultural events

Ross Bayard move

Ross Bayard move May 30th 2010

Dendermonde is known for a procession that takes place every ten years to commemorate the legendary horse Bayard , who is said to have saved his master and the Haimons children from being captured by Charlemagne . In addition, a colorful wooden horse of huge dimensions is carried through the city in a large pageant. Numerous luxury cars, in which the Haimons children and Charlemagne play the main role, pull ahead of him. The move only takes place every ten years. Due to the rarity of the parade, each one is an oversized folk festival at which the Dendermonders find it visibly difficult to say goodbye to "their" Ross Bayard. In 2005 the Ross Bayard was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The last move took place on May 30, 2010.

Traditional gigantic Katuit

The Indian

This is a folk spectacle every last Thursday in August. A total of 1000 costumed actors surround the three guild giants Mars, Goliath and Indian in an evening parade with luxury cars, music corps, professional street theater, torchbearers and flag throwers. Popularly, people go to Katuit to see the giants dance.

During the parade, primarily historical or traditional scenes and images come into play, such as the “Knaptanden” who, disguised in wolf costumes, frighten the bystanders, or the “Kopvleesfretters” car that distributes “head meat” to the audience. Lately, emphasis has also been placed on newer animation and special effects.

Around 40,000 spectators take part in the parade every year. The apotheosis takes place in the large market, where, in the face of the three guild giants and the Ross Bayard melody, fireworks take place behind the town hall. The gigantic walk is one of the most important folkloric events in Flanders and was therefore also recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2005.

Other cultural events

  • Honky Tonk Jazzkroegentocht
  • Volksfest M'Eire Morough (last Friday and Saturday in July)
  • Park happening Dendermonde
  • Night of the alternative
  • City sounds
  • The four sister cities
  • Beguinage festival (the last festival took place in 2005, as of April 2011)

Dialects

Roughly speaking, four dialects can be distinguished in Dendermonde. The difference between the dialects can be explained by the location of Dendermonde at the confluence of the rivers. Traditionally, rivers often represent stronger dialect borders, but as in the rest of Flanders, the dialects are on the decline and the number of active speakers has decreased sharply.

The stubborn urban dialect of Dendermonde itself combines dialectal characteristics of the Dender region with those of the Waasland together with influences from other urban dialects. The long a (ndl. Aa), which becomes a u (ndl. Oe) in Dendermonde, was borrowed from the Brussels workers who settled in the city in the 19th century, when Dendermonde developed an up-and-coming industry. They lived in the urban areas that arose at the "Brussels fortifications". Those were holdovers from Vauban's old urban defense system .

The dialect spoken in Grembergen follows on from the Waasland dialects, such as the dialects of the communities Zele and Hamme . In Appels, Oudegem, Mespelare en Schoonaarde, which lie on the left bank of the Dender, you can hear the East Flemish variant of the dialect near the Dender, while in St. Gillis and Baasrode you can hear its Brabant expression. A strong distinguishing mark between the two is the pronunciation of the g, which is more pronounced (guttural) in the Brabantian version than in the East Flemish version.

Trivia

Misprint of a postage stamp from 1920 with the town hall
  • Belgium issued a stamp with the town hall of Dendermonde with a face value of 65 centimes in 1920. With some of the stamps, however, the town hall was incorrectly upside down, which is why they are called 'de omgekeerde Dendermonde'. They are extremely rare and highly traded by collectors.
  • The residents of the nearby town of Aalst, who have been in a town feud with Dendermonde since time immemorial , the residents affectionately call "(Rat) kopvleesvretters" , (rats) head meat eaters.

Town twinning

Dendermonde's twin town is Nienburg / Weser in Lower Saxony .

Personalities

Statue of Pieter-Jan De Smet in front of the Church of Our Lady in Dendermonde

Web links

Commons : Dendermonde  - collection of images, videos and audio files
Wikisource: Dendermond in the Topographia Circuli Burgundici (Mathäus Merian)  - sources and full texts

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Piet Buyse, Leen Meganck, Evert Vandeweghe, Robby Vervoort: De Grote Markt van Dendermonde van boven tot onder bekeken. Gent, 2007, ISBN 978-90-74311-63-2 , p. 6.
  2. ^ City of Dendermonde . City of Dendermonde. Archived from the original on May 11, 2011. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  3. ↑ www.baasrodekarnaval.be ( Memento of January 8, 2007 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on April 12, 2011