Menen (Belgium)

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Menen wapen.svg Menen Belgium.svg
Menen (Province of West Flanders)
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State : BelgiumBelgium Belgium
Region : Flanders
Province : West Flanders
District : Kortrijk
Coordinates : 50 ° 48 '  N , 3 ° 5'  E Coordinates: 50 ° 48 '  N , 3 ° 5'  E
Area : 33.07 km²
Residents: 33,385 (Jan 1, 2019)
Population density: 1,010 inhabitants per km²
Post Code: 8930
Prefix: 056
Mayor: Eddy Lust ( Open VLD )

Local government address : 		Grote Markt 1
8930 Menen
Website: www.menen.be
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Menen (previously written Meenen ; French: Menin ) is a Belgian city in the province of West Flanders , right on the French border. The city has 33,385 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2019) on an area of ​​33.07 km². In addition to the core city, the districts of Lauwe and Rekkem also belong to the urban area.

history

Menen is first mentioned in 1087. Textile production grew rapidly in the 14th and 15th centuries. Beer made Menen famous in the 16th century; In 1520 the city had 104 master brewers.

Menen remained an open city until 1578. Later earth walls were first created. From 1679 to 1689 the city was walled; In 1745, the French fortress builder Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban laid out bastions on the course of the Pré carré . The fighting over the strategically important place in the 17th and 18th centuries caused considerable damage. Between 1579 and 1830 the fortress was besieged 22 times, mostly by French troops. Menen , which initially belonged to the Spanish Netherlands and from 1714 to the Austrian Netherlands, was occupied by the French several times. Known as the Barrier Treaty, the treaties granted the Republic of the Seven United Provinces a right of occupation in the 18th century, which ended in 1782. From 1817 the fortifications were renewed by the United Kingdom of the Netherlands . The final razing took place in 1853.

At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the population grew rapidly due to frontier workers who were attracted to the northern French industrial area.

Attractions

Architecturally remarkable is the classicistic town hall (stadhuis) from 1782 with the historical bell tower (belfort) . The Sint-Aloysiuscollege is located in the house of the former military governor from 1684. From 1454 the Sint-Vedastuskerk was built, which collapsed in 1801 and was replaced by a neoclassical building from 1806. Parts of the Sint-Jorishospitaals go back to the 17th century. The classicist Sint-Franciskuskerk should also be mentioned.

The German military cemetery in Menen is located on the northeastern outskirts of the city . 47,864 fallen from the First World War rest here.

sons and daughters of the town

Web links

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

photos

  • Town hall with Belfort

  • Mill: de Goede Hoop