Puurs
| Puurs (Purs) | |||
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| State : |
 Belgium
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| Region : | Flanders | ||
| Province : | Antwerp | ||
| District : | Mechelen | ||
| Municipality : | Puurs-Sint-Amands | ||
| Coordinates : | 51 ° 4 ′ N , 4 ° 17 ′ E | ||
| Area : | 33.41 km² | ||
| Residents: | 17,452 pop. | ||
| Population density: | 522 inhabitants per km² | ||
| Post Code: | 2870 | ||
| Prefix: | 03, 052 | ||
Puurs is a former municipality in the Belgian province of Antwerp . It comprised the towns of Breendonk , Kalfort, Liezele, Ruisbroek and Puurs and had 17,452 inhabitants (as of January 1, 2018). On January 1, 2019, Puurs merged with Sint-Amands to form the new municipality of Puurs-Sint-Amands .
Location and infrastructure
The area of the former municipality is only a few kilometers south of the confluence of the Rupel and the Scheldt . Mechelen is 15 kilometers southeast, Antwerp 18 kilometers north and Brussels about 26 km south. The next motorway exits are in the east at Rumst and Mechelen on the A1 / E 19 and at Sint-Niklaas in the west on the A14 / E 17 . The municipality had a regional train station on the Sint-Niklaas - Puurs - Mechelen line . The Antwerp International Airport was the next regional airport and Brussels National close to the capital of the nearest international airport.
history
In the 10th century, the Benedictine monks of the Kornelimünster Abbey in Aachen were the sovereigns.
In August 1940 the De Zwarte Hand resistance group was founded in Puurs , one of the first in Belgium. In the fall of 1941 the group was discovered: 109 men were arrested and transported to prisons and later to a camp. Twelve of the men were executed; only 37 group members survived until the end of the war.
Attractions
The Sint-Pieterskerk , also known as the “Cathedral of Little Brabant”, was built in the 15th century in Romanesque style. Its baroque bell tower dates from the late 17th century.
The area around Kalfort is known for the asparagus grown there .
Known residents
- Dina Tersago (* 1979), Miss Belgium from 2001
- Kris Peeters (* 1962), Flemish Prime Minister (CD&V) and councilor in Puurs
- Annemie Turtelboom (* 1967), Belgian Minister of Justice (Open Vld) and councilor in Puurs
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Mirko Crabus: De Zwarte hand. Heimatverein Lingen, accessed on April 12, 2020 .