Zoutleeuw

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Zoutleeuw
Zoutleeuw wapen.svg Flag of Zoutleeuw.svg
Zoutleeuw (Flemish Brabant)
Zoutleeuw
Zoutleeuw
State : BelgiumBelgium Belgium
Region : Flanders
Province : Flemish Brabant
District : Lions
Coordinates : 50 ° 50 ′  N , 5 ° 6 ′  E Coordinates: 50 ° 50 ′  N , 5 ° 6 ′  E
Area : 46.73 km²
Residents: 8480 (Jan. 1, 2019)
Population density: 181 inhabitants per km²
Post Code: 3440
Prefix: 011
Mayor: Boudewijn Herbots ( CD&V )

Local government address :
Stadhuis,
Vincent Betsstraat 15,
3440 Zoutleeuw
Website: www.zoutleeuw.be
lb le ls lh

Zoutleeuw ( French Léau ) is a Belgian city ​​in Hageland in the Flanders region . The city lies on the Kleine Gete River , a tributary of the Gete .

Origin of name

Until the 16th century the city was called "Leeuw" . The oldest form of this name from the year 980 is "leuua" , which is derived from the Germanic "hlaiwa" and means "at the burial mounds". The current name "Zoutleeuw" is first mentioned in 1533. The addition “zout” has not yet been explained convincingly. According to one opinion, it comes from the fact that for a long time Zoutleeuw was the most inland port city into which salt was imported. According to another opinion, the name comes from the fact that the city had the right to levy a salt tax.

history

Zoutleeuw was on the important trade route that connected Bruges and Cologne in the Middle Ages from the 12th century . The first city wall was built around 1130. In 1312 Zoutleeuw became one of the seven free cities of the Duchy of Brabant and was known for its cloth production . The city received numerous privileges from the Dukes of Brabant, but in return had to defend the territory against attacks, for which a second city wall was built around 1330.

The competition of the English cloth industry and the boom in Tienen as a new trading center led to the city's economic decline in the 15th and 16th centuries. Zoutleeuw did not suffer from the iconoclasm in the 16th century or from the French occupation forces, but from the plague and from the billeting of a large Spanish garrison.

Even the citadel built on the south side of the city could not save Zoutleeuw from armed conflict. In order to secure the territory, large areas were flooded, which in turn led to poverty and disease. Three fire disasters in the 17th century finally destroyed more than a hundred houses in the city.

In 1678 and 1701 Zoutleeuw was sacked and occupied by the troops of Louis XIV . After the reconquest in 1705, the city experienced a quieter period under the Austrian government.

Zoutleeuw lost its importance as an outpost against attacks by the Principality of Liège when Brabant and Liège were annexed by France. After Belgium gained independence, Zoutleeuw lost its city rights and did not get them back until 1985.

Zoutleeuw is now a small town, but its architectural heritage still testifies to its once important role. Its location between Hespengau and Hageland makes Zoutleeuw a magnet for tourists today.

coat of arms

Description: In the black heraldic shield under a red shield head there is a golden, red-armored and red-tongued lion .

Attractions

St. Leonardus Church

St. Leonardus Church

The church on the Great Market from the 13th to 16th centuries is practically the only church in Belgium with an intact late Gothic interior, as it was one of the very few churches in Belgium to be spared the iconoclasm and the French occupation forces. It replaced a Romanesque chapel that was built here in 1125 by Benedictines from Vlierbeek (now part of Lion ). Construction began in 1230 with the asymmetrical towers and the west facade; it was followed by the choir, north transept and later, in the 14th century, south transept and nave. Around 1450, the Brabant architect Matheus de Layens was concerned with the St. Leonardus Church. The sacristy was added according to his plans. In the church there are numerous works by well-known artists that bear witness to how precious the Belgian churches must have been before the iconoclasm. The St. Leonardus church and its towers belong since 1999 to the World Heritage of UNESCO .

town hall

The town hall of Zoutleeuw (1530–1538) was built by the Brabant architect Rombout Keldermans in a mixture of late Gothic and early Renaissance . Originally the town hall had a tower, which was demolished in 1796. The current brick tower dates from 1895.

Het Vinne

Het Vinne

Het Vinne is an area of ​​130 hectares on the western edge of Zoutleeuw and was once one of the largest fens in Flanders . Peat used to be cut here . In 1841 drainage began. After the cultivation of poplars for match production proved to be unprofitable, the then province of Brabant bought the piece of land in 1974 to convert it into a nature reserve. Work has been underway since 1999 to restore the original lake. At the end of May 2005, Het Vinne was officially opened.

literature

  • Moria, Roger / Gysens, Louis / Vandeput, Emiel: Zoutleeuw , Brussels 1986
  • De Borchgrave d'Altena, J .: Zoutleeuw: parel van Brabant , Brussels 1958
  • Vandeput, Emiel: De Sint-Leonarduskerk van Zoutleeuw , Zoutleeuw 1978

Web links

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