Zwijndrecht (Belgium)

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Zwijndrecht
Zwijndrecht (B) wapen.svg Flag of Zwijndrecht, Belgium.svg
Zwijndrecht (Antwerp)
Zwijndrecht
Zwijndrecht
State : BelgiumBelgium Belgium
Region : Flanders
Province : Antwerp
District : Antwerp
Coordinates : 51 ° 13 ′  N , 4 ° 20 ′  E Coordinates: 51 ° 13 ′  N , 4 ° 20 ′  E
Area : 17.82 km²
Residents: 19,056 (Jan. 1, 2019)
Population density: 1,069 inhabitants per km²
Post Code: 2070
Prefix: 03
Mayor: André Van de Vyver ( Groen )

Local government address : 		Binnenplein 1
2070 Zwijndrecht
Website: www.zwijndrecht.be
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Zwijndrecht is a municipality in Belgium , in the province of Antwerp . It includes the villages of Zwijndrecht and Burcht. The municipality's coat of arms comes from the family coat of arms of an Italian nobleman who owned Zwijndrecht in 1667.

Location and economy

railway station

Zwijndrecht, and especially the district of Burcht, is located on the west bank of the Scheldt across from the city of Antwerp , and can be described as one of its suburbs . Zwijndrecht is located (with one exit) on the motorway and the Ghent - Antwerp railway line ; the village has a small train station. The neighboring city can also be reached by tram (through the Schelden tunnel).

Above all, Burcht is heavily industrialized and is part of the industrial area connected to the port of Antwerp. There are, among other things, petrochemical industry, concrete and rubber factories , ship repair yards , etc.

history

Craeyenhoff Castle (demolished in 1947) was built here in 1281 by a local gentleman Nicolaas van Kets. Burcht was an independent rulership in the Middle Ages , which at that time belonged to the Land of Van Waas ( East Flanders ). From 1850 on, Burcht became an industrial area for nearby Antwerp. The community suffered a lot during the First and Second World Wars .

Holy Cross Church

Attractions

  • The community promotes sculpture by placing many works by modern sculptors, spread across the villages, in parks, on squares and crossroads, etc. Some of them are quite significant.
  • The Holy Cross Church, partly from the 16th century , is the most important architectural monument in Zwijndrecht.
  • There is a small nature reserve in the nearby Scheldt polders.

Community partnerships

Sons and daughters of the church

  • Paul Anspach (1882–1981), fencer
  • Alfred Ost (1884–1945), painter, draftsman, illustrator, lithographer and poster artist
  • Leo Tindemans (1922–2014), politician and Belgian Prime Minister

Web links

Commons : Zwijndrecht  - album with pictures, videos and audio files