Geraardsbergen
Geraardsbergen is a city and municipality located in the Denderstreek and in the Flemish Ardennes, the hilly southern part of the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Geraardsbergen proper and the following towns:
In 2021, Geraardsbergen had a total population of 33,970. The total area is 79.71 km2.
The current mayor of Geraardsbergen is Ann Panis, from the party Open VLD.
History
Geraardsbergen is one of the oldest cities in Belgium. It came into existence close to the settlement of Hunnegem and in 1068 was one of the first communities in Western Europe to be granted city status.The city was destroyed in 1381 by Walter IV of Enghien and his troops. According to legend, during the siege local people threw some of their left over food over the city wall to show that they had sufficient food to survive a long siege. This bravado notwithstanding, the city was still captured by Enghien's troops. Every year the city organizes the krakelingenworp carnival on top of the hill at Oudenberg to celebrate this historical event.
On 29May 1815, shortly before the Battle of Waterloo, Wellington and Blücher reviewed the Allied cavalry here. Some 6,000 troops were paraded in meadows on the banks of the Dender between Geraardsbergen and Jedeghem.
Places of interest
- Manneken Pis, possibly the oldest such statue, perhaps older than the more famous one in Brussels.
- The wall, a steep street paved with cobblestones, climbed every year by cyclists during the Tour of Flanders.
- Boelare Castle, seat of the former feudal domain Land of Boelare.
- Overboelare Airfield, small glider airfield with a Douglas C-54A Skymaster as gate guard.
Mattentaart
The mattentaart was granted Protected Geographical Indication status by the European Union in 2006, indicating they can only be made in Geraardsbergen or in the nearby municipality of Lierde.
Notable individuals
- William of Moerbeke, first translator of Aristotle's works into Latin
- , scrivenist and scribe
- Gabriël Grupello, Flemish Baroque sculptor
- Frans Rens, Flemish scholar, active in the Flemish Movement
- Robert de Foy, Belgian magistrate, and head of the Belgian State Security Service
- , painter
- Frans Van Coetsem, Belgian-born linguist and university teacher
- Cyriel Delannoit, boxer, European champion 1948
- Paul Van den Berghe, Belgium Bishop in the Roman Catholic Church
- Ferdi Van Den Haute, cyclist
- Guido De Padt, politician
- Jan Callebaut, communication and marketing advisor and entrepreneur
- Marie-Christine Deurbroeck, long-distance runner
- Michaël Borremans, painter and filmmaker
- Alain Van Den Bossche, cyclist
- Maarten Larmuseau, genetic genealogist at KU Leuven
- Dean Delannoit, singer
- Storm De Beul, Belgian YouTuber