Eeklo
Encyclopedia
Eeklo is a Belgian
municipality in the Flemish
province
of East Flanders
. The municipality only comprises the city of Eeklo proper. The name Eeklo comes from the contraction of “eke” and “lo”, two Old German
words meaning “oak” and “sparse woods”.
road that ran along the local sandbar among the marshes. By 1240, a town had grown here and had already become important enough to warrant a city charter
by Jeanne of Constantinople, Countess of Flanders
. Over the years, the marshes were drained to give place to fortified farms, some remnants of which can still be seen today (Groot Goed). Like most other cities in the County of Flanders
, Eeklo’s economy was based on the cloth industry, and commercial relations were established with the more powerful neighbouring cities, Ghent
and Bruges
.
South and the Protestant North. This resulted in so much destruction that the city was nearly abandoned by its inhabitants. At around that time appeared the legend of the “recooking”, actually a rejuvenation recipe that involved drinking a youth elixir, cutting one’s head off and baking it again. While the head was in the oven, a green cabbage took its place on the body, symbol of the empty head.
The 18th and 19th century were more favourable and the textile
industry took off again. Most of the city’s schools and neo-gothic buildings date from that period. Today, Eeklo is changing its vocation from an industrial city to one of services to the neighbouring communities.
, England Braunfels
, Germany Bagnols-sur-Cèze
, France Feltre
, Italy
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
municipality in the Flemish
Flemish Region
The Flemish Region is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium—alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region. Colloquially, it is usually simply referred to as Flanders, of which it is the institutional iteration within the context of the Belgian political system...
province
Provinces of Belgium
Belgium is divided into three regions, two of them are subdivided into five provinces each.The division into provinces is fixed by Article 5 of the Belgian Constitution...
of East Flanders
East Flanders
East Flanders is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on the Netherlands and in Belgium on the provinces of Antwerp, Flemish Brabant , of Hainaut and of West Flanders...
. The municipality only comprises the city of Eeklo proper. The name Eeklo comes from the contraction of “eke” and “lo”, two Old German
Old High German
The term Old High German refers to the earliest stage of the German language and it conventionally covers the period from around 500 to 1050. Coherent written texts do not appear until the second half of the 8th century, and some treat the period before 750 as 'prehistoric' and date the start of...
words meaning “oak” and “sparse woods”.
Origins and Middle Ages
There are not many traces of early habitation in the Eeklo area. It is presumed that some oaks would have attracted the attention of travellers on the RomanAncient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
road that ran along the local sandbar among the marshes. By 1240, a town had grown here and had already become important enough to warrant a city charter
Charter
A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified...
by Jeanne of Constantinople, Countess of Flanders
Jeanne, Countess of Flanders
right|thumb|Statue of Joan of FlandersJoan, called of Constantinople was countess of Flanders and Hainaut....
. Over the years, the marshes were drained to give place to fortified farms, some remnants of which can still be seen today (Groot Goed). Like most other cities in the County of Flanders
County of Flanders
The County of Flanders was one of the territories constituting the Low Countries. The county existed from 862 to 1795. It was one of the original secular fiefs of France and for centuries was one of the most affluent regions in Europe....
, Eeklo’s economy was based on the cloth industry, and commercial relations were established with the more powerful neighbouring cities, Ghent
Ghent
Ghent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
and Bruges
Bruges
Bruges is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country....
.
16th century until now
During the second half of the 16th century, Eeklo was in the unfortunate position of being on the border between the CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
South and the Protestant North. This resulted in so much destruction that the city was nearly abandoned by its inhabitants. At around that time appeared the legend of the “recooking”, actually a rejuvenation recipe that involved drinking a youth elixir, cutting one’s head off and baking it again. While the head was in the oven, a green cabbage took its place on the body, symbol of the empty head.
The 18th and 19th century were more favourable and the textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
industry took off again. Most of the city’s schools and neo-gothic buildings date from that period. Today, Eeklo is changing its vocation from an industrial city to one of services to the neighbouring communities.
Main sights
- The City Hall and BelfryBelfries of Belgium and FranceThe Belfries of Belgium and France is a group of 56 historical buildings designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Site, in recognition of an architectural manifestation of emerging civic independence in historic Flanders and neighbouring regions from feudal and religious influences, leading to a...
have been designated by UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
as a World Heritage SiteWorld Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
in 1999. - Eeklo also has interesting churches and chapels, such as the St Vincent Church (Sint-Vincentiuskerk) and the chapel of the clinic of the Holy Heart (Heilig Hartkliniek).
- A nearby provincial park, “Het Leen”, includes an arboretum and museum.
Events
- Every last week-end of July, the Meetjeslandse Balloonmeeting gathers hot-air balloon enthusiasts from all over Belgium.
- The summer is also the time for concerts in the park.
- The largest flea market in FlandersFlandersFlanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
takes place in Eeklo during the September Kaaikeskermis.
Famous inhabitants
- Leon L. Van AutreveLeon L. Van AutreveLeon L. Van Autreve was the fourth Sergeant Major of the Army. He was sworn in on July 1, 1973 and served until June, 1975. He was born in Eeklo, Belgium, on January 29, 1920 and died March 14, 2002, in San Antonio, Texas.-Military career:...
, fourth United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Sergeant Major of the ArmySergeant Major of the ArmyThe Sergeant Major of the Army is a unique non-commissioned rank in the United States Army. The holder of this rank is the most senior enlisted member of the Army, unless an Army NCO is serving as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman, when in that case that NCO will be the most senior...
(1920-2002) - Eric De VlaeminckEric De VlaeminckErik De Vlaeminck is a former Belgian cyclist. He is the brother of Roger De Vlaeminck.The spelling "Eric" rather than "Erik" is the French version of his name. He prefers Erik....
, cyclist, 7 times world champion cyclo-crossCyclo-crossCyclo-cross is a form of bicycle racing. Races typically take place in the autumn and winter , and consists of many laps of a short course featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and...
(b. 1945) - Roger De VlaeminckRoger De VlaeminckRoger De Vlaeminck is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist. He was described by Rik Van Looy as '"The most talented and the only real classics rider of his generation"...
, cyclist, world champion cyclo-crossCyclo-crossCyclo-cross is a form of bicycle racing. Races typically take place in the autumn and winter , and consists of many laps of a short course featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and...
in 1975, winner of 11 "Monument" classic cycle racesClassic cycle racesThe classic cycle races are one-day professional cycling road races in the international calendar. Most of the events, all run in western Europe, have been fixtures on the professional calendar for decades and the oldest ones date back to the 19th Century. They are normally held at roughly the same...
(b. 1947) - Paul Van HyftePaul Van HyftePaul van Hyfte is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer. He is a former rider at the Danish professional cycling team, CSC-Tiscali in 2002, and left the team, which by that time had changed its name to the current name, Team CSC, the following year and joined a Belgian team,...
, (born 1972 in Eeklo) cyclist - Rudy MatthijsRudy MatthijsRudy Matthijs was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. He won 4 stages in the Tour de France.- Palmarès :1981Rudy Matthijs was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. He won 4 stages in the Tour de France.- Palmarès :1981Rudy Matthijs was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer...
, (born 1959 in Eeklo) cyclist - Frederik WillemsFrederik WillemsFrederik Willems is a Belgian professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . His greatest achievement to date is in winning the 2006 Étoile de Bessèges while riding for , with whom he began his career in 2003 and rode until the end of 2006.-Palmarès:20022006*...
, (born 1979 in Eeklo) cyclist - Dirk BraeckmanDirk BraeckmanDirk Braeckman is a Belgian photographer who lives and works in Ghent, Belgium.Dirk Braeckman has had numerous group exhibitions and several solo shows in Europe, including ones at at Ghent’s SMAK and the De Pont Foundation in Tilburg...
, artist and photographer (b. 1958) - Olivier De CockOlivier De CockOlivier De Cock is a Belgian footballer who plays as right-back for K.S.V. Roeselare.-Career:He has been at Club Brugge since 1987. In 1995, he was promoted to the first team....
, (born 1975 in Eeklo) footballer - Maarten MartensMaarten MartensMaarten Martens is a Belgian footballer who currently plays for Eredivisie club AZ. His former teams are Anderlecht and RKC Waalwijk.Martens plays as a left winger or as an attacking midfielder...
, (born 1984 in Eeklo) footballer - Tonny MolsTonny MolsTonny Mols is a Belgian footballer who currently plays midfield for K.S.K. Maldegem.-Honours:* Belgian Cup Runner-up: 1- External links :...
, (born 1969 in Eeklo) footballer - Guido van HeulendonkGuido van HeulendonkGuido Beelaert pseudonym Guido van Heulendonk is a Flemish writer. The Flemish National Television made a film out of his first novel Hoogtevrees .He was born at Eeklo.-Bibliography:...
(pseudonymPseudonymA pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
of Guido Beelaert) (born in Eeklo), writer - Karel Lodewijk LedeganckKarel Lodewijk LedeganckKarel Lodewijk Ledeganck was a Flemish writer. He was of humble origin, but became extraordinary Professor at the University of Ghent...
(born 1805 in Eeklo) writer - Roos van Acker, artist, anchor "Studio Brussel" (radio-station)
- Peter Van de VeirePeter Van de VeirePeter Van de Veire is a well known radio personality in Flanders.-Early life:Van de Veire grew up in the town of Waarschoot...
, (born 1971 in Eeklo) radio personality - Tom DiceTom DiceTom Dice is a Belgian singer-songwriter, who finished second in the Flemish version of The X Factor in 2008. Dice represented Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest 2010 final on 29 May in Oslo. Tom Dice ended up in sixth, one of Flanders best placements ever in the contest...
,( b.1989 )Singer and songwriter.Representer of BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
in Eurovision 2010.
Twin cities
NewburyNewbury, Berkshire
Newbury is a civil parish and the principal town in the west of the county of Berkshire in England. It is situated on the River Kennet and the Kennet and Avon Canal, and has a town centre containing many 17th century buildings. Newbury is best known for its racecourse and the adjoining former USAF...
, England Braunfels
Braunfels
Braunfels is a town in the Lahn-Dill-Kreis in Hesse, Germany. It is located on the German Framework Road.- Location :The climatic spa of Braunfels lies at a height of some 100 m above the Lahn valley...
, Germany Bagnols-sur-Cèze
Bagnols-sur-Cèze
Bagnols-sur-Cèze is a commune in the Gard department in the Languedoc-Roussillon région in southern France.-History:A small regional center, Bagnols-sur-Cèze was quite certainly a Roman town before the main part was built in the 13th century around a central arcaded square that is still preserved...
, France Feltre
Feltre
Feltre is a town and comune of the province of Belluno in Veneto, northern Italy. A hill town in the southern reaches of the province, it is located on the Stizzon River, about 4 km from its junction with the Piave, and 20 km southwest from Belluno...
, Italy
External links
- Official website - Information available in DutchDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
and limited information available in EnglishEnglish languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, FrenchFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and SpanishSpanish languageSpanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
.