Godsheide
Encyclopedia
Godsheide is Flemish-speaking hamlet and Catholic parish within the northeastern corner of the Belgian
city of Hasselt
, in the province of Limburg. At the end of 2007 Godsheide counted 3143 inhabitants.
Between the village and the main town of Hasselt there are several large modern developments - the Hasselt golf club, the Grenslandhallen
entertainment centre, the Limburg provincial government buildings, and the Kinepolis cinema complex.
Apart from the rest of Hasselt, it is bounded by Diepenbeek
on the east, and Bokrijk
, a part of Genk
, to the north. The parish is divided in northern and southern sections by the waterways and roads which both run east-west through it. The Albert Canal
separates the modern main village from a northern section, "Vosseberg", which has access to the main village via two bridges, while the southern extreme of the parish, "Wolske", lies to the south of the Demer and the nearby Universiteitslaan main road. At the southern extremity, Godsheide touches the old steenweg (old main road) between Hasselt and Maastricht
, which also runs in an east-west manner.
Godsheide VV is the local soccer club, and there are is a local catholic primary school and a scouts group.
, which included Hasselt, and Diepenbeek
, which was not part of Loon, but rather formed a detached part of various other entities over the centuries, especially the Prince-bishopric of Liège and the Duchy of Brabant
.
Godsheide became a catholic parish in 1845 and in 853] work began] on the church which is dedicated to Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Bezoeking (Our beloved lady of visitation). The modern church has an old gate which was once used elsewhere in Hasselt as an entrance port to the city. In 1869, the church received an organ which was protected in 1975 and fully restored between 1995 and 1998.
On 26 June 1939 part of the dike gave way on the new canal, which had recently been checked, and 1,3 million m³ water flowed out, killing the man who had been checking it.
The first bridge over the canal in Godsheide was blown up by the Belgian army during the invasion of Germany at the beginning of World War II
.
over the canal, which was intended to be part of a new link connecting Hasselt and Genk. The project was vetoed by Genk. Only one side of the bridge is maintained for the small amount of traffic it serves, and there is a very wide bicycle path.
in the French speaking Province of Liège to the south, and to be known as the A24. An agreement was reached in 1972, but never went ahead. The original plans would have meant the bridge should have been about 1 km to the west of the cable-stayed bridge, nearer to the centre of Hasselt.
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...
city of Hasselt
Hasselt
Hasselt is a Belgian city and municipality, and capital of the Flemish province of Limburg...
, in the province of Limburg. At the end of 2007 Godsheide counted 3143 inhabitants.
Between the village and the main town of Hasselt there are several large modern developments - the Hasselt golf club, the Grenslandhallen
Grenslandhallen
The Grenslandhallen in Hasselt, Belgium is one of the biggest event complexes in the BENELUX. The first halls were built in 1983. In 2002 one of the first halls has been transformed in to a congress theatre for musicals, concerts, .....
entertainment centre, the Limburg provincial government buildings, and the Kinepolis cinema complex.
Apart from the rest of Hasselt, it is bounded by Diepenbeek
Diepenbeek
Diepenbeek is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. On January 1, 2006 Diepenbeek had a total population of 17,706. The total area is 41.19 km² which gives a population density of 430 inhabitants per km²....
on the east, and Bokrijk
Bokrijk
Bokrijk is a provincial domain in Limburg, Belgium, situated near the city of Genk. It is mainly known for its open air museum. The domain is 5.5 square kilometres in area and hosts an important botanical garden and Flanders' largest open air playground.-History:Early sources until the French...
, a part of Genk
Genk
Genk is a city and municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. The municipality only comprises the city of Genk itself...
, to the north. The parish is divided in northern and southern sections by the waterways and roads which both run east-west through it. The Albert Canal
Albert Canal
The Albert Canal is a canal located in northeastern Belgium, named after King Albert I of Belgium. It connects the major cities Antwerp and Liège and the Meuse and Scheldt rivers. It has a depth of , a free height of and a total length of...
separates the modern main village from a northern section, "Vosseberg", which has access to the main village via two bridges, while the southern extreme of the parish, "Wolske", lies to the south of the Demer and the nearby Universiteitslaan main road. At the southern extremity, Godsheide touches the old steenweg (old main road) between Hasselt and Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
, which also runs in an east-west manner.
Godsheide VV is the local soccer club, and there are is a local catholic primary school and a scouts group.
Etymology
Although the modern spelling and standard pronunciation sounds like it means "God's heath" this is not the origin of the name of Godsheide. The original meaning is thought to be shown more clearly by the spelling Goetschey, found on a map from 1549, and the dialect pronunciation of the name, which is Gooètskè: instead of God's heide (heath) the second component was related to modern Dutch scheiding (a separation or dividing). The division being referred to was apparently that between the medieval territory of the County of LoonCounty of Loon
The County of Loon was a state of the Holy Roman Empire, lying west of the Meuse river in present-day Flemish-speaking Belgium, and east of the old Duchy of Brabant. The most important cities of the county were Beringen, Bilzen, Borgloon, Bree, Hamont, Hasselt, Herk-de-Stad, Maaseik, Peer and...
, which included Hasselt, and Diepenbeek
Diepenbeek
Diepenbeek is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. On January 1, 2006 Diepenbeek had a total population of 17,706. The total area is 41.19 km² which gives a population density of 430 inhabitants per km²....
, which was not part of Loon, but rather formed a detached part of various other entities over the centuries, especially the Prince-bishopric of Liège and the Duchy of Brabant
Duchy of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant was a historical region in the Low Countries. Its territory consisted essentially of the three modern-day Belgian provinces of Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant and Antwerp, the Brussels-Capital Region and most of the present-day Dutch province of North Brabant.The Flag of...
.
History
The oldest roads were made in the 14th century, and were the Bos, Kiezel, and Wolskes streets in the south of the parish, and the Brugbemdenstraat which is now in the golf course. The two ponds on Borggravevijverstraat, in the north of the parish near Bokrijk, were already there in the 15th century. The old main "steenweg" road between Hasselt and Genk, which passes through the northern "Vosseberg" part of the parish (separated from the church by the modern canal) exists since the 18th century.Godsheide became a catholic parish in 1845 and in 853] work began] on the church which is dedicated to Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Bezoeking (Our beloved lady of visitation). The modern church has an old gate which was once used elsewhere in Hasselt as an entrance port to the city. In 1869, the church received an organ which was protected in 1975 and fully restored between 1995 and 1998.
The Albert Canal
The Albert Canal (Albertkanaal) was made between 1930 and 1939, and runs through Godsheide. There is a canal lock in Godsheide.On 26 June 1939 part of the dike gave way on the new canal, which had recently been checked, and 1,3 million m³ water flowed out, killing the man who had been checking it.
The first bridge over the canal in Godsheide was blown up by the Belgian army during the invasion of Germany at the beginning of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Drowning disaster
During the war there was a simple ferry float constructed over the canal that was pulled across by steel cable. On 14 February 1941 a teacher had 57 children and 4 adults board on the south side, with the intention of crossing to get the tram in Genk. The float started to sink and as a result 35 children and 2 adults drowned. The town worker who operated the ferry was blamed and imprisoned. The teacher left the region.The Cable-stayed bridge
Godsheide has very large a cable-stayed bridgeCable-stayed bridge
A cable-stayed bridge is a bridge that consists of one or more columns , with cables supporting the bridge deck....
over the canal, which was intended to be part of a new link connecting Hasselt and Genk. The project was vetoed by Genk. Only one side of the bridge is maintained for the small amount of traffic it serves, and there is a very wide bicycle path.
The bridge for the A24
In Limburg there has been debate since the 1970s about building a main road running north-south from Eindhoven in the Netherlands to HuyHuy
Huy is a municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region and Province of Liege. Huy lies along the river Meuse, at the mouth of the small river Hoyoux. It is in the sillon industriel, the former industrial backbone of Wallonia, home to about two-thirds of the Walloon population...
in the French speaking Province of Liège to the south, and to be known as the A24. An agreement was reached in 1972, but never went ahead. The original plans would have meant the bridge should have been about 1 km to the west of the cable-stayed bridge, nearer to the centre of Hasselt.
Annual procession
In Godsheide the kermis in held on the Sunday after 18 July. On this day the scouts carry the image of Saint Odilia in procession through the town.External links
- A link with information and photos about the parish church.
- The city of Hasselt.
- Hasselt divided into modern "statistical sectors".