Kuurne is a
municipalityA municipality is an administrative entity composed of a clearly defined territory and its population and commonly denotes a city, town, or village, or a small grouping of them. A municipality is typically governed by a mayor and a city council or municipal council.The notion of municipality...
located in the
BelgianThe Kingdom of Belgium is a country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters, as well as those of other major international organizations, including NATO...
province of
West FlandersWest Flanders is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region, also named Flanders, in Belgium. It borders on the Netherlands, the Flemish province of East Flanders and the Walloon province of Hainaut in Belgium, on France, and the North Sea. Its capital is Bruges...
. The municipality comprises only the town of Kuurne proper. On January 1 2006 Kuurne had a total population of 12,591. The total area is 10.01 km² which gives a
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
of 1258 inhabitants per km².
Inhabitants from Kuurne are nicknamed 'donkeys' . This is said to be a term of derision given to them by the people of nearby
KortrijkKortrijk is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province West Flanders. The wider municipality comprises the city of Kortrijk proper and the towns of Aalbeke, Bellegem, Bissegem, Heule, Kooigem, Marke, and Rollegem.The city is situated on the Leie River, 42 km southwest of...
because traders from Kuurne habitually set off for the Kortrijk market at an early hour, their ass-drawn carts laden with vegetables. Awoken by the rattle of the cart wheels and the braying of the asses, the people of Kortrijk exclaimed: "It's those asses from Kuurne again!!"
An alternative, more legendary explanation originates from the tale of a priest who had to hold a funeral on
Ash WednesdayIn the Western Christian calendar, Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent and occurs forty-six days before Easter. It is a moveable feast, falling on a different date each year because it is dependent on the date of Easter...
. He asked the sacrister to take over his regular service, but unfortunately the latter couldn't remember the Latin words "Memento, homo, quia pulvis es, et in pulverem reverteris" (Remember, man, that dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return), which are to be proclaimed while applying a cross of ash to the foreheads of the churchgoers. Later the priest spoke to him in exasperation, saying: "You were born an ass, and you will die an ass!". "Aha," said the sacrister, "I'll remember that!" and so saying, he continued giving the people of Kuurne their crosses of ash.
The best-known ass in Kuurne is 'Ambroos' (Ambrose), a larger-than-life and somewhat stylised statue in front of the town hall. It's interesting to note that as well as a big bouquet, the winner of the annual pro
cyclingCycling is an activity most commonly performed on a bicycle - when it is it is also referred to as bicycling or simply biking. It is the use of the bicycle, unicycle , tricycles , quadracycles , and other similar wheeled human-powered vehicles for the purpose of transport, as a form of...
race
Kuurne-Brussels-KuurneKuurne-Brussels-Kuurne is an annual single-day road bicycle race in Belgium. It is ridden on the last Sunday of February or on the first Sunday of March, one day after Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. First held in 1945, since 2005 it has been a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour.- List of Winners :...
(on 2 March 2008 Dutch rider
Steven de JonghSteven de Jongh is a Dutch road bicycle racer who currently races for Quick Step.de Jongh made his professional debut in 1995 at TVM team where he stayed until 1999...
) also receives a soft toy version of 'Ambroos' to wave from the stage.
External links
Official Website