Moerzeke
Encyclopedia
Moerzeke is a village located at the river Scheldt
in the municipality Hamme
, Belgium
.
indicates Moerzeke as Moeshe on his maps. This name is still used by the people of Moerzeke.
The village has a history of disasters. In 1488 the castle of the lord of Moerzeke was ruined by troublemakers from Ghent
. The church was plundered too, but the inhabitants of Moerzeke had moved the most valuable pieces of their church to Dendermonde
. Reformation brought a lot of mayhem: half the parish got burned down and ravaged and even the church didn't escape this. From 1578 on the Catholic religion was prohibited, violation resulted in the death penalty. In 1580 the Black Death
broke out, which nearly killed the total population of Moerzeke. In 1584 after a siege that lasted for 20 days Moerzeke and Dendermonde
were liberated from the Protestants by the Spanish troops. In 1590 a priest from Hulst
(the Netherlands) came to Moerzeke together with some seventy families from Verrebroek
and Kieldrecht to bring the population to a normal level again.
This was not yet the end of misery in Moerzeke however. In 1846-1848 the harvest largely failed, which caused poverty and the death of many. Moerzeke also has had several dam-breaks causing floods.
, who was beatified by Pope John Paul II
in 1999. These have grown into places of pilgrimage.
Scheldt
The Scheldt is a 350 km long river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands...
in the municipality Hamme
Hamme
Hamme is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Hamme proper and Moerzeke, Zogge and St-Anna as parttowns. On January 1, 2006, Hamme had a total population of 23,232. The total area is 40.21 km² which gives a population density...
, Belgium
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...
.
History
The name comes from the Gallo-Roman Mauriciacum, which means good or villa belonging to Mauricius. In the passing ages the name Moerzeke has been written in various ways. In Latin manuscripts from 1125 and 1156 you can read Murzeke and Murceke, in 1171 Morzeka, in 1225 Morsca, in 1259 and 1261 Morseke, in 1330 Mourseka. At the end of the sixteenth century MercatorGerardus Mercator
thumb|right|200px|Gerardus MercatorGerardus Mercator was a cartographer, born in Rupelmonde in the Hapsburg County of Flanders, part of the Holy Roman Empire. He is remembered for the Mercator projection world map, which is named after him...
indicates Moerzeke as Moeshe on his maps. This name is still used by the people of Moerzeke.
The village has a history of disasters. In 1488 the castle of the lord of Moerzeke was ruined by troublemakers from 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...
. The church was plundered too, but the inhabitants of Moerzeke had moved the most valuable pieces of their church to Dendermonde
Dendermonde
Dendermonde is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of East Flanders in the Denderstreek. The municipality comprises the city of Dendermonde proper and the towns of Appels, Baasrode, Grembergen, Mespelare, Oudegem, Schoonaarde, and Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde...
. Reformation brought a lot of mayhem: half the parish got burned down and ravaged and even the church didn't escape this. From 1578 on the Catholic religion was prohibited, violation resulted in the death penalty. In 1580 the Black Death
Black Death
The Black Death was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, peaking in Europe between 1348 and 1350. Of several competing theories, the dominant explanation for the Black Death is the plague theory, which attributes the outbreak to the bacterium Yersinia pestis. Thought to have...
broke out, which nearly killed the total population of Moerzeke. In 1584 after a siege that lasted for 20 days Moerzeke and Dendermonde
Dendermonde
Dendermonde is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of East Flanders in the Denderstreek. The municipality comprises the city of Dendermonde proper and the towns of Appels, Baasrode, Grembergen, Mespelare, Oudegem, Schoonaarde, and Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde...
were liberated from the Protestants by the Spanish troops. In 1590 a priest from Hulst
Hulst
Hulst is a municipality and a city in southwestern Netherlands in the east of Zeelandic Flanders.- History :Hulst received city rights in the 12th century....
(the Netherlands) came to Moerzeke together with some seventy families from Verrebroek
Verrebroek
Verrebroek is a town and deelgemeente in the municipality of Beveren in East Flanders, Belgium. Verrebroek was its own municipality until January 1, 1977 when it was merged with Beveren as part of the fusion of municipalities in Belgium...
and Kieldrecht to bring the population to a normal level again.
This was not yet the end of misery in Moerzeke however. In 1846-1848 the harvest largely failed, which caused poverty and the death of many. Moerzeke also has had several dam-breaks causing floods.
Sites
Moerzeke holds the burial chapel and associated museum of Father Edward PoppeEdward Poppe
Edward Poppe was a Belgian priest. He was declared blessed by Pope John Paul II on 3 October 1999.-Biography:Edward Joannes Maria Poppe was born in Temse in 1890 as the third child and eldest son of a baker...
, who was beatified by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
in 1999. These have grown into places of pilgrimage.