Ninove
Encyclopedia
Ninove is a city and municipality
located in Flanders
, one of the three regions of Belgium
, and in the Flemish
province of East Flanders
in the Denderstreek
. It is situated on the river Dender
. The municipality comprises the city of Ninove proper and since the 1976 merger of the towns of Appelterre-Eichem, Aspelare, Denderwindeke, Lieferinge, Meerbeke
, Nederhasselt, Neigem, Okegem, Outer, Pollare and Voorde. On January 1, 2010 Ninove had a total population of 36.675. The total area is 72.57 km² which gives a population density
of 505 inhabitants per km².
origin. The meaning of the name, however, is known. Ninove means "nieuw weiland" or in English, "new pasture".
During the Roman rule, Ninove was a small settlement located in the current "Nederwijk". With the arrival of the Franks in the 4th century AD, the settlement grew to a small agricultural town. The area on which Ninove is located was from 843 on part of the Holy Roman Empire
. In the 11th century this area was conquered by the Count of Flanders
, Boudewijn V
and the whole area between the rivers Scheldt
and Dender
became part of the Flanders.
From the 11th century on, the medieval castrum
was fortified into a castle stronghold. Because it lay on the trade route between Flanders and Brabant
, the town prospered and grew into a city. In 1137, Norbertine
monks founded the Saint Cornelius Abbey, adjacent to the city. Because of its large landholdings, the abbey soon became one of the biggest grain producers in Flanders. In 1295 the town and lands were bought by the count of Flanders
Guy of Dampierre
. His grandson Henry awarded the town a city charter in 1339.
The 15th to 17th century was a bad time for the city as the region was plagued with war and religious and political strife. The abbey was plundered by the French in 1578 during the reformation. In 1658, Ninove was occupied by the French army. After the Treaty of the Pyrenees
, the French returned the area back to Spain but the area was to change hands many times during the wars of Louis XIV
and Louis XV of France
.
During the 17th century, Ninove was crippled under the indemnities laid on it by the warring parties and the town faced a big economic crisis as its cloth industry went into decline. The big abbey was closed by the French in 1796, after Flanders was annexed to France.
During the 19th century, Ninove became industrialized and by the time of the First World War, the city became the centre of the Flemish match
industry. This industry however declined in importance until the last match factory closed during the late 1970s.
Since the 1970s, the town of Meerbeke
is the finish of the cycling race Ronde van Vlaanderen.
The population of Ninove has steadily grown and the city has become an attractive centre for commercial, recreational and economical activities in the area, and plays host to a popular annual Volkswagen show every March, specifically for air-cooled vehicles, i.e. Beetles, Camper-vans, Type 3's, 4's etc. The opening of a shopping mall in the centre of the city, as well as new sport and cultural infrastructure, and the construction of many residential apartment buildings have made Ninove a growing competitor for nearby Aalst
and an ideal living-place for many commuters who work in nearby Brussels
.
).
The city council currently has 33 members, and is composed as follows:
The municipal elections on October 8, 2006 let the VLD retain its 12 seats, the CD&V win a seat, giving them a total of 8, the Vlaams Belang double its seats, giving them a total of 8, the socialist party PRO Ninove lose a seat, making a total of 4, and the Green Party hold their single seat. The coalition between VLD and CD&V was renewed, but without the N-VA.
Mariette De Smet. De Smet announced she would leave the VLD, but would remain in the council of the mayor and aldermen as an independent. Her colleagues in the council stripped her of all her duties, but after a few months she regained a few of them. On January 9, 2008, De Smet, fellow VLD schepen Corijn, and another VLD member of the city council announced they were joining LDD, leaving the VLD-CD&V with a brittle one seat majority on the city council. The LDD alderman however elected to stay in the majority, making for a brittle coalition. On May 5, 2009 a Vlaams Belang councilmember defected to the LDD. In 2009 mayor Luc Durant announced he would resign due to health reasons. He was replaced in September by Michel Casteur. In 2010 an other VB councilmember left the party to become an independent. In January 2011 Mariette De Smet announced she would join the Vlaams Belang lead chartel list "Forza Ninove" and left LDD. She was then again stripped of her duties by her fellow aldermen. On July 27, 2011 De Smet was murdered in a murder-suicide
by her lover. She was replaced as alderman by a member of the VLD.
The next municipal elections are to be held sometime in October 2012.
, the people of Aalst decided to besiege Ninove. The inhabitants of Ninove were completely surprised by this attack and were found unprepared. In all the confusion the key to close the city gate could not be found. In order to bolt the gate, a carrot was used. A passing donkey saw the carrot-bolt and ate it, leaving the city gate unbolted and the militiamen from Aalst free entry of the city.
Ninove was called the oldest because of the similarity of its name with the ancient Assyria
n city Ninive, the boldest because it waited on the enemy with open gates and the wisest because the city had no jester or town fool, if one was needed a fool from a neighbouring town was lent.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
located in Flanders
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...
, one of the three regions of 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...
, and in the Flemish
Flanders
Flanders 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...
province 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...
in the Denderstreek
Denderstreek
The Denderstreek or Denderland is a region in the heart of Belgium. It is named after the river Dender. Though the river stretches over three provinces, Hainaut, East Flanders and Flemish Brabant, the region called after the river is situated in East-Flanders. The Dutch word streek means region....
. It is situated on the river Dender
Dender
The Dendre or Dender is a 65 km long river in Belgium, right tributary of the river Scheldt. The confluence of both rivers is in the Belgian town Dendermonde....
. The municipality comprises the city of Ninove proper and since the 1976 merger of the towns of Appelterre-Eichem, Aspelare, Denderwindeke, Lieferinge, Meerbeke
Meerbeke
Meerbeke is a village in the Denderstreek in the province of East Flanders in Belgium. Administratively it is part of the municipality of Ninove. This rural community is located along the Dender River on the western border of what is known as "Pajottenland". With a total surface of 1047ha it is the...
, Nederhasselt, Neigem, Okegem, Outer, Pollare and Voorde. On January 1, 2010 Ninove had a total population of 36.675. The total area is 72.57 km² which gives a population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 505 inhabitants per km².
History
The oldest version of the name "Ninove", Neonifus dates from the 9th century. Later versions of the city name were Ninive and Nineve. The current version of the city name dates from the 14th century. The origin of the city name is not clear. There are two theories about the origin. One states that name is from Roman origin, the other states that it is of FrankishFranks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
origin. The meaning of the name, however, is known. Ninove means "nieuw weiland" or in English, "new pasture".
During the Roman rule, Ninove was a small settlement located in the current "Nederwijk". With the arrival of the Franks in the 4th century AD, the settlement grew to a small agricultural town. The area on which Ninove is located was from 843 on part of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. In the 11th century this area was conquered by the Count of Flanders
Count of Flanders
The Count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders from the 9th century until the abolition of the position by the French revolutionaries in 1790....
, Boudewijn V
Baldwin V, Count of Flanders
Baldwin V of Flanders was Count of Flanders from 1035 until his death.He was the son of Baldwin IV, Count of Flanders, who died in 1035.-History:...
and the whole area between the rivers Scheldt
Scheldt
The Scheldt is a 350 km long river in northern France, western Belgium and the southwestern part of the Netherlands...
and Dender
Dender
The Dendre or Dender is a 65 km long river in Belgium, right tributary of the river Scheldt. The confluence of both rivers is in the Belgian town Dendermonde....
became part of the Flanders.
From the 11th century on, the medieval castrum
Castra
The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. The word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin. It may have descended from Indo-European to Italic...
was fortified into a castle stronghold. Because it lay on the trade route between Flanders and Brabant
Brabant (landgraviat)
The Landgraviat of Brabant must be distinguished from the Duchy of Brabant. The Duchy of Brabant was initially a feudal elevation of the landgraviat, but its name was applied to the entire country under the control of the Dukes of Brabant, from the 13th century on.This imperial fief was assigned to...
, the town prospered and grew into a city. In 1137, Norbertine
Premonstratensian
The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré, also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines, or in Britain and Ireland as the White Canons , are a Catholic religious order of canons regular founded at Prémontré near Laon in 1120 by Saint Norbert, who later became Archbishop of Magdeburg...
monks founded the Saint Cornelius Abbey, adjacent to the city. Because of its large landholdings, the abbey soon became one of the biggest grain producers in Flanders. In 1295 the town and lands were bought by the count of Flanders
Count of Flanders
The Count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders from the 9th century until the abolition of the position by the French revolutionaries in 1790....
Guy of Dampierre
Guy of Dampierre
Guy of Dampierre was the count of Flanders during the Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302.Guy was the second son of William II of Dampierre and Margaret II of Flanders. The death of his elder brother William in a tournament made him joint Count of Flanders with his mother...
. His grandson Henry awarded the town a city charter in 1339.
The 15th to 17th century was a bad time for the city as the region was plagued with war and religious and political strife. The abbey was plundered by the French in 1578 during the reformation. In 1658, Ninove was occupied by the French army. After the Treaty of the Pyrenees
Treaty of the Pyrenees
The Treaty of the Pyrenees was signed to end the 1635 to 1659 war between France and Spain, a war that was initially a part of the wider Thirty Years' War. It was signed on Pheasant Island, a river island on the border between the two countries...
, the French returned the area back to Spain but the area was to change hands many times during the wars of Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
and Louis XV of France
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
.
During the 17th century, Ninove was crippled under the indemnities laid on it by the warring parties and the town faced a big economic crisis as its cloth industry went into decline. The big abbey was closed by the French in 1796, after Flanders was annexed to France.
During the 19th century, Ninove became industrialized and by the time of the First World War, the city became the centre of the Flemish match
Match
A match is a tool for starting a fire under controlled conditions. A typical modern match is made of a small wooden stick or stiff paper. One end is coated with a material that can be ignited by frictional heat generated by striking the match against a suitable surface...
industry. This industry however declined in importance until the last match factory closed during the late 1970s.
Since the 1970s, the town of Meerbeke
Meerbeke
Meerbeke is a village in the Denderstreek in the province of East Flanders in Belgium. Administratively it is part of the municipality of Ninove. This rural community is located along the Dender River on the western border of what is known as "Pajottenland". With a total surface of 1047ha it is the...
is the finish of the cycling race Ronde van Vlaanderen.
The population of Ninove has steadily grown and the city has become an attractive centre for commercial, recreational and economical activities in the area, and plays host to a popular annual Volkswagen show every March, specifically for air-cooled vehicles, i.e. Beetles, Camper-vans, Type 3's, 4's etc. The opening of a shopping mall in the centre of the city, as well as new sport and cultural infrastructure, and the construction of many residential apartment buildings have made Ninove a growing competitor for nearby Aalst
Aalst, Belgium
Aalst is a city and municipality on the Dender River, 19 miles northwest from Brussels. It is located in the Flemish province of East Flanders in the Denderstreek. The municipality comprises the city of Aalst itself and the villages of Baardegem, Erembodegem, Gijzegem, Herdersem, Hofstade,...
and an ideal living-place for many commuters who work in nearby Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
.
City Politics
Since 2009, the mayor of Ninove has been Michel Casteur (VLDFlemish Liberals and Democrats
' , commonly known as Open VLD and also simply as the VLD, is a Flemish liberal political party in Belgium, created in 1992 from the former Party for Freedom and Progress and a few other politicians from other parties. The party led the government for three cabinets under Guy Verhofstadt from 1999...
).
The city council currently has 33 members, and is composed as follows:
- VLD - 10 seats
- CD&V - 8 seats
- Vlaams BelangVlaams BelangVlaams Belang is a Belgian far-right political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels that advocates the independence of Flanders and strict limits on immigration, whereby immigrants would be obliged to adopt Flemish culture and language...
- 6 seats - SP.a Ninove - 4 seats
- LDD - 2 seats
- Independents - 2 seats
- Groen!Green!Groen! is a Belgian green political party. Green! is the smallest Flemish party with a representation in the federal, regional or European parliament.-Before 1979:...
- 1 seat
2001-2007
CD&V and N-VA had allied themselves for the 2000 election, and formed a coalition with the VLD. Due to the increase of population, the threshold of 35,000 inhabitants had been passed and Ninove saw an increase from 31 to 33 council members for the communal elections, which were held on Sunday October 8, 2006.The municipal elections on October 8, 2006 let the VLD retain its 12 seats, the CD&V win a seat, giving them a total of 8, the Vlaams Belang double its seats, giving them a total of 8, the socialist party PRO Ninove lose a seat, making a total of 4, and the Green Party hold their single seat. The coalition between VLD and CD&V was renewed, but without the N-VA.
2007 - current
During the January 2, 2007 elections of the OCMW council, one member of the VLD fraction voted for a candidate of Vlaams Belang, making the VLD lose 1 seat. After an investigation led by the local chapter of the VLD, it was announced that the person they suspected to be the culprit was SchepenSchepen
A schepen is a Dutch word referring to a municipal civic office in Dutch-speaking countries. The term is still in use in Belgium, but it has been replaced by wethouder in the Netherlands. The closest English terms are alderman, member of the municipal executive, councillor and magistrate,...
Mariette De Smet. De Smet announced she would leave the VLD, but would remain in the council of the mayor and aldermen as an independent. Her colleagues in the council stripped her of all her duties, but after a few months she regained a few of them. On January 9, 2008, De Smet, fellow VLD schepen Corijn, and another VLD member of the city council announced they were joining LDD, leaving the VLD-CD&V with a brittle one seat majority on the city council. The LDD alderman however elected to stay in the majority, making for a brittle coalition. On May 5, 2009 a Vlaams Belang councilmember defected to the LDD. In 2009 mayor Luc Durant announced he would resign due to health reasons. He was replaced in September by Michel Casteur. In 2010 an other VB councilmember left the party to become an independent. In January 2011 Mariette De Smet announced she would join the Vlaams Belang lead chartel list "Forza Ninove" and left LDD. She was then again stripped of her duties by her fellow aldermen. On July 27, 2011 De Smet was murdered in a murder-suicide
Murder-suicide
A murder–suicide is an act in which an individual kills one or more other persons before or at the same time as killing himself or herself. The combination of murder and suicide can take various forms, including:...
by her lover. She was replaced as alderman by a member of the VLD.
The next municipal elections are to be held sometime in October 2012.
List of Mayors
- 2009-current - Michel Casteur (VLD)
- 2001-2009 - Luc Durant (VLD)
- 1995-2000 - Louis Waltniel (Banier)
- 1977-1994 - Etienne Cosyns (CL - Centrumlijst)
- 1955-1976 - Emiel Milo (BSPBelgian Socialist PartyThe Belgian Socialist Party was a democratic socialist party which existed in Belgium from 1945 to 1978.The BSP was founded by activists from the Belgian Labour Party , which was the first Belgian socialist party. It ceased to function during the Second World War, while Belgium was under Nazi...
) - 1946-1954 - Omer Van Trimpont (BSP)
- 1945 - Clément Behn
- 1941-1944 - Karel Dortant
- 1913-1940 - Clément Behn
- 1912 - Victor Van Impe
- 1895-1911 - Edmond De Deyn
- 1872-1894 - August De Cooman
- 1870-1871 - Pieter Soetens
- 1864-1869 - Edmond De Deyn
- 1855-1863 - Victor Van Oudenhove
- 1831-1854 - Karel Van Ypersele
- 1825-1830 - Joseph Cools
- 1815-1824 - M. Van Ypersele
- 1802-1814 - Geeraard Germanes
- 1793-1801 - L. Van Ypersele
Nicknames
Throughout the ages the inhabitants of Ninove were given various nicknames as a title of honour or mockery.Wortelmannen or Wortels
The inhabitants were given the title of "wortelmannen" or "wortels" (Dutch for carrot people or carrot) because of an event during the Middle Ages. During a row with the neighbouring city of AalstAalst, Belgium
Aalst is a city and municipality on the Dender River, 19 miles northwest from Brussels. It is located in the Flemish province of East Flanders in the Denderstreek. The municipality comprises the city of Aalst itself and the villages of Baardegem, Erembodegem, Gijzegem, Herdersem, Hofstade,...
, the people of Aalst decided to besiege Ninove. The inhabitants of Ninove were completely surprised by this attack and were found unprepared. In all the confusion the key to close the city gate could not be found. In order to bolt the gate, a carrot was used. A passing donkey saw the carrot-bolt and ate it, leaving the city gate unbolted and the militiamen from Aalst free entry of the city.
De Oudste, de Stoutste en de Wijste der Steden
Ninove was described by Antonius Sanderus as the Oldest, the Boldest and the Wisest of Cities. Sanderus wrote in his Flandria Illustrata:Ninove was called the oldest because of the similarity of its name with the ancient Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
n city Ninive, the boldest because it waited on the enemy with open gates and the wisest because the city had no jester or town fool, if one was needed a fool from a neighbouring town was lent.
Famous inhabitants
- Rudy De Leeuw, chairman ABVV
- Johannes DespauteriusJohannes DespauteriusJan de Spauter was a prominent Flemish humanist. His name was Latinized to Johannes Despauterius as was common in the Middle Ages....
, Flemish humanist - Johan EvenepoelJohan EvenepoelJohan Evenepoel is a Belgian composer.Johan Evenepoel was educated at the Lemmensinstituut in Leuven, where he won several first prizes. After he graduated he worked for a while for the Belgian Army Orchestra of the Grenadiers...
, Belgian composer - Romain GijsselsRomain GijsselsRomain Gijssels was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer between 1930 and 1936.In 1932, Gijssels won both the Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris–Roubaix in the same season, which has only been accomplished by nine riders.- Major achievements :1931Romain Gijssels Romain Gijssels (Denderwindeke,...
, professional road bicycle racer - Frans Hemerijckx, Belgian physician, known for his work amongst lepers in the Belgian Congo and in India
- Willy RoggemanWilly RoggemanWilly Roggeman is a Belgian writer and jazz musician.-Bibliography:* De adem van de jazz * Het goudvisje * Blues voor glazen blazers * Yin/Yang * Literair labo * Jazzologie 1940-1965...
, writer and jazzJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
musician - Wesley SonckWesley SonckWesley Sonck is a Belgian football player, who currently plays as a striker for K. Lierse S.K. who signed him in August 2010 and the Belgium national football team. He played for KRC Genk in the Belgian First Division from where he joined AFC Ajax in 2003 for about £5 million...
, Football player for Club Brugge and the Belgian national football team - Kevin van der PerrenKevin van der PerrenKevin van der Perren is a Belgian figure skater. He is the 2007 & 2009 European bronze medalist, a three-time Grand Prix medalist, and a seven-time Belgian national champion...
, ice skater, 9th at the Winter Olympics - Hans Van LaethemHans Van LaethemHans Van Laethem is the town crier of Ninove and former reigning World, European and Belgian champion of town crying.Van Laethem started his career as town crier in 1987. In 2000, Van Laethem became runner up in the World Town Crier Championships...
- town crier - Louis WaltnielLouis WaltnielLouis Gustaaf Waltniel was a Belgian liberal politician and industrialist. He held a master degree in economic sciences....
, liberal politicianPoliticianA politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and industrialist
External links
- Official website of the OCMW Ninove
- Official demographic statistics of Ninove - 2006
- Official demographic statistics of Ninove - 2007 - Only available in Dutch
- Abbey of the Park - Article about the Norbertine monastery
- Official site Carnival Ninove Only available in Dutch