Ottergem is a sub-municipality of Erpe-Mere

Erpe-Mere

Erpe-Mere is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders in the Denderstreek. The municipality comprises the towns of Aaigem, Bambrugge, Burst, Erondegem, Erpe, Mere, Ottergem and Vlekkem. There is also a hamlet in Bambrugge: Egem. On January 1, 2010 Erpe-Mere had a total...

 in Flanders

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...

. It is located 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....

 in the southeast 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...

 and belongs to Arrondissement of Aalst

Arrondissement of Aalst

The Arrondissement of Aalst is one of the six administrative arrondissements in the Province of East Flanders, Belgium. It forms the Judicial Arrondissement of Dendermonde together with the Arrondissements of Dendermonde and Sint-Niklaas.-History:...

. The sub-municipality is bordered by the sub-municipalities of Erondegem

Erondegem

Erondegem is a sub-municipality of Erpe-Mere in Flanders. It is located in the Denderstreek in the southeast of East Flanders and belongs to Arrondissement of Aalst. It is bordered by the sub-municipalities of Erpe and Ottergem and the municipalities of Sint-Lievens-Houtem and Lede...

, Erpe

Erpe

Erpe is a sub-municipality of Erpe-Mere in Flanders. It is located in the Denderstreek in the southeast of East Flanders and belongs to Arrondissement of Aalst. The sub-municipality is bordered by the sub-municipalities of Mere, Ottergem and Erondegem and the municipalities Lede and Aalst...

, Mere

Mere, Belgium

Mere is a sub-municipality of Erpe-Mere in Flanders. It is located in the Denderstreek in the southeast of East Flanders and belongs to Arrondissement of Aalst. It is bordered by the sub-municipalities of Erpe, Ottergem, Bambrugge and Aaigem and the municipalities Haaltert and Aalst...

, Bambrugge

Bambrugge

Bambrugge is a sub-municipality of Erpe-Mere in Flanders. It is located in the Denderstreek in the southeast of East Flanders and belongs to Arrondissement of Aalst. It is bordered by the sub-municipalities of Vlekkem, Ottergem, Mere, Aaigem and Burst and the municipality of Sint-Lievens-Houtem...

 (and its hamlet Egem

Egem (East Flanders)

Egem is a hamlet in the sub-municipality of Bambrugge in the municipality of Erpe-Mere in Flanders. It is located in the Denderstreek within the southeast of East Flanders and belongs to the Arrondissement of Aalst...

) and Vlekkem

Vlekkem

Vlekkem is a sub-municipality of Erpe-Mere in Flanders. It is located in the Denderstreek in the southeast of East Flanders and belongs to Arrondissement of Aalst. The sub-municipality is bordered by the hamlet Egem of the sub-municipality Bambrugge, the sub-municipality Ottergem and the...

 and the municipality Sint-Lievens-Houtem

Sint-Lievens-Houtem

Sint-Lievens-Houtem is a Dutch-speaking municipality of Belgium. It is located in the in the Denderstreek and at the edge of the Flemish Ardennes, the hilly southern part of the province of East Flanders .It is named after Saint Livinus , a Christian saint believed to have been buried...

 (sub-municipality Vlierzele

Vlierzele

Vlierzele is a small village in the Denderstreek at the edge of the Flemish Ardennes, the hilly southern part of East-Flanders, Belgium. It belongs to the municipality of Sint-Lievens-Houtem. Vlierzele has a surface area of 669 ha....

). Ottergem has 500 inhabitants as of 1 January 2003 and an area of 1.55 km. The population density is 322 inhabitants / km ².

History

Ottergem was one of the smallest villages of the district of Dendermonde at the beginning of the 19th Century, with 155 hectares and 520 people, it was much smaller than the surrounding villages. The village was first mentioned in an official document in 1036. In this charter the emperor Koenraad II recognized the Abbey Sint-Pietersabdij in Ghent and their possessions, they spoke of "et in Bursinghem et terram in Ottringhem et terram in Flachem". Since the year 1142 they spoke of Ottergem, but the variations Ottrenghem, Ottregem and Oterghem were also known. The name is in the opinion of the historian De Smet derived from the otter (animal) but the opinion of his colleague Föstermann is that the name is derived from a personal name. Etymologically, Flemish locations ending with –gem refer to a Germanic compound with –haim, meaning ‘home’ or ‘residence’, and a derative ending with –inga. Towards the end of the 19th Century there was a water mill and an oil mill.

Landmarks

• The "De Watermeulen" is located in the Ruststraat 10-12 on the Molenbeek Brook. It's an overshot watermill and it is protected by law. It was originally a wheat mill and an oil mill, but later on it was only a wheat mill.

• In Ottergem the Sint-Paulus-Bekering Church can be found. Ottergem belongs to deanery of Lede.

File:De Watermeulen Ottergem vooraanzicht.JPG|Front view of the De Watermeulen at Ottergem
File:De Watermeulen Ottergem achteraanzicht.JPG|Rear view of the De Watermeulen at Ottergem
File:De Watermeulen Ottergem rad.JPG|Mill wheel of the De Watermeulen at Ottergem
File:De Watermeulen Ottergem binnenwerk.JPG|The De Watermeulen inside at Ottergem
File:Kerk Ottergem 1.jpg|The church of Ottergem front view
File:Kerk Ottergem 2.jpg|The church of Ottergem side-view

Tourism

Through Ottergem runs the Molenbeekroute. The Molenbeekroute is a cycle track network, known primarily for the mills of the municipality Erpe-Mere and two brooks that can be found there, both of which have the name Molenbeek (mill brook).