Beveren 155164 225062806 2008-07-11T18:30:09Z Mesnenor 1861955 /* Sights */ {{Infobox Belgium Municipality |name=Beveren |picture= |picture-width=260px |picture-legend= |map=BeverenLocatie.png |map-legend=Location of Beveren in [[East Flanders]] |arms=Beveren_(Waas).jpg |flag=Beverenvlag.gif |region={{BE-REG-FLE}} |community={{BE-NL}} |province={{BE-PROV-OV}} |arrondissement=[[Arrondissement of Sint-Niklaas|Sint-Niklaas]] |nis=46003 |pyramid-date=01/01/2006 |0-19=22.54 |20-64=60.74 |65=16.72 |foreigners=1.92 |foreigners-date=01/07/2005 |mayor=Marc Van de Vijve ([[CD&V]]) |majority=[[CD&V]], VLDVUA |postal-codes=9120, 9130 |telephone-area=03 |web=[http://www.beveren.be/ www.beveren.be] |lat_deg=51 |lat_min=12 |lon_deg=04 |lon_min=15 }} [[Image:CortewalleZuid.JPG|thumb|right|Castle of Cortewalle|240px]] '''Beveren''' is a [[Municipalities in Belgium|municipality]] located in the [[Belgium|Belgian]] [[Provinces of Belgium|province]] of [[East Flanders]]. The municipality comprises the towns of Beveren proper, [[Doel]], [[Haasdonk]], [[Kallo, Belgium|Kallo]], [[Kieldrecht]], [[Melsele]], [[Verrebroek]] and [[Vrasene]]. The port of the [[Waasland]] (Dutch: ''Waaslandhaven'') is located in Beveren, on the left bank of the [[Schelde]], facing the [[port of Antwerp]] on the other side of the river. ==History== ===Roman origins=== In [[Ancient Rome|Roman]] times, the Beveren area was at the edge of the sea and heavily influenced by the tides. The earliest inhabitants erected primitive dams, which were later reinforced and heightened by the religious communities that sprung up in the region. The invasions of the [[Normans]] in the 9th century prompted the [[Flanders (county)|Counts of Flanders]] and their local [[vassal]]s to defend this land even more. Among the local nobility were the lords of Beveren, whose territory was eventually ceded to [[Louis I of Flanders]] in 1334. Beveren thus became the oldest political centre of the [[Waasland]] region – the northeastern part of the historical County of Flanders – basking for more than two centuries in the glory of Flanders and [[Duke of Burgundy|Burgundy]]. ===1570 until now=== In 1570, a catastrophic tide flooded the area. For strategic reasons linked to the protection of [[Antwerp]], the local authorities decided to dismantle the remaining dams. Five years later, the rights to the territory were sold. The area closest to the [[Scheldt]] was bought by an Antwerp merchant, and the rest went to the Duke of [[Aarschot]]. This state of affairs lasted until the [[French Revolution]], when the territory was subdivided into the pre-merger communes. From the 17th century on, the territory had slowly been taken back from the sea, until 1846, when the last parcel of land was dammed up. On [[February 1]], [[1953]], a particularly nasty storm breached the dykes, causing again heavy damage to hundreds of houses. In the 1960s an 1970s, the expansion of the [[port of Antwerp]] took place on Kallo’s territory. The village of [[Doel]] was reduced from the 900 residents of only 10 years ago to some 250 currently because of the expansion of the port. Vast industrial settlements came in its wake, including a [[nuclear power plant]] in Doel, which allows Beveren to provide low municipal tax rates for its inhabitants. The opening of the ''Liefkenshoek'' car tunnel under the Scheldt in 1991 further improved access to the left bank. Despite all those developments, Beveren has managed to keep its green areas intact and still offers picturesque landscapes to visitors. ==Sights== *Two castles remain from the [[feudal]] era: the beautifully restored, water surrounded, 15th-century Castle of Cortewalle, and the Castle Hof Ter Saksen (18th century), which evolved from a medieval inn on the road between [[Ghent]] and [[Antwerp]]. During the second part of the 20th century, the castle was abandoned and reduced to ruins within a park. In the last few years, extensive restorations have been performed, and in a few years this castle will be restored to its former glory. *The Haasdonk fort was built just before [[World War I]] for Antwerp’s protection. [[Bunker]]s can still be seen nearby. *Beveren has kept several centuries-old houses, manors, chapels and churches. *The village of Doel houses a 17th-century windmill, one of the oldest in Flanders. *The [[polder]]s north of Beveren offer a unique landscape, reminiscent of the southern [[Netherlands]]. *The [[Freethiel]] ==Folklore== Like many other cities in Belgium, Beveren has a collection of giant [[puppets]] who take part in most of the local festivities. The two oldest ones were [[baptism|baptized]] in 1954. [[Image:DoelMolen.jpg|thumb|left|Doel windmill and nuclear power plant|180px]] ==Famous inhabitants== *[[Wilfried Van Moer]], [[football (soccer)|football]] player (b. 1945) *[[Kathleen Smet]], [[triathlon]] athlete (b. 1970) *[[Dominique Cornu]], [[Road bicycle racing|road]] and [[track cycling|track cyclist]] (b. 1985) *[[Julie Gould]], [[United Kingdom|British]] [[swimmer]] (b. 1989) ==See also== *[[K.S.K. Beveren]] ==External links== {{Commonscat|Beveren}} *[http://www.beveren.be Official website], in [[Dutch language|Dutch]] {{East_Flanders}} [[Category:Municipalities of East Flanders]] [[Category:Cities and towns in Belgium]] [[br:Beveren (Reter Flandrez)]] [[ca:Beveren]] [[de:Beveren]] [[es:Beveren]] [[eo:Beveren]] [[fr:Beveren (Flandre orientale)]] [[it:Beveren]] [[nl:Beveren (Oost-Vlaanderen)]] [[no:Beveren]] [[pl:Beveren]] [[ro:Beveren]] [[sv:Beveren]] [[vo:Beveren]]