'Ninove' is a city and
municipality located in
Flanders, one of the three regions of
Belgium, and in the
Flemish province of
East Flanders. It is situated on the river
Dender. The municipality comprises the city of Ninove proper and the towns of
Appelterre-Eichem,
Aspelare,
Denderwindeke,
Lieferinge,
Meerbeke,
Nederhasselt,
Neigem,
Okegem,
Outer,
Pollare and
Voorde. On January 1st, 2006 Ninove had a total population of 35,651. The total area is 72.57
km² which gives a
population density of 491 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
Frankish 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 grow 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. During the
17th century, Ninove 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. 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.
City Politics
Since 2001, the mayor of Ninove is 'Luc Durant' of the
VLD.
The city-council currently has 33 members, and is composed as follows:
★ 12 liberals from VLD
★ 8 Christian-democrats from
CD&V
★ 8 flemish nationalists of the extreme-right party
Vlaams Belang
★ 4 socialists from PRO Ninove
★ 1 member of the green party (
Groen!)
2001-2007
CD&V and N-VA had allied themselves at the 2000 election and were in a coalition with the VLD (2001-2007). Due to the increase in population, the threshold of 35,000 inhabitants has been passed and Ninove will see an increase from 31 to 33 council members at the communal elections, which were held on Sunday October 8, 2006.
The 8 October municipal elections saw the VLD retain 12 seats, the CD&V win one seat to come to 8 seats, the Vlaams Belang double its seats to 8 seats, the socialists of PRO lose a seat to come to four and the green party hold their single seat. The coalition between VLD and CD&V was then renewed but without the N-VA.
2007 - ?
During the January 2, 2006 elections of the OCMW council one member of the VLD fraction voted for a candidate of the Vlaams Belang, costing the VLD a seat. After an investigation by the local chapter of the VLD, it was announced that the person they suspected to be the "
mole" was aldermen Mariette De Smet. De Smet announced she'd be leaving the VLD but will remain in the college of mayor and aldermen as an independent. Her colleagues in the college have since stripped her of all her competences.
The next municipal elections are to be held in October
2012.
List of Mayors
★ 2001-current - Luc Durant (VLD)
★ 1995-2000 - Louis Waltniel (Banier)
★ 1977-1994 - Etienne Cosyns (CL - Centrumlijst)
★ 1955-1976 - Emiel Milo (BSP)
★ 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
The Abbey church of Ninove
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
Aalst, 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.
[1]
''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
Assyrian 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
★
Johannes Despauterius, Flemish humanist
★
Johan Evenepoel, Belgian composer
★
Frans Hemerijckx, Belgian physician, known for his work amongst lepers in the Belgian Congo and in India
★
Wesley Sonck, soccer player, played 34 times for the
Belgian national football team
★
Kevin Van Der Perren, ice skater, 9th at the
Winter Olympics
★
Hans Van Laethem - town crier
External links
★
Official website - Only available in
Dutch
★
Official website of the OCMW Ninove
★
Official demographic statistics of Ninove - Only available in
Dutch
★
Abbey of the Park - Article about the Norbertine monastry
★
Official site Carnival Ninove Only available in Dutch
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