Kallo is a village and ''

deelgemeente A deelgemeente (, literally ''part-municipality'') or section ( French) is a subdivision of a municipality in Belgium and, until March 2014, in the Netherlands as well. Belgium Each municipality in Belgium that existed as a separate entity on 1 J ...

'' (sub-municipality) of Beveren in East Flanders, Belgium. Kallo was an independent municipality until 1 January 1977, when it merged with Beveren as part of the

fusion of municipalities in Belgium The fusion of the Belgian municipalities (French: ''fusion des communes'', Dutch: ''fusie van Belgische gemeenten'') was a Belgian political process that rationalized and reduced the number of municipalities in Belgium between 1975 and 1983. In 19 ...

. Most of the ''deelgemeente'' consists of harbours and industrial zones.

History

Kallo is one of the oldest settlements of the Waasland. The Frisii used to live on the higher parts which could not be flooded by the Scheldt. According to legend, the inhabitants were christened by Amandus in the 7th century, however the first written evidence of a church dates from 1179. Kallo was originally a fishing village. In 1316, the village was destroyed and the land was inundated by William III, Count of Holland. In 1583, during the

Dutch Revolt The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt ( nl, Nederlandse Opstand) (Historiography of the Eighty Years' War#Name and periodisation, c.1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and t ...

, the land was again inundated by

Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma Alexander Farnese ( it, Alessandro Farnese, es, Alejandro Farnesio; 27 August 1545 – 3 December 1592) was an Italian noble and condottiero and later a general of the Spanish army, who was Duke of Parma, Piacenza and Castro from 1586 to 1592 ...

which resulted in a severe decline of the village. The area was ''re

polder A polder () is a low-lying tract of land that forms an artificial hydrological entity, enclosed by embankments known as dikes. The three types of polder are: # Land reclaimed from a body of water, such as a lake or the seabed # Flood plains s ...

ed'' in the 17th century. In 1638, war returned, and the Battle of Kallo was fought between the Dutch and the Spanish. Kallo was affected by the

North Sea flood of 1953 The 1953 North Sea flood was a major flood caused by a heavy storm surge that struck the Netherlands, north-west Belgium, England and Scotland. Most sea defences facing the surge were overwhelmed, causing extensive flooding. The storm and flo ...

. In 1964, an area of was designated to be used for the construction of the , an extension of the Port of Antwerp. The actual harbour which has been constructed is smaller. An area of was in use in 2020. In 1977, the municipality was merged into Beveren.

Buildings and sights

The St Peter and Paul Church was first attested in 1179. The single aisled church was transformed in a three aisled basilica-like church in 1737, and only the original choir remained. The church was again extended in 1842 and between 1865 and 1869. Fort Liefkenshoek is one of the oldest extant fortresses of Belgium. It was built in the late 16th century to protect

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

and the harbour against the Spanish. Together with Fort Lillo, it allowed the Dutch to block the Scheldt. The forts changed ownership several times, and the last modifications date from the

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

ic period (1810-1811). The Organ collection Ghysels is a museum dedicated to mechanical dance and fairground organs. It opened in 2010 in Kallo.

Gallery

File:Kallo - Sint-Petrus en Pauluskerk 1.jpg, St Peter and Paul Church File:Fort Liefkenshoek R01.jpg, Fort Liefkenshoek File:Bokrijk, Dyke houses from Kallo.jpg, Dike houses in Kallo File:Container art containing a pink human on the roundabout connecting Hazopweg, Steenlandlaan, and Steenlandlaan in Kallo, Belgium during sunset nautical twilight (DSCF3945).jpg, Container art

References

{{Authority control Beveren Populated places in East Flanders