Kallo is a village and '' deelgemeente'' (sub-municipality) of

Beveren Beveren () is a municipality in the Belgian province of East Flanders which comprises the towns of Beveren, Doel, Haasdonk, Kallo, Kieldrecht, Melsele, Verrebroek and Vrasene. The port of the Waasland (Dutch: ''Waaslandhaven'') is in Beveren ...

East Flanders , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Province of Belgium , image_flag = Flag of Oost-Vlaanderen.svg , flag_size = , image_shield = Wapen van O ...

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

. Kallo was an independent municipality until 1 January 1977, when it merged with Beveren as part of the fusion of municipalities in Belgium. Most of the ''deelgemeente'' consists of harbours and industrial zones.

History

Kallo is one of the oldest settlements of the

Waasland The Waasland is a Belgian region. It is part of the Belgian provinces of East Flanders and Antwerp. The other borders of the Land van Waas are with the Scheldt and Durme rivers. The (informal) capital and major city of the region is Sint-Niklaas ...

. The

Frisii The Frisii were an ancient Germanic tribe living in the low-lying region between the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and the River Ems, and the presumed or possible ancestors of the modern-day ethnic Dutch. The Frisii lived in the coastal are ...

used to live on the higher parts which could not be flooded by the

Scheldt The Scheldt (french: Escaut ; nl, Schelde ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corresponding to ...

. According to legend, the inhabitants were christened by

Amandus Amandus ( 584 – 679), commonly called Saint Amand, was a bishop of Tongeren-Maastricht and one of the great Christian missionaries of Flanders. He is venerated as a saint, particularly in France and Belgium. Life The chief source of details ...

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 A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrolog ...

William III, Count of Holland William the Good ( nl, Willem, french: Guillaume; – 7 June 1337) was count of Hainaut (as William I), Avesnes, Holland (as William III), and Zeeland (as William II) from 1304 to his death. Career William, born , was the son of John II, Coun ...

. In 1583, during the Dutch Revolt, the land was again inundated by Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma which resulted in a severe decline of the village. The area was ''re poldered'' in the 17th century. In 1638, war returned, and the

Battle of Kallo The Battle of Kallo was a major field battle fought from 20 to 21 June 1638 in and around the forts of Kallo and Verrebroek, located on the left bank of the Scheldt river, near Antwerp, during the second phase of the Eighty Years' War. Following ...

was fought between the Dutch and the Spanish. Kallo was affected by the North Sea flood of 1953. In 1964, an area of was designated to be used for the construction of the , an extension of the

Port of Antwerp The Port of Antwerp-Bruges is the port of the City of Antwerp. It is located in Flanders (Belgium), mainly in the province of Antwerp but also partially in the province of East Flanders. It is a seaport in the heart of Europe accessible to ...

. The actual harbour which has been constructed is smaller. An area of was in use in 2020. In 1977, the municipality was merged into

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 A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

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 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 The Organ collection Ghysels is a museum collection of mechanical dance and fairground organs. Since 2010 it is exhibited at the Kijk- en Luisterdepot (Watch and Listen Depot) in Kallo in Beveren, Belgium. It was brought together by Jef Ghysels fro ...

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