Kaprijke () is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in the

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct language ...

province of

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

. The municipality comprises the towns of Kaprijke proper and . In 2021, Kaprijke had a total population of 6,508.

History

The name Kaprijke comes from Gallo-Roman name "Capricum" which means "Land of Caprius". It used to be the site of a Roman garrison, which can still be seen at the square in front of the old town hall. Kaprijke received

city rights Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...

in 1240 by

Joan, Countess of Flanders Joan, often called Joan of Constantinople ( 1199 – 5 December 1244), ruled as Countess of Flanders and Hainaut from 1205 (at the age of six) until her death. She was the elder daughter of Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders and Hainaut, and Marie ...

. During the 14th and 15th century, the cloth industry flourished in Kaprijke. However, during the period of religious strife during the 16th century, the merchants and cloth makers withdrew to safer locations. Following the resolution of the problems, the merchants and weavers did not return, leading up to the decline of the city of Kaprijke into a rural village during the 17th and 18th centuries. Kaprijke is known for its beautiful castle built in 1550, Hof ter Kruisen. It was commissioned by Andries of Baviere and finished in 1628. In 1976, Kaprijke merged with another town called Lembeke, for a total population of around 6,200 people. Lembeke is the home of

Lotus Bakeries Lotus Bakeries is a Belgian biscuit company, founded in 1932, with its headquarters in Lembeke, Kaprijke, Belgium. Lotus is known for its speculoos biscuits and biscuit-based products, branded as Lotus Biscoff in the United States, United Kingd ...

. The

Bardelaere Museum The Bardelaere Museum is a heritage museum in Lembeke, East Flanders, which documents the history of Meetjesland, exhibiting displays of traditional life using household goods and agricultural equipment. It displays items from 105 traditional pro ...

is located in Lembeke.

Famous inhabitants

Roger De Vlaeminck Roger De Vlaeminck (; born 24 August 1947) is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist. He was described by Rik Van Looy as "The most talented and the only real classics rider of his generation". Nicknamed “The Gypsy” because he was born ...

, cyclist, amongst other four times winner of

Paris–Roubaix Paris–Roubaix is a one-day professional bicycle road race in northern France, starting north of Paris and finishing in Roubaix, at the border with Belgium. It is one of cycling's oldest races, and is one of the 'Monuments' or classics of the ...

Hippoliet Van Peene Hippoliet Jan Van Peene (1 January 1811 in Kaprijke – 19 February 1864 in Ghent) was a Flemish physician and playwright. He studied medicine at the State University of Leuven and became a physician in Kaprijke and later in Ghent. In 1847 he w ...

(1811–1864), poet and playwright, best known for writing the poem "

De Vlaamse Leeuw "" (; The Flemish Lion) is the official anthem of Flanders, a region and community in Belgium. Composition The words of this anthem were written in July 1847 by Hippoliet Van Peene (1811–1864) who was clearly inspired by the song ''Sie s ...

" which came to be the Flemish anthem.

Gallery

Image:MnpKaprijkeMap.png, Kaprijke is divided into two towns. 1: Kaprijke proper and 2:Lembeke File:Kaprijke, parochiekerk Onze Lieve Vrouw Hemelvaart oeg44747 foto9 2013-05-05 13.44.jpg, Kaprijke, church: parochiekerk Onze Lieve Vrouw Hemelvaart File:Lembeke, parochiekerk Sint Egidius oeg44646 foto2 2013-05-05 14.04.jpg, Lembeke, church: parochiekerk Sint Egidius

References

External links

*
Kaprijke
(Official website) {{Authority control Municipalities of East Flanders Populated places in East Flanders