Knesselare () 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 ...

'' in the municipality of

Aalter Aalter () is a municipality located between Bruges and Ghent in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Aalter, Bellem, , , Knesselare and . It is bordered on the north by Maldegem, on the east by Zomergem and ...

and a former

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 ...

located 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 languag ...

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 comprised the towns of Knesselare proper and . The municipality's name is derived from the Germanic words "''klisse''" (herb) and "''laar''", (a soggy brushwood terrain), and was first attested in 1128. Knesselare became an independent parish in 1171. It was originally a village ''

heerlijkheid A ''heerlijkheid'' (a Dutch word; pl. ''heerlijkheden''; also called ''heerschap''; Latin: ''Dominium'') was a landed estate that served as the lowest administrative and judicial unit in rural areas in the Dutch-speaking Low Countries before 1800. ...

'', but during the rule of

Louis II, Count of Flanders Louis II ( nl, Lodewijk van Male; french: Louis II de Flandre) (25 October 1330, Male – 30 January 1384, Lille), also known as Louis of Male, a member of the House of Dampierre, was Count of Flanders, Nevers and Rethel from 1346 as well as ...

(1330–1384), the area had been split into four different administrations. Until the 19th century, large parts of the municipality still contains forests and heaths. On 1 August 2015, Knesselare had a total population of 8,171. The total area was 37.27 km² which gives a

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

of 219 inhabitants per km². Effective 1 January 2019, the municipality was merged into

Gallery

File:Urseldorp - 19 09 2011.jpg, Ursel village center File:20111120 Drongengoedbos (17).jpg, The at dawn File:Pierlala bier.JPG, beer

References

External links

* Aalter Former municipalities of East Flanders Populated places in East Flanders {{EastFlanders-geo-stub