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Lokeren () is a
city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...
and
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
province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...
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 ...
, and belongs to 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. ...
, also called ''Land van Waas'', of which it is the second most important city after
Sint-Niklaas Sint-Niklaas (; french: Saint-Nicolas, ) is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Sint-Niklaas proper and the towns of Belsele, Nieuwkerken-Waas, and . Sint-Nikl ...
. The city, located on the river
Durme The Durme is a 23.8 km river in Belgium. The left tributary of the Scheldt, it is created by the confluence of the Zuidlede and the Moervaart near Daknam, Lokeren. It passes through Lokeren, Waasmunster and borders Zele, it merges in the Scheldt ...
, the Lede, and the E17 motorway, has more than 42,100 inhabitants, who are called Lokeraars or Rapenfretters. Because Lokeren is located on the Durme, Lokeren is often called "The Durme City". Horse sausages are officially recognized as a regional product.


Toponym

A group of authors see the element ''luken'' in the place name, which means (en)close or to close, to shut. Lokeren would refer to an enclosed place between the Durme and a forest area with wild animals. According to another theory, the name Lokeren would derive from, on the one hand, the Indo-European root word ''leuk'', which means clear or shiny, and on the other hand, the prehistoric
hydronymic A hydronym (from el, ὕδρω, , "water" and , , "name") is a type of toponym that designates a proper name of a body of water. Hydronyms include the proper names of rivers and streams, lakes and ponds, swamps and marshes, seas and oceans. As a ...
suffix ''arna'', which means water. The problem with this theory is that there is no factual historical confirmation, although ''Leuk-arna'' is linguistically plausible.


History


Origins

Archaeological finds on the Lokeren territory prove that this area was populated in
Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several parts ...
times. A
Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...
road ran along the Durme river. The name ''
Waas The Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) is an air navigation aid developed by the Federal Aviation Administration to augment the Global Positioning System (GPS), with the goal of improving its accuracy, integrity, and availability. Essential ...
'' was given to this area by the Romans from the Germanic root ''Wasu'' meaning "marshy land". The first mention of the name Lokeren, however, dates from 1114. Unlike the older settlements, the new village came to be built on the right bank of the Durme. By the middle of the 12th century, it had become an independent parish, with agriculture and
flax Flax, also known as common flax or linseed, is a flowering plant, ''Linum usitatissimum'', in the family Linaceae. It is cultivated as a food and fiber crop in regions of the world with temperate climates. Textiles made from flax are known in ...
as the two main drivers of the economy. The textile industry would remain important until well into the 20th century.


14th century to 16th century

Since its inception, Lokeren has been extensively connected with other settlements and places. The city center itself is in fact a major junction of regional roads connecting Lokeren with other important places. From those important roads came branches that today form the basis of the city center. From the Middle Ages to the end of the 18th century, the territory of Lokeren fully belonged to the
Count of Flanders The count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders, beginning in the 9th century. Later, the title would be held for a time, by the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Spain. During the French Revolution, in 1790, the co ...
. However, a number of parts of the city were lent by the count to powerful landowners such as the lords of Herzele, Kokelberge and the lord of Beveren who owned a piece of land on the left side of the Markt with a castle on it. This castle was demolished in the early 17th century after the lord sold the land to the city council. An important event in the 13th century was the establishment of the
Cistercian The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...
nunnery on Oudenbos. During the ensuing period, the nuns of the monastery led major excavation works on lands in the vicinity of the monastery. These lands remained in the hands of the sisters until the end of the
Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for "ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...
. Other religious institutions, including Baudelo Abbey,
Drongen Abbey Drongen Abbey, or the Old Abbey, Drongen ( nl, Abdij van Drongen, Oude Abdij van Drongen), is a monastic complex on the River Leie in Drongen, a part of the city of Ghent in East Flanders, Belgium. Formerly a Premonstratensian abbey, since 1837 ...
and Ter Hagen Monastery, were also active on this territory during the High Middle Ages.


16th century to 17th century

In 1555,
Charles V Charles V may refer to: * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise * Charles V, Duke of Lorraine (1643–1690) * Infan ...
gave Lokeren the right to hold a market. In the 16th and 17th century, the whole Waasland was in the line of fire between
Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
and
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
Spain, often with terrible consequences for the local population. Numerous ''Lokeraars'' were part of the immigration flow to the
northern Netherlands The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...
at the end of the 16th century. The consequence of this (partial) depopulation was that many agricultural lands were no longer worked, becoming overgrown by wild vegetation. As a result, Lokeren had to contend with a real wolf plague in the 17th century. In the course of the 17th century, the city council tried to acquire plots of land adjacent to the Markt from their owners. In this way the market was eventually connected with the Durme and around 1651 it took on its more or less current contours. At the market was even a
quay A wharf, quay (, also ), staith, or staithe is a structure on the shore of a harbour or on the bank of a river or canal where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers. Such a structure includes one or more berths (mooring location ...
that went about 15 meters into the market square. After 1700 there is again talk of progress in the city. This was mainly due to the development of a new industry, hat manufacturing, for which Lokeren eventually became internationally known. Lokeren was the center of the oldest Flemish flax region, which included part of the Waasland and Dendermonde. This region supplied the best quality yarn to the Flemish weaving mill. From the 16th century until the 19th century, flax has been the raw material of the main industry of Flanders.


18th century to 19th century

After the
French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
, the area was made part of the new '' Département de l'Escaut'', with Lokeren at the head of a
canton Canton may refer to: Administrative division terminology * Canton (administrative division), territorial/administrative division in some countries, notably Switzerland * Township (Canada), known as ''canton'' in Canadian French Arts and ent ...
. This did not last long as the department was split in 1800 and Lokeren made part of the arrondissement of
Dendermonde Dendermonde (; french: Termonde, ) is a city in the Flemish province of East Flanders in Belgium. The municipality comprises the city of Dendermonde and the towns of Appels, Baasrode, Grembergen, Mespelare, Oudegem, Schoonaarde, and Sint-Gillis-b ...
.
Napoleon Bonaparte 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 ...
promoted the town to the status of city in 1804. In the 18th century, Lokeren, except for Ghent, had the most inhabitants of East Flanders, the then ''Département de l'Escaut''. This demographic expansion was the result of the favorable economic climate. However, the population density was lower than in
Sint-Niklaas Sint-Niklaas (; french: Saint-Nicolas, ) is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Sint-Niklaas proper and the towns of Belsele, Nieuwkerken-Waas, and . Sint-Nikl ...
, for example. In the course of the 18th century, trade over water in Lokeren increased. As a result of this increasing practice, a meander of the Durme was cut off near the Buylaers. The muted meander is visible on the
Ferraris map The Ferraris map or map of the Austrian Netherlands is a historical map created between 1770 and 1778 by the count Joseph de Ferraris in response to a request by Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine. It is the first systematic, large scale mapp ...
. In 1725 the Church of Saint Laurence was built on the Markt. In December 1845, the college of aldermen asked the governor whether the city could build a station and a railway bridge over the Durme. This was necessary to create employment after the failed harvest so that the affected families could provide for themselves. The urban image of Lokeren was radically changed by the construction of a station along the Ghent-Antwerp railway. The station opened on 7 August 1847 and was located north of the Durme, in the lake area, just under 400 meters from the Markt. This station was equipped for both goods and passengers. Not much time later, the station was divided into two stations, Lokeren station and Dender & Waas station. The station building itself survived until it was destroyed during World War II. With the opening of this station and the construction of Stationsstraat, new neighborhoods were constructed on the left bank of the Durme. In the 19th century, the hamlet of Heirburg was completely connected to the center. In the 19th century, Lokeren was booming industrially. The industrial buildings in Lokeren were rarely larger than 4 ares. In Lokeren people did not feel compelled to build factories because the cottage industry was still sufficiently profitable. Lokeren mainly focused on conservative craft sectors: the millinery and linen bleaching. This kept the city up until the early 20th century. Larger factories were later constructed. At the end of the 19th century, this favorable course came to an end for Lokeren. Other East Flemish cities such as Aalst and Sint-Niklaas took the lead.


20th century

The First World War slowed the city's growth, although the city came out virtually unscathed. During the German occupation during the Second World War, a Durchgangslager (transit camp) was set up between Bleekmeerstraat and Oude Bruglaan with the main purpose of bringing English prisoners of war together awaiting their deportation. After the liberation (during the repression) this camp was set up as an internment center for collaborators. The Lokeren Internment Center (''Hechteniskamp Lokeren'') was one of the largest of its kind and held between 15,000 and 22,000 detainees from September 1944 to November 1947. Lokeren experienced a rapid and stable reconstruction of the city in the post-war period. Bombed-out houses were renovated or rebuilt, and the badly damaged station was demolished and replaced by a more modern one. Many bridges over the Durme and Lede were also rebuilt. This was followed by a major expansion of the Lokeren city center, both on a residential and industrial level.


Industry

Factories in the center continued to operate until the 1980s, when it was decided that all industrial activities should be better located outside the city core. With the decline of the secondary sector from the 1950s onward, large factories in the city center such as ''Nijverheidstraat'', ''Oude Durme'', ''Hoedhaar'', etc. were closed one by one. New industrial areas were planned outside the city center at Den Oever, Rozen and Everslaar. The Lokeren-Oost freight station was also constructed and would replace the old Dender & Waas freight station. In 2018 it was announced that the Everslaer industrial park was going to be expanded. The
chocolatier A chocolatier is a person or company who makes confectionery from chocolate. Chocolatiers are distinct from chocolate makers, who create chocolate from cacao beans and other ingredients. Education and training Traditionally, chocolatiers, e ...
Callebaut Callebaut is a Belgian chocolate brand, owned by the Barry Callebaut group. It was founded in 1911 by Octaaf Callebaut in Belgium. About Callebaut is a Belgian coverture chocolate manufacturer. Coverture chocolate contains high amounts of c ...
bought a large piece of land where the largest chocolate warehouse in Europe would later be built. In the 1970s, the railway lines 59 and 57, which run right through the center, were laid on a viaduct. As a result, the center was divided into three parts.


Expansion of the city center

Between 1960 and 1980, Lokeren expanded its residential area further north of the center. Neighborhoods were constructed between railway lines 59 & 77A and the N70. Later, further expansion was carried out on and around the N70 and the Oude Heerweg. After the ring or N47 was built around Lokeren, the southern part of the center was further expanded. The hamlets of Spoele and Bokslaar became neighborhoods as a result. Today, these districts extend all the way to the E17, between the N47, railway line 57 and the Everslaer industrial estate. The western part of the center was also expanded, but to a lesser extent. Because of this growth,
Baudouin of Belgium Baudouin (;, ; nl, Boudewijn Albert Karel Leopold Axel Maria Gustaaf, ; german: Balduin Albrecht Karl Leopold Axel Maria Gustav. 7 September 1930 – 31 July 1993), Dutch name Boudewijn, was King of the Belgians from 17 July 1951 until his de ...
paid a visit to Lokeren on 10 June 1956. Since the merger of 1 January 1977, the sub-municipalities of Eksaarde and Daknam have been part of Lokeren. Daknam and Lokeren, however, have been one administrative unit since 1794.


Sights

*Lokeren counts a number of art galleries and a museum, which covers local history from
prehistoric archaeology Prehistoric archaeology is a subfield of archaeology, which deals specifically with artefacts, civilisations and other materials from societies that existed before any form of writing system or historical record. Often the field focuses on ages s ...
to the mid-20th century. * , built in 1725. *Since 10 June 1956, the city has been endowed with a 49-bell
carillon A carillon ( , ) is a pitched percussion instrument that is played with a keyboard and consists of at least 23 cast-bronze bells. The bells are hung in fixed suspension and tuned in chromatic order so that they can be sounded harmoniou ...
. *The ' nature preservation area is on Lokeren's territory. *The façade of the Sint-Lodewijks college, High-School. File:Lokeren Castle 2.png, Sketch of the former Sterrebeek Castle File:Lokeren Flandria Illustrata.jpg, Lokeren in ''
Flandria Illustrata ''Flandria Illustrata'' is a historiographical and topographical work from 1641 by the Flemish canon Antonius Sanderus. It contains historical descriptions of the main towns and villages of the former County of Flanders, in addition to the lives ...
'' (1641) File:Onze-Lieve-Vrouwkerk te Daknam in Lokeren.jpg, Church of Our Lady, built before 1156, with southern part added in the 15th century File:Eksaarde Eksaarde-dorp zonder nummer - 149488 - onroerenderfgoed.jpg, Church of the Ascension, built in 1230 and thoroughly restored in the 17th century after being badly damaged in the 1570s File:Het hooghuis in Oudenbos.jpg, ''Hooghuys'', built in 1568 File:Lokeren Kerkstraat 65-69 2.jpg, Former tavern built in 1621 on Kerkstraat File:Lokeren Eksaarde-dorp znr Kruiskapeldreef znr 1 (1) 01.jpg, Kruiskapel, built in 1626 File:Lokeren Luikstraat znr kapel 1.jpg, 1633 chapel on Luikstraat File:Onroerenderfgoed 17944 Lokeren.jpg, 17th-century houses File:Lokeren Heirbrugstraat Sint-Annakapel.jpg, Sint-Annakapel, destroyed in 1568 and rebuilt in 1644 File:Lokeren Vrijheidsplein 14.jpg, House built in 1663 File:Lokeren Vrijheidsplein 13 1.jpg, 17th-century house on Vrijheidsplein File:Onroerenderfgoed 17941 Lokeren.jpg, ''Huis Groene Poort'', 17th century File:Sint-laurentius kerk.jpg, Church of Saint Laurence File:PM 123178 B Lokeren.jpg, Detail of pulpit, Church of Saint Laurence File:Onroerenderfgoed 17920 Lokeren.jpg, The Old Post Office File:Durme Lokeren.jpg, The
Durme The Durme is a 23.8 km river in Belgium. The left tributary of the Scheldt, it is created by the confluence of the Zuidlede and the Moervaart near Daknam, Lokeren. It passes through Lokeren, Waasmunster and borders Zele, it merges in the Scheldt ...
river File:Onroerenderfgoed 17955 Lokeren.jpg, The ''Brughuis'' on Stationstraat


Notable inhabitants

* Jan van Lokeren, sculptor ( fl. 1375–1381) *
Hendrick de Somer Hendrick de Somer (1602–c.1655) was a Flemish painter who spent most of his life and career in Italy. He was mainly active in Naples.Stadsarchief Lokeren original baptism certificate : Parochieregister Lokeren : Hendrick de Somer : baptized ...
, painter (1602–1656) *
Pieter Legouch Pieter Legouch (? – November 1664 (buried 22 November 1664)) also ''Legoes'', was a Flemish-born Dutch Golden Age still-life painter. His best known works are vanitas still lifes. Biography Name His name is variously spelled Pieter Legouch, Pi ...
, painter (?–1664) * Abraham Smit, painter (c. 1621–1672) * Jan Baptist de Smet, president of the Mechelen Seminary,
vicar general A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...
of the
Archdiocese of Mechelen In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...
,
Bishop of Ypres The former Roman Catholic Diocese of Ypres, in present-day Belgium, existed from 1559 to 1801. Its seat was Saint Martin's Cathedral in Ypres. In 1969 it was reconstituted as a titular see. History The diocese was originally part of the Diocese ...
and
Ghent Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest in the country, exceeded in ...
(1674–1741) *
Frans Rens Frans Rens (Geraardsbergen, 2 February 1805 – Ghent, 19 December 1874) was a Flemish writer. From 1823 up to 1843, he was an inspector of gold and silver work at Ghent, and head of lower education for the school area Lokeren. Bibliography * B ...
, writer (1805–1874) * August De Wilde, painter (1819–1886) *
Miet Smet Miet Smet (born 5 April 1943) is a Belgian politician for the Christian Democratic and Flemish party (CD&V). Career In 1988, Smet became the president of the European Centre for Workers' Questions, a position which she held till 1995. Career i ...
, politician (b. 1943) *
Aimé Anthuenis Aimé Anthuenis (born 21 December 1943) is a Belgian former professional football player and manager. He managed the Belgium national football team between 2002 and 2005. After a career as a defender, Anthuenis moved into coaching, first as the ...
, former
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
player and coach (b. 1943) * Gabriel of Comane,
archbishop In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdi ...
of Western Europe of the
Ecumenical Patriarchate The Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople ( el, Οἰκουμενικὸν Πατριαρχεῖον Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, translit=Oikoumenikón Patriarkhíon Konstantinoupóleos, ; la, Patriarchatus Oecumenicus Constanti ...
of the
Eastern Orthodox church The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...
(b. 1946) *
Marleen Temmerman Marleen Temmerman (born 24 March 1953 in Lokeren, Belgium) is a Belgian gynaecologist, professor and former Senator, currently heading the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health at Aga Khan University in Nairobi, Kenya. Biography T ...
,
gynaecologist Gynaecology or gynecology (see American and British English spelling differences, spelling differences) is the area of medicine that involves the treatment of women's diseases, especially those of the reproductive organs. It is often paired with ...
(b. 1953) *
Willy Linthout Willy Linthout (born 1 May 1953) is a Belgian comics author, best known for the ''Urbanus'' comics and his graphic novel '' Years of the Elephant''. Biography Willy Linthout was born in Eksaarde near Lokeren, Belgium in 1953. He was a mechanic ...
, comics author (b. 1953) *
François Van Der Elst François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis. People with the given name * Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of Letters" * Francis II of France, King o ...
, former international football player (b. 1954) *
Chris Van den Durpel Chris Van den Durpel (born 7 October 1960) is a Belgian impressionist and actor. He became known for his parody of (Paul Schampers) and Herman Le Compte and self-made characters such as , Jimmy B.,, Ronny King and . He is also famous as an imita ...
, actor and imitator (b. 1960) * Paul Verhaeghen, novelist (b. 1965) *
Femke Maes Femke Maes (; born 22 February 1980) is a Belgian former footballer who played as a midfielder. Career Maes played for six different clubs and featured in the Belgium national team from 1996 to 2009. She kept the record of top scorer for Belgi ...
, former international football player (b. 1980) *
Jelle Van Damme Jelle François Maria Van Damme (; born 10 October 1983) is a Belgian retired professional footballer who played as a centre-back, left-back or left midfielder. He played for clubs in Belgium, England, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Stat ...
, former international football player (b. 1983) *
Linde Merckpoel Linde Merckpoel (born 17 October 1984) is a Belgian vlogger and radio presenter. She was a vlogger for the Flemish public television channel Eén Eén (stylized as één; en, "one") is a public Dutch-language TV station in Belgium, owned by ...
, radio presenter (b. 1984) *
Greg Van Avermaet Greg Van Avermaet (born 17 May 1985) is a Belgian professional cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . Considered one of the most versatile riders of modern cycling, Van Avermaet is a specialist of the classic cycle races, but has also ...
, professional cyclist (b. 1985) *
Killian Overmeire Killian Overmeire (born 6 December 1985) is a Belgian former professional Association football, footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. Career A youth exponent of K.S.C. Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen, Lokeren, Overmeire was active at the cl ...
, former international football player (b. 1985) *
Lorca Van De Putte Lorca van de Putte (born 3 April 1988) is a Belgian football defender currently playing for Bristol City W.F.C. in FA Women's Super League. She previously played in the Dutch Eredivisie for FC Twente, with which she also played the UEFA Champio ...
, football player (b. 1988) * Tim Coppens, fashion designer


Sports and events

*The best
football club A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an all- ...
of the city is
K.S.C. Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen Koninklijke Sporting Club Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen (; often simply called Sporting Lokeren or Lokeren) was a Belgian professional football club based in the city of Lokeren, in the province of East Flanders. The club was founded in 1923 but cease ...
. *Lokeren is well known within Flanders for an annual ten-day music fest and fair (the
Lokerse Feesten
'), which takes place during the first week of August. On 14 July 1970, Lokeren was the scene of a sporting disaster, when a minibus carrying a team of speedway riders from West Ham, London, was involved in a collision with a petrol tanker. 4 riders were killed, two seriously injured and
Phil Bishop Philip Edward Bishop (7 July 1910 - 14 July 1970) was a motorcycle speedway rider who began racing in 1929, finally retiring from racing in 1963. Known as the 'King of Crash', Bishop survived many crashes whilst racing, but died in a road accide ...
a famous speedway ace from the 1930s, who was managing the team was also killed.


References


External links

*
Sporting Lokeren
– Information about K.S.C Lokeren Oost-Vlaanderen
Lokerse Feesten
– Information about the annual Lokeren music festival "Lokerse Feesten"
Lokeren in beeld
– Views of Lokeren * {{Authority control Municipalities of East Flanders Waasland Populated places in East Flanders