Lommel () 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 ...

and 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 ...

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

Limburg Limburg or Limbourg may refer to: Regions * Limburg (Belgium), a province since 1839 in the Flanders region of Belgium * Limburg (Netherlands), a province since 1839 in the south of the Netherlands * Diocese of Limburg, Roman Catholic Diocese in ...

. The Kempen city has about 34,000 inhabitants and is part of the electoral district and the judicial district Lommel Neerpelt. Besides residential town of Lommel also has a number of nature reserves, such as the nature reserve De Watering, the Lommel Sahara, and numerous forests and heathlands. Lommel is the third shopping city in Belgian Limburg with a commercial and shopping center ''De Singel''. Importantly, the silver sand that is mined here for the benefit of the glass industry. Some

sand mining Sand mining is the extraction of sand, mainly through an open pit (or sand pit) but sometimes mined from beaches and inland dunes or dredged from ocean and river beds. Sand is often used in manufacturing, for example as an abrasive or in concret ...

quarries are transformed into nature reserves and recreational areas, including Lommel Sahara. The city of Lommel is the watershed of the basins of the

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

, and

Meuse The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...

, and within these basins Nete Dommel respectively.

Language

The dialect of Lommel – the Lommel – is part of the

East Brabant East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sunrise, Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from ...

, and not to the

West Limburg West or Occident is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sunset, Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic languages, German ...

dialects, reflecting the particular history of the place.

Etymology

The name comes from Lommel Loemelo. Loem means moist, swampy and Lo is forest or woodland.

Demographic development

All historical data relating to the current municipality, including towns such as arose after the merger of January 1, 1977.

Politics

Structure

The city of Lommel is located in the

electoral district An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger state (a country, administrative region, or other polity ...

Neerpelt Neerpelt (, literally ''Lower Pelt'') is a town in Pelt and a former municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. In 2018, the municipality had a total population of 17,174. The total area is 42.78 km². Effective 1 January 2019, ...

(which is identical to the county district Neerpelt) and the

Hasselt Tongeren-Maaseik (same as the

constituency An electoral district, also known as an election district, legislative district, voting district, constituency, riding, ward, division, or (election) precinct is a subdivision of a larger State (polity), state (a country, administrative region, ...

List of mayors of Lommel

* 1808 – 1813:

Joannes Aerts Joannes or John ( la, Iohannes; died 425) was western Roman emperor from 423 to 425. On the death of the Emperor Honorius (emperor), Honorius (15 August 423), Theodosius II, the remaining ruler of the House of Theodosius, hesitated in announci ...

, Catholic * 1813 – 1847: William Karel Koek Court, Catholic * 1847 – 1857:

Jan Daels Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Numb ...

, Catholic * 1857 – 1861:

Jan Van Leemput Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Numbe ...

, Catholic * 1861 – 1863: Henry Alen, Catholic * 1863 – 1872: Peter Slegers, Catholic * 1872 – 1879: Peter Stevens, Catholic * 1879 – 1885:

Jan Alen Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Numb ...

, Catholic * 1885 – 1890: Jan Vanden Boer, Catholic * 1891 – 1904:

Peter Senders Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a su ...

, Catholic * 1904 – 1921:

François Van Ham François () is a French language, French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis (given name), Francis. People with the given name * Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of ...

, Catholic * 1921 – 1923: John Bouly, Catholic * 1924 – 1927:

Peter Joosten Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

, Catholic * 1927 – 1941: Joseph Tournier, liberal Catholics * 1941 – 1944: Peter Luykx, Flemish nationalist * 1944 – 1945: Joseph Tournier, liberal Catholics * 1945 – 1958: Henri Van Reempts, Catholic * 1959 – 1979: René Verhoeven, Catholic * 1979 – 1988: Staff Matthijs, Catholic * 1989 – 2006:

Louis Vanvelthoven Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also Derived or associated terms * Lewis (d ...

, socialist * 2007 – 2018:

Peter Vanvelthoven Peter Karel Alexander Vanvelthoven (born 22 October 1962) is a Belgian politician and member of the SP.A. He is the son of politician . He became the Federal Minister for Employment, charged with the Informatisation of the State, in 2005 after D ...

, socialist * 2019–present:

Bob Nijs Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to: Places *Mount Bob, New York, United States *Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica People, fictional characters, and named animals *Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters *Bob (surname) ...

, Catholic

Results municipal elections since 1976

seats formed coalition '' 'bold' '' printed

Sport events

Since 2017 the European Open a

Snooker Snooker (pronounced , ) is a cue sports, cue sport played on a Billiard table#Snooker and English billiards tables, rectangular table covered with a green cloth called baize, with six Billiard table#Pockets 2, pockets, one at each corner and o ...

ranking tournament of the

World Snooker Tour The World Snooker Tour (WST) is the main professional snooker tour, consisting of approximately 128 players competing on a circuit of up to 28 tournaments each season. The World Snooker Tour is administered by World Snooker Ltd, the commercial ar ...

took place in Lommel.

Notable people from Lommel

Kevin Hulsmans Kevin Hulsmans (born 11 April 1978 in Lommel) is a Belgian former professional road bicycle racer, who rode professionally between 2000 and 2015. Major results ;2000 :1st Stage 9 Niedersachsen-Rundfahrt ;2002 :1st Stage 1 Circuit Franco-Belge ...

, road bicycle racer * Peter Luykx, federal representative *

Peter Maes Peter Maes () (born 1 June 1964) is a Belgian retired footballer turned coach. He is currently unemployed after most recently managing Beerschot VA in the Belgian First Division A. Prior to Lokeren, he also managed KV Mechelen and Genk. unt ...

, former soccer player, coach of

Sporting Lokeren 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 ce ...

Roy Meeus Roy Meeus (born 24 May 1989) is a Belgian professional footballer. Career Born in Lommel, Belgium, Meeus has played for KVSK United, Club Brugge, Dender, and Lommel United. Personal life Meeus married Ashlee Bond, an American-Israeli Oly ...

(born 1989), professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...

Wim Mennes Wim Mennes (born 25 January 1977 in Lommel, Belgium) is a professional Association football, football (soccer) midfielder, who plays for KFC Oosterzonen. References Guardian Football Stats
at Footballdatabase Belgian footballers 1977 birth ...

, soccer player * Pieter Mertens, road bicycle racer *

Steve Ramon Steve Ramon (born 29 December 1979 in Bruges) is a Belgian former professional motocross racer. He competed in the Motocross World Championships from 1996 to 2011. Ramon was a two-time motocross world champion. Ramon rode a KTM to win the 2003 ...

, motocross world champion * Kathleen Smet, athlete in triathlon * Dirk Swartenbroekx, DJ Buscemi *

Johan Vansummeren Johan Vansummeren (born 4 February 1981) is a Belgian former professional road racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2004 and 2016 for the , , and teams. Biography Vansummeren was born, raised, and resides in Lommel, Flanders, Belgiu ...

, road bicycle racer *

Marcel Vanthilt Marcel Céline Gerard Edgard Vanthilt (; born 24 August 1957) is a Belgian singer and television presenter.Heerema,Y.Marcel Vanthilt – Presentator Marcel Vanthilit NCRV-gids 1, 5 till 11 January 2008. Retrieved 29 April 2011. Early life Mar ...

, musician,

TV presenter A television presenter (or television host, some become a "television personality") is a person who introduces, hosts television programs, often serving as a mediator for the program and the audience. Nowadays, it is common for people who garner ...

, honorary-mayor, former chairman of the

Flemish Parliament The Flemish Parliament (Dutch: , formerly called Flemish Council or ''Vlaamse Raad'') constitutes the legislative power in Flanders for matters which fall within the competence of Flanders, both as a geographic region and as a cultural communi ...

, mayor, former Belgian Minister for Employment and Informatisation *

Steven Van Broeckhoven Steven Van Broeckhoven (27 September 1985) is a Belgium, Belgian Windsurfing, windsurfer, specialized in Windsurfing#Freestyle, freestyle. In 2010 he was ranked #4 on the PWA overall ranking Freestyle Men. Training Steven Van Broeckhoven had hi ...

, professional windsurfer, two-time champion on the European Freestyle Pro Tour

References

External links

Official websiteWebsite tourism LommelSteven van Broeckhoven´s profile on efpt.net
{{Authority control Municipalities of Limburg (Belgium)