Melle () is a former

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

located in the Belgian province of

East Flanders East Flanders ( ; ; ; ) is a Provinces of Belgium, province of Belgium. It borders (clockwise from the North) the Netherlands, Dutch province of Zeeland and the Belgian provinces of Antwerp (province), Antwerp, Flemish Brabant, Hainaut (provinc ...

. The municipality comprises the villages of and Melle proper. On 1 January 2018 Melle had a total population of 11,574. The total area is 15.21 km² which gives a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

of 761 inhabitants per km². Melle was mentioned in documents in 830, although the archeological findings prove the region was inhabited long before that date. The name Melle has two possible derivations: the

Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language *Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Foot ...

word ''melina'' means "brown water"; the prehistoric name ''Melinos'' means "honey yellow". The village of Melle consists of three regions: Melle-Centre, Melle-Vogelhoek and Gontrode (since the fusion in 1976). One of its famous products is the

Delirium Tremens Delirium tremens (DTs; ) is a rapid onset of confusion usually caused by withdrawal from alcohol. When it occurs, it is often three days into the withdrawal symptoms and lasts for two to three days. Physical effects may include shaking, sh ...

beer, bottled by the Huyghe brewery. This beer is exported worldwide and was voted "Best beer in the world" in 1998 at the World Beer Championships in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

Miss Belgium Miss Belgium is a national beauty pageant in Belgium. The winner of Miss Belgium automatically represents her country at the Miss World and Miss Universe pageants if the dates do not overlap. History Queen of the Beach The first contest looking ...

2000, Joke van de Velde grew up and went to high school in Melle. The College van de paters Jozefieten, founded in 1837 by canon Constant Van Crombrugghe is known all around the country. Several Belgian and international celebrities went to this school (e.g. Cédric Van Branteghem (runner), a brother of Princess Mathilde). It was the first school in Belgium where a commercial science and an industrial science course were offered. An Irish student brought along a football in 1863. This was the first football to reach the European continent. The village gained more national fame thanks to the TV show '' Schalkse Ruiters'', which featured host Bart De Pauw playing a comedy character named ''The Man from Melle'' and who claimed to be from the (then non-existent) ''Koekoekstraat nr. 70 in Melle''. At a certain point the city council decided to name one of their new streets ''Koekoekstraat'' and painted a door with house number 70 on the wall.

References

External links

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Melle (Dutch Only)
{{Authority control Merelbeke-Melle Former municipalities of East Flanders Populated places in East Flanders