Naast ( wa, Nåsse) is a village of
Wallonia and a district of the municipality of
Soignies, located in the
province of Hainaut
Hainaut (, also , , ; nl, Henegouwen ; wa, Hinnot; pcd, Hénau), historically also known as Heynowes in English, is a province of Wallonia and Belgium.
To its south lies the French department of Nord, while within Belgium it borders (clock ...
,
Belgium, known by the wellspring of the river
Zenne.
Its population continued to increase throughout the nineteenth century. In
1972
Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using Solar time, me ...
, a city was built to combat the housing crisis but also to maintain a young population in Naast who tended to emigrate.
With the others villages
Casteau,
Horrues
Horrues ( wa, Orû) is a village of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Soignies, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium.
With the others villages Casteau, Chaussée-Notre-Dame-Louvignies, Naast, Neufvilles, Soignies (town), a ...
,
Chaussée-Notre-Dame-Louvignies
Chaussée-Notre-Dame-Louvignies ( pcd, El Caussêye) is a village of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Soignies, located in the province of hainaut, Belgium.
With the others villages Casteau, Horrues, Naast, Neufvilles, Soignies ...
,
Neufvilles,
Soignies (town) (Zinnik), and
Thieusies, they compose the municipality of
Soignies since 1977.
Etymology
For the first time Naast was mentioned in 1119 or 1225. For some it would come from the
Germanic "Knasque" which means soft, wet or swampy ground. For others, this name would come from a Germanic word meaning "nearest".
History
In the
Middle Ages, the lordship of Naast was very important. It passed to count du Hainaut in 1339.
In 1830, the industry itself did not exist in Naast, but rather crafts. There was a tuilery, a distillery, two flour mills, three iron marshals, a charron, a cooper, a wooden turret, etc.
At the end of the 19th century, agriculture occupied an important place in economic life. The trade in these products had developed mainly thanks to the railway that passed through the village. There was a mustard factory and two quarries for the extraction of blue stone, probably opened in 1897.
Gallery
Image: Naast JPG000.jpg, Naast, The church.
References
Former municipalities of Hainaut (province)
{{Hainaut-geo-stub