Nijlen () 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 ...

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

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

. The municipality comprises the towns of , Kessel and Nijlen proper. In 2021, Nijlen had a total population of 22,985. The total area is 39.09 km².

History

In 1770, a hoard of golden coins dating from

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

to Titus Flavius Domitianus was discovered. Nijlen was first mentioned in 1146 as having possessions of

Tongerlo Abbey Tongerlo Abbey is a Premonstratensian monastery at Tongerlo in Westerlo near Antwerp, Belgium. History It was founded in 1128 in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary, by Giselbert of Kasterlee, who not only gave the land, but also himself became a ...

. The village was damaged during the

Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and in ...

and nearly depopulated. In the 18th century, there was a population increase which accelerated after the

railway Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

station on the line from Antwerp to

Herentals Herentals () is a city in the province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the city of Herentals proper and the towns of Morkhoven and . In 2021, Herentals had a total population of 28.194. The total area is . Saint Waltrude is the patron saint ...

opened in 1853. Around 1875,

diamond Diamond is a Allotropes of carbon, solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the Chemical stability, chemically stable form of car ...

industry started in Nijlen which became the second most importance centre for diamonds after Antwerp in Belgium.

Notable inhabitants

Libera Carlier Libera Carlier (19 January 1926 in Nijlen – 25 April 2007 in Ekeren) was a Belgian seaman and writer. He attended the ''Hogere Zeevaartschool'' (E: higher seagoing school) and was a member of the resistance during World War II. When sixteen years ...

(b. Nijlen, 19 January 1926 – 25 April 2007) * Jozef Van Hove (b. Berchem, 16 November 1919)

Gallery

File:Nijlen station.jpg, Railway station Nijlen File:Nijlen G Gezellestraat Watertoren.JPG, Water tower File:Kapel Boerinnengilde Bevel.jpg, Boerinnengilde Chapel in Bevel File:Nijlen Burgerhuis J.E. Claeslaan 45.jpg, Houses in Nijlen

References

External links

*
Official website
- Available only in

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

Municipalities of Antwerp Province Populated places in Antwerp Province {{Antwerp-geo-stub