Oudenaarde (; french: Audenarde ; in English sometimes ''Oudenarde'') is a
Belgian 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 ...
in the
Flemish
Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium ...
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...
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 ...
. The municipality comprises the city of Oudenaarde proper and the towns of
Bevere, Edelare,
Eine,
Ename, Heurne, Leupegem, Mater,
Melden, Mullem, Nederename, Volkegem,
Welden
Welden is a community in the Augsburg district of Bavaria, Germany, and is the seat of the commune of Welden. Since the local government reform in 1978 it comprises Welden, Reutern and Ehgatten.
Geography
Welden lies at the centre of the ''Ho ...
and a part of Ooike.
From the 15th to the 18th century, but especially in the 16th century, Oudenaarde was a world-known centre of
tapestry
Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven by hand on a loom. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike most woven textiles, where both the warp and the weft threads may ...
production. The town's name, meaning “old field”, still lingers on in “outnal”, an obsolete
English term for a kind of brown linen thread.
History
The glory of Ename
The history of the current municipality of Oudenaarde starts in 974, when
Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor
Otto II (955 – 7 December 983), called the Red (''der Rote''), was Holy Roman Emperor from 973 until his death in 983. A member of the Ottonian dynasty, Otto II was the youngest and sole surviving son of Otto the Great and Adelaide of Ital ...
and king of
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
, built one of its three fortifications on the
Scheldt
The Scheldt (french: Escaut ; nl, Schelde ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corresponding to ...
at Ename to protect his kingdom against possible attacks from
Francia
Francia, also called the Kingdom of the Franks ( la, Regnum Francorum), Frankish Kingdom, Frankland or Frankish Empire ( la, Imperium Francorum), was the largest post-Roman barbarian kingdom in Western Europe. It was ruled by the Franks du ...
(next to the other frontier post at
Valenciennes
Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France.
It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a ...
, later on also the
Antwerp). Ename grew very fast. By 1005, the town already had a couple of churches and had become the largest town in the
Duchy of Lotharingia. In 1034, Ename was destroyed by an irregular army that surrender the city to count
Baldwin IV. In 1047, the son of
Baldwin V (peacefully) received the imperial fief from the German emperor. The fief was confiscated however in 1047 when he Baldwins rebelled against the German empire. In 1062,
Baldwin V founded together with his wife the
Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, found ...
abbey of Saint Salvator. By that time, the former merchants and guild artisans of Ename easily got across the Scheldt to the recently founded city of Oudenaarde.
Oudenaarde’s golden age
In the 11th century, Oudenaarde’s economy flourished, thanks to the proximity of the Scheldt and to the burgeoning, but vibrant cloth and tapestry industry. Churches, cloisters and hospitals were built. Throughout the Middle Ages, the city was one of the staunchest supporters of the counts of
Flanders
Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...
, defending them against insurrections from the South, and even from
Ghent
Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest i ...
. The city became known as the ''residence of the nobles''. It built itself a flagship
town hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually house ...
(built 1526–1537), which we can still admire today, and the St-Walburga church.
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)
* Infant ...
stayed here for a couple of months in 1522 and fathered an illegitimate daughter,
Margaret of Parma, who was to become Regent of the Netherlands.
Decline
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 i ...
, the people of Oudenaarde chose
Protestantism
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 ...
and allied themselves with Ghent against
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)
* Infant ...
. In 1582, after a prolonged siege by Margaret's son,
Alexander Farnese, the city finally gave in, causing most merchants, workers, and even nobles to flee. Oudenaarde fell under the
Counter-Reformation, which for a short while revived the commerce of tapestry. The glory days, however, never came back. The French attacked and took the city three times in less than a century. Fortifications were repeatedly improved in the 16th and 17th centuries, including additions by
Vauban. In 1708, one of the key battles in the
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict that took place from 1701 to 1714. The death of childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700 led to a struggle for control of the Spanish Empire between his heirs, Phili ...
, known as the
Battle of Oudenaarde
The Battle of Oudenarde, also known as the Battle of Oudenaarde, was a major engagement of the War of the Spanish Succession, pitting a Grand Alliance force consisting of eighty thousand men under the command of the Duke of Marlborough and Prin ...
, was fought in the vicinity of the city. Oudenaarde slumbered as a provincial town under the
Habsburg regime. Like its neighbours, in the 1790s it suffered religious curtailment imposed by 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 conside ...
.
The city later
suffered damage during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
, which is commemorated by several monuments scattered around town.
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
the town was occupied by Nazi German forces in
May 1940
May 1940 was the fifth month of that leap year. It began on a Wednesday, and ended after 31 days on a Friday.
The following events occurred in May 1940:
May 1, 1940 (Wednesday)
*The Battle of Zaoyang–Yichang began in China.
*The Łódź Ghet ...
. The town was liberated by
British forces on the 5th of September 1944.
Beer
Oudenaarde is known for the brewing of
Oud bruin beer
Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cer ...
, which is sometimes termed Oudenaarde Oud bruin, especially that of
Liefmans Brewery in the town.
Oud Bruin (Old Brown), also known as Flanders Brown, is a style of beer originating from the
Flemish
Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium ...
region of
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
. The Dutch name refers to the long aging process, up to a year. It undergoes a secondary
fermentation, which takes several weeks to a month, and is followed by bottle ageing for several more months. The extended ageing allows residual
yeast
Yeasts are eukaryotic, single-celled microorganisms classified as members of the fungus kingdom. The first yeast originated hundreds of millions of years ago, and at least 1,500 species are currently recognized. They are estimated to consti ...
and
bacteria
Bacteria (; singular: bacterium) are ubiquitous, mostly free-living organisms often consisting of one biological cell. They constitute a large domain of prokaryotic microorganisms. Typically a few micrometres in length, bacteria were am ...
to develop a
sour flavour characteristic for this style. Usually, cultured yeast and bacteria are used, as stainless steel does not harbour wild organisms as wood does.
Sights
*The
Flamboyant
Flamboyant (from ) is a form of late Gothic architecture that developed in Europe in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, from around 1375 to the mid-16th century. It is characterized by double curves forming flame-like shapes in the bar-t ...
Gothic
Gothic or Gothics may refer to:
People and languages
*Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes
**Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths
**Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...
-style
Town Hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall, civic centre (in the UK or Australia), guildhall, or a municipal building (in the Philippines), is the chief administrative building of a city, town, or other municipality. It usually house ...
and its
Belfry were designated by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...
as a
World Heritage Site
A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
in 1999.
The city hall houses a unique collection of Oudenaarde
tapestries
Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven by hand on a loom. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike most woven textiles, where both the warp and the weft threads may ...
.
*The Church of Our Lady of
Pamele
Oudenaarde (; french: Audenarde ; in English sometimes ''Oudenarde'') is a Belgian municipality in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Oudenaarde proper and the towns of Bevere, Edelare, Eine, Ename, Heu ...
, begun in 1234 on the banks of the Scheldt, and the Church of St Walburga near the market square, are both worth a visit.
*Oudenaarde is also home to the ''Centrum Tour of Flanders'', a museum dedicated to the
Tour of Flanders (Tour of Flanders) cycle race.
*Since 2008 the village of Mater in Oudenaarde has been the home of Belgium's smallest craft brewery: the
Smisje Brewery
The Smisje Brewery (''Brouwerij Smisje'' in Dutch), with a tiny production of only 200 hectoliters per year, is one of the smallest existing Belgian craft breweries. Begun in 1995 by former printer and homebrewer Johan Brandt, it was originally t ...
(previously located in
Bruges
Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest 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 Scienc ...
).
File:Oudenaarde_stadhuis_25-9-2016_09-52-11.JPG, Oudenaarde Town Hall
File:Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Pamele kerk 2.jpg, Church of Our Lady of Pamele
File:Oudenaarde, de Sint Walburgakerk oeg27310 foto8 2013-05-07 15.44.jpg, Saint Walburga's church, Oudenaarde
File:Oudenaarde, stationsgebouw oeg27384 foto1 2013-05-07 15.25.jpg, Oudenaarde railway station
File:Oudenaarde, straatzicht op de Markt positie2 met oeg27250 plaatsen foto3 2013-05-07 15.40.jpg, The marketplace, Oudenaarde
Events
*Recurring events include a beer fest in June, an open-air musical festival in the summer, and an agricultural fair in February.
*Every ten years, one of the largest floral displays in Flanders takes place on the market square (''Grote Markt''). The last one took place in 2005.
Newspaper
Oudenaarde used to have its own newspaper, namely ''the Gazette van Audenaerde''.
Sports
The main football club in Oudenaarde is
K.S.V. Oudenaarde.
The celebrated ''
Tour of Flanders voor Vrouwen'', the women's Tour of Flanders cycle race, starts in Oudenaarde every spring. The men's
Tour of Flanders has passed through Oudenaarde on several occasions, finishing in the town since 2012, and it regularly ascends the
Koppenberg
Koppenberg (literally "Heads Mountain") is a high hill in Oudenaarde, the Flemish Ardennes, Belgium. "Koppen" is an abbreviation for cobblestones which in Dutch slang language are called ''kinderkoppen'', or "children's heads". This climb is ...
hill in the municipality. The
Koppenbergcross
The Cyclo-cross Koppenberg is a cyclo-cross race held in Oudenaarde, Belgium, which is part of the X²O Badkamers Trophy. The cyclo-cross race uses the Koppenberg climb that has been used many times in the Belgian Classic the Tour of Flander ...
cyclo-cross race, which takes place on the Koppenberg hillside, is part of the
BPost Bank Trophy.
Notable inhabitants
* The
Viscount of Audenaerde.
*
Arnold of Soissons, saint (1040-1087)
*
Margaret of Parma, daughter of
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)
* Infant ...
and
Regent of the Netherlands (1522-1586)
*
Henri-Charles Lambrecht
Henri-Charles-Camille Lambrecht (1848–1889) was 23rd bishop of Ghent between 1888–1889.
Born in a small town near Oudenaarde, Lambrecht was educated in the local school. After his studies in St. Joseph Minor Seminary and the Major Seminary ...
, bishop, born in Welden.
*
Johannes van den Driesche
Johannes van den Driesche r Drusius(28 June 1550February 1616) was a Flemish Protestant divine, distinguished specially as an Orientalist, Christian Hebraist and exegete.
Life
He was born at Oudenarde, in Flanders. Intended for the church, he ...
, orientalist and exegete (1550-1616)
*
Adriaen Brouwer, painter (1605-1638)
*
Charles Liedts, politician (1802-1878)
*
Gentil Theodoor Antheunis
Gentil Theodoor Antheunis (9 September 1840 – 5 August 1907) was a Belgian poet. He was the son-in-law of Hendrik Conscience, whose only daughter Maria he married in 1870. He was born in Oudenaarde.
From 1859 until 1860, he was a teacher in t ...
, poet (1840-1907)
*
Reimond Stijns, writer (1850-1905)
*
Robert Herberigs
Robert Herberigs (9 June 1886 in Ghent – 20 September 1974 in Oudenaarde) was a Belgian painter, writer and musician.
Biography
Herberigs studied at the Royal Conservatory of Ghent with Oscar Roels and Léon Van der Haeghen. He also enjoyed ...
, painter, writer and musician (1886-1974)
*
Arthur Decabooter
Arthur Decabooter (3 October 1936 – 26 May 2012) was a Belgian professional racing cyclist, active as a professional between 1959 and 1967. Cyclist Walter Godefroot is his wife's brother-in-law.
Apart from a few years when he was signed to Lib ...
, cyclist, born in Welden (1936-2012)
*
André Dierickx, road racing cyclist (b. 1946)
*
Jotie T'Hooft, poet (1956-1977)
*
Bart Kaëll, singer and TV host (b. 1960)
*
Eric Van Lancker, cyclist (b. 1961)
*
Mario De Clercq
Mario De Clercq (born 5 March 1966) is a Belgian former racing cyclist. He specialized in cyclo-cross racing but also rode on the road and circuit races during his career, he raced as a professional between 1991 and 2004. The majority of his ye ...
, cyclist, three-time world cyclo-cross champion (b. 1966)
*
Frank De Bleeckere, football referee (b. 1966)
*
Jonathan Page, cyclist, American cyclo-cross champion (b. 1976)
*
Brigitta Callens
Brigitta Callens (born 28 September 1980 in Oudenaarde, East Flanders, Belgium) was Miss Belgium 1999 and her country's representative to Miss World 1999.
Brigitta "Gitta" Callens was born in Oudenaarde, a small town in the Flemish Ardenn ...
,
Miss Belgium 1999 (b. 1980)
*
Charlotte Vandermeersch, actress (b. 1983)
*
Stijn Vandenbergh, cyclist (b. 1984)
*
Kenny De Ketele
Kenny De Ketele (born 5 June 1985) is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist, who rode professionally between 2007 and 2021, entirely for UCI ProTeam . He won eight medals at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships, including a gold me ...
, track cyclist, Madison World Champion (b. 1985)
*
Jan Bakelants, cyclist (b. 1986)
*
Jan Dequeker
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 Num ...
, professor, humanitarian and philanthropist (b. 1997)
International relations
Twin towns — sister cities
*
Coburg
Coburg () is a town located on the Itz river in the Upper Franconia region of Bavaria, Germany. Long part of one of the Thuringian states of the Wettin line, it joined Bavaria by popular vote only in 1920. Until the revolution of 1918, it ...
, Germany (1972)
*
Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands (1986)
*
Castel Madama
Castel Madama is a (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Rome in the Italian region of Lazio, located about east of Rome.
International relations
Castel Madama is twinned with:
* Oudenaarde
Oudenaarde (; french: Audenarde ; in English ...
, Italy (1986)
*
Arras
Arras ( , ; pcd, Aro; historical nl, Atrecht ) is the prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department, which forms part of the region of Hauts-de-France; before the reorganization of 2014 it was in Nord-Pas-de-Calais. The historic centre of the ...
, France (1990)
*
Hastings
Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England,
east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west a ...
, United Kingdom (1991)
*
Buzău, Romania (2007)
References
External links
Official websiteCentrum Tour of Flanders- available in English
{{Authority control
Municipalities of East Flanders
World Heritage Sites in Belgium
Vauban fortifications in Belgium
Populated places in East Flanders