Bergues (; nl, Sint-Winoksbergen; vls, Bergn) is a

commune A commune is an alternative term for an intentional community. Commune or comună or comune or other derivations may also refer to: Administrative-territorial entities * Commune (administrative division), a municipality or township ** Communes of ...

in the Nord department in northern

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. It is situated to the south of Dunkirk and from 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 ...

border. Locally it is referred to as "the other

Bruges Bruges ( , nl, Brugge ) is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium, in the northwest of the country, and the sixth-largest city of the country by population. The area of the whole city a ...

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 ...

". Bergues is a setting for the 2008 movie '' Welcome to the Sticks'' (Original French title: ''Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis'').

History

The town's name derives from the Dutch ''groene berg'', which means "green hill". According to legend, St Winnoc, son of the Breton king, retired to Groenberg, a hill on the edge of the coastal marshes (see Marcae below). His establishment soon developed into a small monastery. In 882, when the

Normans The Normans ( Norman: ''Normaunds''; french: Normands; la, Nortmanni/Normanni) were a population arising in the medieval Duchy of Normandy from the intermingling between Norse Viking settlers and indigenous West Franks and Gallo-Romans. ...

began their incursions, the Flanders count Baudouin II built primitive fortifications. Later, about 1022, count Baudouin IV built Saint-Winnoc church and interred the relics of St Winnoc there. This church formed the basis of an

abbey An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns. The con ...

. Trade was aided by proximity to the sea, which had not yet receded to Dunkirk, and the abbey. Bergues was chartered in 1240, and its independence was later expressed in the construction of a belfry. It became a port and textile center of regional importance, and part of the Hanseatic League. Its wool market began in 1276 and over the following centuries it was fortified and maintained its independence from France. In 1583, Bergues was besieged and conquered by

Alexander Farnese Alessandro Farnese may refer to: * Pope Paul III (1468–1549), Roman Catholic Bishop of Rome *Alessandro Farnese (cardinal) (1520–1589), Paul's grandson, Roman Catholic bishop and cardinal-nephew * Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma (1545–1592), ...

, but king Philip II of Spain allowed it to be rebuilt, establishing the present appearance of the town. Bergues became a major port city and eventually was attached to France by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1668.

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Ver ...

later developed Dunkirk, and Bergues was eclipsed as a major port. After 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 coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...

, its decline continued. Bergues was devastated by bombardment in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, and again in 1940 during the

Battle of Dunkirk The Battle of Dunkirk (french: Bataille de Dunkerque, link=no) was fought around the French port of Dunkirk (Dunkerque) during the Second World War, between the Allies and Nazi Germany. As the Allies were losing the Battle of France on t ...

. The city was entered on 2 June that year, and 80% of it was ruined 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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. Near industrialized Dunkirk, its many monuments are reminders of a rich past, and tourism has been developed in recent years. Bergues was the setting for the 2008 French film '' Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis''. The film, which broke French box office records, is credited with triggering a tourism boom in Bergues. Possible Roman influence There is a possibility of Bergues being the Roman Port of 'Marcae' mentioned in the Litus Saxonicum as there appears to be research in the UK that the high sea levels were about 4.5 metres higher in late Roman times than that of today. Bergues is about half way between Oudenberg and Boulogne (both Saxon Shore forts) and appears to be land if the sea level is raised 4.5 metres in which case would mean Bergues would have a well protected harbour inland from the town.Scalgo with Sea level rises of 4.5 metres around Bergues
/ref>

Population

Heraldry

Sights

*The belfry is the city's most celebrated attraction. Originally constructed in the 13th century, it was rebuilt after the French invasion in 1383 and again in the 16th century, and restored during the 19th century. Damaged by fire in 1940 and destroyed by dynamiting in 1944, it was again rebuilt in 1961. It was classified as a historic building in 2004 and, as one of the

Belfries of Belgium and France The Belfries of Belgium and France are a group of 56 historical buildings designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, in recognition of the civic (rather than church) belfries serving as an architectural manifestation of emerging civic indep ...

, a UNESCO

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 h ...

on 16 July 2005. A carillon of 50 bells sounds for the Monday market and other festivities. *The ramparts, long, are partly medieval and partly constructed by Vauban. *The abbey of St Winnoc was destroyed in 1789, and only parts remain: the marble gate and two towers.

Gallery

Image:Belfry of Bergues 2008.jpg, The belfry has a carillon of 50 bells. Image:Gate of Cassel, Bergues.jpg, The Gate of Cassel, on a triangular pediment, incorporating the radiating sun of

. Image:Eglisebergues.jpg, The church of St Martin. Image:Bergues_Abbaye_R08.jpg, The Marble Gate, main gate of the former St Winnoc abbey. Image:0 Tour 0ctogonale de l'ancienne abbaye St-Winoc à Bergues (Nord) 2.jpg, The ''Tour Pointue'' of St Winnoc abbey. Image:Bergues_Abbaye_R02.jpg, The ''Tour Pointue'' and the ''Tour Carrée'' of St Winnoc abbey. Image:Bergues ramparts.jpg, The ramparts, 5300 meters long, have surrounded almost the entire town for five centuries. File:0 Bergues - Ancien mont-de-piété (1).jpg, Old

mount of piety A mount of piety is an institutional pawnbroker run as a charity in Europe from Renaissance times until today. Similar institutions were established in the colonies of Catholic countries; the Mexican Nacional Monte de Piedad is still in operatio ...

, now municipal museum in Bergues File:0 Canal de Bergues 5.JPG, Canal in Bergues File:0 Bergues - Hôtel de ville (1).JPG, The Town Hall (mairie) in Bergues

International relations

;Twin towns: *

Erndtebrück Erndtebrück is a municipality in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Geography Location Erndtebrück situated on the river Eder in the Rothaargebirge, approx. 20 km northeast of Siegen. Neighbouring com ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, since 1973

Popular culture

The movie Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis (by

Dany Boon Dany Boon (; born Daniel Farid Hamidou on 26 June 1966) is a French actor, film director, screenwriter and producer. Starting out as a comedian during the 1990s, he found success in 2008 as an actor and director in the film comedy ''Welcome to ...

) is set in Bergues.