Wortel is a village in the Belgian municipality of

Hoogstraten Hoogstraten () is a municipality and city located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises Hoogstraten, Meer, Meerle, Meersel-Dreef, Minderhout and Wortel (Meersel-Dreef includes the northernmost point in Belgium). Ho ...

. As of 2021, it has 1,844 inhabitants. The toponym means

carrot The carrot ('' Daucus carota'' subsp. ''sativus'') is a root vegetable, typically orange in colour, though heirloom variants including purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist, all of which are domesticated forms of the wild ...

root In vascular plants, the roots are the plant organ, organs of a plant that are modified to provide anchorage for the plant and take in water and nutrients into the plant body, which allows plants to grow taller and faster. They are most often bel ...

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

. Wortel was established in the early 19th century by the Society of Benevolence as a farming colony for the able-bodied working poor. It was meant to provide employment during a time when poverty rates were very high in the Low Countries. Along with the other colonies constructed by the Society of Benevolence, Wortel was inscribed on the

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

World Heritage List World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...

in 2021 as an excellent example of a unique method of housing reform and urban planning.

Gallery

File:Kolonie 18, Wortel.jpg, Colony house File:Bewakerswoningen, Kolonie 12-13, Wortel.jpg, Guard house of the colony File:Plattegrond van de kolonie van de Maatschappij van Weldadigheid te Wortel Kolonie van de Maatschappij van Weldadigheid by Wortel (titel op object), RP-P-AO-3-62F-1.jpg, Colony map File:Wortel (B) - Pastorijstraat 31 - Voormalige pastorie.JPG, Clergy house

References

External links

* *
Official website of Hoogstraten
Sub-municipalities of Hoogstraten Former municipalities of Antwerp Province Populated places in Antwerp Province {{Antwerp-geo-stub