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Dendermonde
Geography
Country	Belgium
Region	Flemish Region
Community	Flemish Community
Province	East Flanders
Arrondissement	Dendermonde
Coordinates	51°02′N 04°06′E / 51.033, 4.1Coordinates: 51°02′N 04°06′E / 51.033, 4.1
Area	55.67 km²
Population (Source: NIS)
Population – Males – Females - Density	43,347 (January 1, 2006) 48.82% 51.18% 779 inhab./km²
Age distribution 0–19 years 20–64 years 65+ years	(01/01/2006) 21.07% 60.77% 18.16%
Foreigners	1.52% (01/07/2005)
Economy
Unemployment rate	8.24% (January 1, 2006)
Mean annual income	13,324 €/pers. (2003)
Government
Mayor	Piet Buyse (CD&V/N-VA)
Governing parties	CD&V/N-VA, SP.A-Spirit
Other information
Postal codes	9200
Area codes	052
Web address	www.dendermonde.be

Dendermonde (French: Termonde, German: Dendermünde) is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Dendermonde proper and the towns of Appels, Baasrode, Grembergen, Mespelare, Oudegem, Schoonaarde, and Sint-Gillis-bij-Dendermonde. As its name implies, Dendermonde is located at the mouth of the river Dender, where it flows into the Scheldt.

The current Mayor of Dendermonde is Piet Buyse (CD&V).

Contents 1 History 1.1 Origins to the 15th century 1.2 16th century until today 2 Places of interest 3 Events 4 Famous inhabitants 5 Twin cities 6 External links

Some interesting La-Tène artifacts were found in Appels, proof that this region of the Scheldt was inhabited in prehistory. Grave sites from the 2nd and 6th century also attest to dense settlement in Gallo-Roman and Merovingian times. In 843, the Treaty of Verdun placed Dendermonde in Lotharingia. After the Norman invasions of 883, however, Baldwin II took over the region and incorporated it into the German part of the newly founded County of Flanders.

Otto II built a fort here in the 10th century, encouraging further settlements in the area. The town received its city charter in 1233 and grew quickly after that thanks to a thriving cloth industry. Several cloisters, chapels and churches, and a fortified defensive wall were built as well. A cloth hall and belfry were erected on the market square in the mid 14th century. The town’s prosperity, however, gave rise to severe competition with cities such as Ghent and to occasional attacks and plunders by neighbours. In 1384, the whole area became part of the Duchy of Burgundy.

The 16th century saw a decline in Dendermonde’s fortunes. In 1572, the Spanish troops under Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma, took over the city and mostly destroyed it. A decade later, the Spaniards built their own fortress between the Dender and the Scheldt. In 1667, it was France’s turn to advance on the city, but the allied troops of the Netherlands and England, under the Duke of Marlborough, caused the heaviest damage in 1706. The city was then fortified by the Austrians against further French ambitions. After a last siege by Louis XV, the city could finally breathe to the point that the fortifications were dismantled a few decades later.

The second half of the 18th century was generally prosperous, with the advent of the Industrial Revolution and a local cotton industry. After 1800, the port facilities were modernized and the first railways were laid down, allowing other industries (oil, shoe, leather…) to move in. The onset of World War I in September 1914 was disastrous for the city as more than half of its housing and the city archives were either bombed or burned down. Today, the city is an administrative, commercial, educational, and medical centre for the surrounding region.

• The béguinage is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.
• The city hall and belfry have also been designated a World Heritage Site since 1999. The belfry houses a carillon and was formerly part of the Cloth Hall.
• Dendemonde has a Benedictine abbey right in the centre of town.

Dendermonde likes to be known for its decennial procession, featuring the heroic horse, Ros Beiaard. Legend has this horse saving his master and his three brothers from capture by Charlemagne.

On August 19th 2006, 28 prisoners managed to escape Dendermonde prison. 7 were captured within hours. A few have been found in Italy & Russia. There are some that are still walking around in Belgium. They managed to escape because the lock was old & rusty. They simply walked away, tied all their sheets together, climbed over the wall, jumped on a phone booth and ran away.

• Alwin de Prins, competitive swimmer (b. 1978)
• Pierre-Jean De Smet, missionary among the Native Americans (1801-1873)
• Geert De Vlieger, Belgian international soccer player (b. 1971)
• Jan De Vos, mayor of Antwerp (1844-1923)
• Emmanuel Hiel, poet and prose writer (1834-1899)
• Fernand Khnopff, painter (1858-1921)
• Caroline Maes, tennis player (b. 1982)
• Johannes Ockeghem, composer, was said to be born in Dendermonde (c. 1410-1497)
• Ivo Van Damme, middle distance runner (1954-1976)
• Pat van den Hauwe, Welsh international soccer player, former husband of Mandy Smith (b. 1960)
• Current Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt was born and raised in Dendermonde (b. 1953), as was his younger brother the political scientist Dirk Verhofstadt (b. 1955).
• Frans Courtens, painter, born in Dendermonde (1854-1943)
• Jaak Vanderperren, pilot in the Royal Air Force during WWII, was born in Dendermonde (1920-1944) but killed in action during a close air support mission against the German Army with his Supermarine Spitfire XIV
• Jan Verhas, painter (1834-1886).
• Franz Verhas, painter (born circa 1827-died circa 1897)

•  Netherlands: Geldrop
•  Germany: Nienburg, Lower Saxony
•  Bulgaria: Blagoevgrad

• Official website - Only available in Dutch
• Cultural website about Dendermonde - Only available in Dutch
• Youth community site for Dendermonde - Only available in Dutch

v • d • e Municipalities in the Province of East Flanders, Flanders, Belgium
Aalst	Aalst · Denderleeuw · Erpe-Mere · Geraardsbergen · Haaltert · Herzele · Lede · Ninove · Sint-Lievens-Houtem · Zottegem
Dendermonde	Berlare · Buggenhout · Dendermonde · Hamme · Laarne · Lebbeke · Waasmunster · Wetteren · Wichelen · Zele
Eeklo	Assenede · Eeklo · Kaprijke · Maldegem · Sint-Laureins · Zelzate
Ghent	Aalter · Deinze · De Pinte · Destelbergen · Evergem · Gavere · Ghent · Knesselare · Lochristi · Lovendegem · Melle · Merelbeke · Moerbeke · Nazareth · Nevele · Oosterzele · Sint-Martens-Latem · Waarschoot · Wachtebeke · Zomergem · Zulte
Oudenaarde	Brakel · Horebeke · Kluisbergen · Kruishoutem · Lierde · Maarkedal · Oudenaarde · Ronse · Wortegem-Petegem · Zingem · Zwalm
Sint-Niklaas	Beveren · Kruibeke · Lokeren · Sint-Gillis-Waas · Sint-Niklaas · Stekene · Temse