Mesen
Mesen | |
|---|---|
City and municipality | |
|
Flag Coat of arms | |
Location of Mesen | |
Mesen Location in Belgium
Location of Mesen in West Flanders | |
| Coordinates: 50°46′N 02°54′E / 50.767°N 2.900°E | |
| Country | Belgium |
| Community | Flemish Community |
| Region | Flemish Region |
| Province | West Flanders |
| Arrondissement | Ypres |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Sandy Evrard (MLM) |
| • Governing party/ies | Mesense Liberalen/Libéraux Messinois (MLM) |
| Area | |
• Total | 3.6 km2 (1.4 sq mi) |
| Population (2022-01-01)[1] | |
• Total | 1,062 |
| • Density | 300/km2 (760/sq mi) |
| Postal codes | 8957 |
| NIS code | 33016 |
| Area codes | 057 |
| Website | www.mesen.be |
Mesen (Dutch: [ˈmeːsə(n)] ⓘ; French: Messines [mɛsin], historically used in English) is a municipality and city[2] located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. On 1 January 2006, Mesen had a total population of 988. The total area is 3.58 km2 which gives a population density of 276 inhabitants per km2.
The municipality comprises only one main settlement, the town of Mesen proper. An exclave to the west of the main territory is surrounded by the municipalities of Heuvelland and Comines-Warneton.
Villages neighbouring the municipality:
- a. Wijtschate (in the municipality of Heuvelland)
- b. Warneton (in the municipality of Comines-Warneton)
- c. Ploegsteert (in the municipality of Comines-Warneton)
Mesen is the smallest city in Belgium. It is a municipality with language facilities.
Mesen is twinned with Featherston in New Zealand in part due to the location of the New Zealand World War I Memorial, which has annual Anzac Day commemorations on 25 April.
History
In 1062, Adela, wife of Baldwin the Pius, count of Flanders, translated the bones of Saint Sidronius from Rome to Messines.[3]
Three battles were fought over the town during World War I (1914–1918):
- Battle of Messines (1914)
- Battle of Messines (1917) and Mines in the Battle of Messines
- Battle of the Lys (1918)
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Church tower from Mesen
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Sint-Niklaaskerk
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Tower, Irish Peace Park in Mesen
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German Order for Mesen 7 April 1918
References
- ^ "Bevolking per gemeente op 1 januari 2022". Statbel.
- ^ "Wet tot toekenning van de titel van stad aan de gemeenten Beringen, Bilzen, Blankenberge, Borgloon, Ciney, Couvin, Damme, Geel, Genepiën, Gistel, Halen, Hamont-Achel, Hannuit, Harelbeke, Herk-de-Stad, Lo-Reninge, Mesen, Oudenburg, Peer, Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, Vilvoorde en Walcourt". www.ejustice.just.fgov.be (in Dutch). Belgian Official Gazette. 19 July 1985. Retrieved 22 April 2025.
- ^ Baring-Gould, Sabine (1897), The Lives of the Saints, vol. 7, July Pt. 1, London: J. C. Nimmo, p. 277, retrieved 4 August 2021
External links
- Media related to Mesen at Wikimedia Commons
- Official website – in (in English, French, and Dutch)