Oudenaarde

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Oudenaarde" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (February 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Oudenaarde
City and municipality
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Oudenaarde
Oudenaarde Location in Belgium Location of Oudenaarde in East Flanders Region		region
Province	province
Arrondissement	Oudenaarde
Government
• Mayor	Marnic De Meulemeester (Open VLD)
• Governing party/ies	Open VLD, CD&V
Population  (2022-01-01)[1]
• Total	31,866
Postal codes	9700
Area codes	055
Website	www.oudenaarde.be

Oudenaarde (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈʌudənaːrdə] ^ⓘ; French: Audenarde [odnaʁd]; in English sometimes Oudenarde) is a Belgian city and municipality in the Flemish province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Oudenaarde proper and the towns of Bevere, Edelare, Eine, Ename, Heurne, Leupegem, Mater, Melden, Mullem, Nederename, Volkegem, Welden and a part of Ooike.

From the 15th to the 18th century, but especially in the 16th century, Oudenaarde was known as a centre of tapestry 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

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, defending them against insurrections from the South, and even from Ghent. The city became known as the residence of the nobles. It built itself a flagship town hall (built 1526–1537), which we can still admire today, and the St-Walburga church. Charles V 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

The city later suffered damage during World War I, which is commemorated by several monuments scattered around town.

During

Oudenaarde is known for the brewing of Oud bruin beer, which is sometimes termed Oudenaarde Oud bruin, especially that of Liefmans Brewery in the town.^[5][6]

Oud Bruin (Old Brown), also known as Flanders Brown, is a style of beer originating from the

• The
  tapestries
  .
• The Church of Our Lady of
  Pamele
  , 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 (previously located in Bruges).

• 
  Oudenaarde Town Hall
• 
  Church of Our Lady of Pamele
• 
  Saint Walburga's church, Oudenaarde
• 
  Oudenaarde railway station
• 
  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

.

Rhinos Rugby Oudenaarde is a rugby club in Oudenaarde that was voted the coolest club of Flanders in 2018.^[11]

Notable inhabitants

• The Viscount of Audenaerde.
• Arnold of Soissons, saint (1040-1087)
• Regent of the Netherlands
  (1522-1586)
• Henri-Charles Lambrecht, bishop, born in Welden.
• Johannes van den Driesche, orientalist and exegete (1550-1616)
• Adriaen Brouwer, painter (1605-1638)
• Charles Liedts, politician (1802-1878)
• Gentil Theodoor Antheunis, poet (1840-1907)
• Reimond Stijns, writer (1850-1905)
• Robert Herberigs, painter, writer and musician (1886-1974)
• Arthur Decabooter, 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, 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, Miss Belgium 1999 (b. 1980)
• Charlotte Vandermeersch, actress (b. 1983)
• Stijn Vandenbergh, cyclist (b. 1984)
• Kenny De Ketele, track cyclist, Madison World Champion (b. 1985)
• Jan Bakelants, cyclist (b. 1986)
• Jan Dequeker, professor, humanitarian and philanthropist (b. 1997)^[12]

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Belgium

Twin towns — sister cities

• Coburg, Germany (1972)
• Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands (1986)
• Castel Madama, Italy (1986)
• Arras
  , France (1990)
• Hastings, United Kingdom (1991)
• Buzău, Romania (2007)

References

1. ^ "Bevolking per gemeente op 1 januari 2022". Statbel.
2. ^ Van Droogenbroeck, F. J., "De markenruil Ename – Valenciennes en de investituur van de graaf van Vlaanderen in de mark Ename", Handelingen van de Geschied- en Oudheidkundige Kring van Oudenaarde 55 (2018) 47–127
3. ^ "Fortified Places > Relief Maps > Audenarde". Archived from the original on 2007-12-09. Retrieved 2007-01-04.
4. ^ Battle for the Escaut 1940: The France and Flanders Campaign by Jerry Murland, pg. xi
5. ^ The Ale Trail, 1995, Roger Protz, quote: "The Old Brown [Oud Bruin] ales of Oudenaarde, a waterside city steeped in Flemish culture and history, are highly complex beers".
6. ^ Oxford Companion to Beer, 2011, quote: "Liefmans Brewery is a Belgian specialty brewery in Oudenaarde, in the province of East Flanders."
7. ISBN 9780937381311
   .
8. ^ "Flanders Brown / Oud Bruin". Beer Connoisseur. 2 September 2009. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2014.
9. ^ "Belfries of Belgium and France". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Retrieved 5 November 2021.
10. ^ "Gazette van Audenaerde". lib.ugent.be. Retrieved 2020-09-28.
11. ^ in, Made; Cromphout, Rani (2018-10-24). "Rhinos Rugby uit Oudenaarde is de coolste sportclub van Vlaanderen". Made in (in Flemish). Retrieved 2023-12-29.
12. ^ "KU Leuven who's who - Jan Dequeker".

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Oudenaarde.

• Official website
• Museum van Oudenaarde
• Centrum Tour of Flanders - available in English