Halle
Geography
Country	Belgium
Region	Flemish Region
Community	Flemish Community
Province	Flemish Brabant
Arrondissement	Halle-Vilvoorde
Coordinates	50°44′N 04°14′E / 50.733, 4.233Coordinates: 50°44′N 04°14′E / 50.733, 4.233
Area	44.40 km²
Population (Source: NIS)
Population – Males – Females - Density	34,882 (January 1, 2006) 48.67% 51.33% 786 inhab./km²
Age distribution 0–19 years 20–64 years 65+ years	(01/01/2006) 22.93% 59.05% 18.02%
Foreigners	4.18% (01/07/2005)
Economy
Unemployment rate	6.70% (January 1, 2006)
Mean annual income	14,387 €/pers. (2003)
Government
Mayor	Dirk Pieters (CD&V)
Governing parties	CD&V/N-VA, VLD
Other information
Postal codes	1500, 1501, 1502
Area codes	02
Web address	www.halle.be

Halle (French: Hal) is a Flemish city and municipality in the district (arrondissement) Halle-Vilvoorde of the province Flemish Brabant. The city is located on the Brussels-Charleroi Canal and on the Flemish side of the language border that separates Flanders and Wallonia. Geographically, Halle lies on the border between the Flemish plains to the North (thick loam) and the undulating Brabant lands to the South (thinner loam). The city also borders on the Pajottenland to the west. The official language of Halle is Dutch. Image File history File links Halle. ... Image File history File links RedDot. ... This list of countries, arranged alphabetically, gives an overview of countries of the world. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Belgium_(civil). ... Belgium is a federal state and is composed of three communities, three regions, and four linguistic regions. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Flanders. ... The Flemish region is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium (alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region). ... Belgium is a federal state and is composed of three communities, three regions, and four linguistic regions. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Flanders. ... the Flemish community has jurisdiction over Flanders and over the Dutch language institutions in Brussels. ... Belgium is a federal state and is composed of three communities, three regions, and four linguistic regions. ... Image File history File links Flemish_Brabant_Flag. ... Flemish Brabant is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. ... This is a list of Belgian administrative arrondissements or districts. ... The Halle-Vilvoorde Arrondissement is one of two arrondissements in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... Map of Earth showing lines of latitude (horizontally) and longitude (vertically), Eckert VI projection; large version (pdf, 1. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... Statistics Belgium is the main official statistical institution in Belgian offering a large choice of figures. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... This distribution is named for the pyramidal shape of its graph. ... Immigration is the movement of people into one place from another. ... Unemployment rates in the United States. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger, greater) is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer. ... Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V) (Christian Democratic and Flemish) is a political party in Belgium, formerly called Christelijke Volkspartij (CVP) (Christian Peoples Party). ... A coalition is an alliance among entities, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest. ... Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V) (Christian Democratic and Flemish) is a political party in Belgium, formerly called Christelijke Volkspartij (CVP) (Christian Peoples Party). ... The Nieuw-Vlaamse Alliantie (New-Flemish Alliance) is a Belgian political party, founded in the autumn of 2001. ... VLD may refer to: Ventilated Linear Dynamic Flemish Liberals and Democrats Category: ... This is a list of postal codes for Belgium. ... A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating telephone number ranges to countries, regions, areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks such as mobile phone networks. ... A website (alternatively, Web site or web site) is a collection of Web pages, images, videos or other digital assets that is hosted on one or several Web server(s), usually accessible via the Internet, cell phone or a LAN. A Web page is a document, typically written in HTML... The Flemish region is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium (alongside the Walloon Region and the Brussels-Capital Region). ... For other uses, see City (disambiguation). ... Belgium comprises 589 municipalities (Dutch: gemeenten, French: communes, German: Gemeinde) grouped into five provinces in each of two regions and into a third region, the Brussels-Capital Region, comprising 19 municipalities that do not belong to a province. ... The Halle-Vilvoorde Arrondissement is one of the two administrative arrondissements in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. ... Belgium is a federal state and is composed of three communities, three regions, and four linguistic regions. ... Flemish Brabant is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. ... The course of the Brussels-Charleroi Canal. ... For other uses, see Flanders (disambiguation). ... Wallonia (French: Wallonie, German: Wallonien, Walloon: Walonreye, Dutch: Wallonië) or the Walloon Region (French: Région Wallonne, Dutch: Waals Gewest) is the predominantly French-speaking region that constitutes one of the three federal regions of Belgium, with its capital at Namur. ... The Pajottenland (in English occasionally Payottenland) is a part of the Flemish Brabant province west of the Brussels Capital Region. ...

The municipality Halle comprises the city of Halle proper and the towns of Buizingen and Lembeek. The neighboring towns are: Pepingen, Sint-Pieters-Leeuw, Beersel, Braine-l'Alleud, Braine-le-Château, and Tubize. The population of Halle is slowly increasing, from 32,758 inhabitants in 1991 to 34,882 on January 1, 2006. The present mayor is Dirk Pieters of the CD&V. For other uses, see City (disambiguation). ... The church in Lembeek Lembeek is a village in the municipality of Halle, Belgium. ... Pepingen is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. ... Sint-Pieters-Leeuw is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. ... Beersel is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. ... Braine-lAlleud (Dutch:Eigenbrakel) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. ... The Maison du Bailli, Braine-Le-Chateau, ca. ... Tubize is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Walloon Brabant. ... A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger, greater) is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer. ... Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V) (Christian Democratic and Flemish) is a political party in Belgium, formerly called Christelijke Volkspartij (CVP) (Christian Peoples Party). ...

[edit] History

[edit] Antiquity and Middle Ages

Borders have always played an important role in the history of Halle. Already in the prehistoric era, before the Roman conquests, a tribe of Nervii – a germanized Celtic people or a celticized Germanic people? – lived in this region. In the 7th century, Saint Waltrude, the daughter of an important Merovingian personality, gave some of her inherited land around Halle to the chapter of the abbey which she had just founded in Mons. From that time on and until the French Revolution, the region around Halle would depend to various degrees on the County of Hainaut. In the 8th century, Hubertus, archbishop of Tongeren, founded a church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, which may have been the start of the devotion that still continues today. Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew from a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula circa the 9th century BC to a massive empire straddling the Mediterranean Sea. ... The Nervii were one of the most powerful Belgic tribes, living east of the Scheldt in northern Gaul in the 1st century BC. They were of Germanic origin and must have settled in their country in c. ... This article is about the European people. ... The term Germanic peoples may refer to: the Germanic tribes that in the first millennium were seen as a barbarian threat by the Roman Empire and its successors; the Germanic Christianity that in the second millennium came to dominate much of Northern Europe, politically organized in the Holy Roman Empire... The 7th century is the period from 601 - 700 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ... The Sainte Waudru collegiate church and the belfry at Mons. ... For other uses, see Merovingian (disambiguation). ... Mons Mons ---- (more info) Stage 1 : Request (How-to) Article EN is too short for the city where the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is located Sylfred1977 20:04, 13 October 2007 (UTC) Very good article (featured article in the french WIKIPEDIA) Join this translation   ---   Update this information (instructions)   This... The virtually independent county of Hainaut emerged from chaotic conditions at the end of the 9th century as a semi-independent state, at first a vassal of the crown of Lotharingia. ... (7th century — 8th century — 9th century — other centuries) Events The Iberian peninsula is taken by Arab and Berber Muslims, thus ending the Visigothic rule, and starting almost 8 centuries of Muslim presence there. ... Saint Hubertus or Hubert (born circa 656 to 658, probably in Toulouse; died May 30, 727 or 728 in Tervuren near Brussels, Belgium), called the Apostle of the Ardennes was the first Bishop of Liège. ... Tongeren is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg near Hasselt. ... Our Lady redirects here. ...

The town must have grown quickly since Jeanne, Countess of Flanders and Hainaut, already granted it its freedom charters in 1225. The miraculous statue of the Virgin arrived in Halle in 1267 as a wedding gift to John II, Count of Holland and of Hainaut. The cult of Mary attracted important visitors such as Edward I of England and Ludwig the Bavarian, making Halle an important frontier town between Hainaut and Brabant. A much bigger church was now needed, that was completed in 15th century. The death of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy in Halle in 1404 was actually a benefit to the city as all subsequent ruling Dukes of Burgundy were to pay a visit here. Even Louis XI of France decided to bury his stillborn son in the Halle church in 1460. Coat of arms of the counts of Flanders early coat of arms of the counts of Hainaut. ... // The Teutonic Order is expelled from Transylvania. ... John II of Avesnes (1247 - August 22, 1304) was count of Hainaut from 1278 to his death, succeeding his father, John I. He became Count of Holland in 1299 with the death of John I, Count of Holland, through his mother Adelaide of Holland, heiress and regent of this county. ... Edward I (17 June 1239 – 7 July 1307), popularly known as Longshanks[1], also as Edward the Lawgiver or the English Justinian because of his legal reforms, and as Hammer of the Scots,[2] achieved fame as the monarch who conquered Wales and tried to do the same to Scotland. ... Emperor Louis IV Louis IV of Bavaria (also known as Ludwig the Bavarian) of the House of Wittelsbach (April 1, 1282 – October 11, 1347) was duke of Bavaria from 1294/1301 together with his brother Rudolf I, also count of the Palatinate until 1329 and, German king since 1314 and... The virtually independent county of Hainaut emerged from chaotic conditions at the end of the 9th century as a semi-independent state, at first a vassal of the crown of Lotharingia. ... Brabant is a former duchy in the Low Countries, and a former province of Belgium. ... (14th century - 15th century - 16th century - other centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 15th century was that century which lasted from 1401 to 1500. ... Philip II, Duke of Burgundy Philip II, Duke of Burgundy, known as the Bold (Philippe II de Bourgogne, le Hardi in French) (January 15, 1342, Pontoise – April 27, 1404, Halle), was the fourth son of King John II of France and his wife, Bonne (Judith), daughter of the king and... Events June 14 - Owain Glyndwr of Wales allies with the French against the English and the Henry of Lancaster. ... The following is a list of the Dukes of Burgundy Richard of Autun, the Justicier (880–921) Rudolph of Burgundy (king of France from 923) (921–923) Hugh the Black (923–952) Gilbert of Chalon (952–956) Odo of Paris (956-965) Otto-Henry the Great (965–1002) Otto-William... Louis XI (July 3, 1423 – August 30, 1483), called the Prudent (French: ) and the Universal Spider (Old French: luniverselle aragne) or the Spider King, was the King of France from 1461−83. ... Events The first Portuguese navigators reach the coast of modern Sierra Leone. ...

[edit] Renaissance and Modern era

After the death of Mary of Burgundy, Flanders and Brabant revolted against her husband Maximilian, while Hainaut, and therefore Halle, remained loyal to the emperor. Two attempts by a Brussels army to conquer Halle in 1489 failed. In the 16th century, Brussels and Halle were fighting again, this time over religion, as Calvinistic Brabant tried to overtake Catholic Hainaut. Again, two attempts failed, leading to an increased devotion to the city’s miraculous statue. In 1621, with the support of the archdukes Albert and Isabella, the Jesuits brought educational institutions and their religious influence to the city. Mary of Burgundy. ... For other uses, see Flanders (disambiguation). ... Maximilian I of Habsburg (March 22, 1459 – January 12, 1519) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1508 until his death. ... For other places with the same name, see Brussels (disambiguation). ... Events March 14 - The Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sells her kingdom to Venice. ... (15th century - 16th century - 17th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600. ... 1621 was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Albert and his wife Isabella Archduke Albert Ernst of Austria, Duke of Luxembourg etc (15 November 1559 – 13 July 1621) was appointed for the Spanish monarchy as Governor of the Low Countries in 1595, and from 1598 became joint sovereign of the Seventeen Provinces with his wife, Infanta Isabella Clara... Isabella Clara Eugenia, possibly around 1584 Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain (Segovia 12 August 1566 – 1 December 1633) was Infanta of Spain, Archduchess of Austria and the joint sovereign of the Seventeen Provinces. ... The Society of Jesus (Latin: Societas Iesu), commonly known as the Jesuits, is a Roman Catholic religious order. ...

Halle and the surrounding area were used by Philip IV of Spain as a warrant against a loan, leading to the cessation of the city to the Duke of Arenberg in 1648. Louis XIV’s wars at the end of the century resulted in heavy losses, but the 18th century saw a resurgence in devotional and economic prosperity. The French Revolution brought the usual religious curtailments to religious life; however, the pilgrimage site and the statue were spared confiscation thanks to the initiative of the inhabitants. The religious services were completely restored under Napoleon, and the tradition of princely visits to the church of Halle continues until this day. Philip IV (), (April 8, 1605 – September 17, 1665) was King of Spain from 1621 to 1665 and also King of Portugal until 1640. ... Arenberg (also spelled as Aremberg or Ahremberg) is a historic duchy located in modern Germany. ... 1648 (MDCXLVIII) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Saturday of the 10-day slower Julian calendar). ... Louis XIV King of France and Navarre By Hyacinthe Rigaud (1701) Louis XIV (Louis-Dieudonné) (September 5, 1638–September 1, 1715) reigned as King of France and King of Navarre from May 14, 1643 until his death. ... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... The French Revolution (1789–1815) was a period of political and social upheaval in the political history of France and Europe as a whole, during which the French governmental structure, previously an absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the aristocracy and Catholic clergy, underwent radical change to forms based on... Napoléon I, Emperor of the French (born Napoleone di Buonaparte, changed his name to Napoléon Bonaparte)[1] (15 August 1769; Ajaccio, Corsica – 5 May 1821; Saint Helena) was a general during the French Revolution, the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from...

Today, Halle is a regional services and care center, offering trade, educational establishments, general hospital, and public services (61% of the active population works in the services sector).

[edit] Flag

The flag of Halle was adopted on October 1, 1991 and is quartered as saltire (argent and azure). Its proportions are 2:3. If you cut the flag in two vertically and flip both sides, you get a blue lozenge, hinting at Bavaria. For other uses, see Bavaria (disambiguation). ...

On the municipal coat of arms, the first quarter shows an argent-coloured virgin with child on an azure background. The fourth quarter is the coat of arms of the Wittelsbach family. The second and third quarters are the coat of arms of Hainaut, accentuating Halle's position right on the language border. The Wittelsbach family is an European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria. ... Hainaut (French; English traditionally Hainault, Dutch: Henegouwen, German: Hennegau, Walloon: Hinnot) is the westernmost province of Wallonia, one of the three regions of Belgium. ...

[edit] Notable buildings

• The Sint-Martinusbasiliek (Basilica of Saint Martin), also known as the Gothic Church of Our Lady, is a basilica in High Gothic style that was a popular pilgrimage site since the 14th-15th century. The church contains a celebrated miraculous image of the Holy Virgin (Halle Basilica: [1],[2]).
• The former city hall on the main market square (Grote Markt) dates from the Renaissance (City Hall: [3]).
• The former college of the Jesuits currently houses a music and dance academy and the museum of South-West Brabant.

Saint Martin of Tours (Latin: Martinus), (316/317 – November 11, 397 in Candes) was a bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. ... Look up basilica in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The western facade of Reims Cathedral, France. ... This article is about the European Renaissance of the 14th-17th centuries. ... The Society of Jesus (Latin: Societas Iesu), commonly known as the Jesuits, is a Roman Catholic religious order. ...

[edit] Events

• Every year, in the middle of Lent, Carnival is celebrated during three days. This is a colourful event, where various groups make floats and costumes or perform dances. The Halle carnival has been organized since 1905 and has grown to be one of the biggest carnivals in Belgium.
• On Easter Monday, the Sint-Veroonprocessie takes place. This is a religious procession where the relics of the saint are being carried around the village of Lembeek.
• Halle is also the site of a popular pilgrimage to the Blessed Virgin Mary. The present format of this devotion is at least seven centuries old.

For other uses, see Lent (disambiguation). ... This article describes the festival season. ... A procession (via Middle English processioun, French procession, derived from Latin, processio, itself from procedere, to go forth, advance, proceed) is, in general, an organized body of people advancing in a formal or ceremonial manner. ... The church in Lembeek Lembeek is a village in the municipality of Halle, Belgium. ...

[edit] Notable inhabitants

• Edmond Bernhard (1919-2001), film director.
• Jan Boon (1898–1960), one of the pioneers of Belgian television, former chief editor of De Standaard (1929-1939), a Flemish daily newspaper. From 1945 onwards he was the administrator-director-general of the Belgisch Nationaal Instituut voor Radio-Omroep (the Belgian National Institute for Radio Broadcasting, the former NIR, now known as the VRT).
• Jozef Cardijn (1882 - 1967), founder of the Young Christian Workers and cardinal
• Justus Lipsius (1547-1606) wrote his first historical work about Halle.
• Philip II, Duke of Burgundy (1342-1404) died in Halle.
• Adrien-François Servais (1807-1866), Belgian composer and cellist. He has a statue on Halle's main square.
• Koen Wauters (1967-), singer in the band Clouseau, TV presenter and actor.
• Kris Wauters, brother of Koen, member of Clouseau and TV presenter.

Edmond Bernhard (1919, Halle - 2001) was a Belgian film director and professor at the Institut National Supérieur des Arts du Spectacle in Brussels. ... De Standaard (The Standard) is a Flemish daily newspaper with a circulation of 80,696 [1]. The first edition appeared on 4 December 1918. ... The Vlaamse Radio- en Televisieomroep, or VRT, is a publicly-funded broadcaster of radio and television in Flanders (northern part of Belgium). ... The Young Christian Workers is an international Roman Catholic organization founded by Joseph Cardijn in Belgium as the Young Trade Unionists; the organization changed its name in 1924. ... For other uses, see Cardinal (disambiguation). ... Justus Lipsius, Joost Lips or Josse Lips (October 18, 1547 — March 23, 1606), was a Flemish philologian and humanist. ... Philip II, Duke of Burgundy Philip II, Duke of Burgundy, known as the Bold (Philippe II de Bourgogne, le Hardi in French) (January 15, 1342, Pontoise – April 27, 1404, Halle), was the fourth son of King John II of France and his wife, Bonne (Judith), daughter of the king and... Adrien-Francois Servais (Halle, June 6, 1807- Halle, November 26, 1866) was one of the most influential cellists of the nineteenth century. ...

[edit] Notable products

• Duivelsbier, a local beer, is now brewed by the Boon brewery.
• The famous Lambic beer is conjectured to take its name from the village of Lembeek, now part of Halle.

The Boon Brewery in Lembeek The Boon Brewery (Brouwerij F. Boon) is a Belgian brewery situated in Lembeek, near Brussels, that mainly produces geuze and kriek beer of a fairly traditional variety, but using distinctly modern brewing techniques and equipment. ... Traditional wooden Lambic barrels; the L on the barrel indicates the brewery. ... The church in Lembeek Lembeek is a village in the municipality of Halle, Belgium. ...

[edit] References

• Clement, Raymond & Decreton, Jan: "Halle: een Bourgondisch feest", Lannoo, Tielt, 1991, 144 pp., ISBN 9020920243.

[edit] Twin Towns

Czech Republic: Kadaň
Germany: Werl
France: Mouvaux, near Lille

Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Czech_Republic. ... Kadaň (German: Kaaden) is a city in the Ústí nad Labem Region of the Czech Republic. ... Image File history File links Summary Coat of Arms of Kadaň from www. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Germany. ... Werl is a small city located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... For other uses, see Lille (disambiguation). ...

[edit] See also

• Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde electoral district

Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde (often abbreviated as BHV) is a contentious Belgian electoral arrondissement in the center of the country that encompasses both the officially bilingual Brussels-Capital Region, which coincides with the administrative arrondissement of Brussels-Capital, as well as the officially unilingual Dutch-speaking area around it, Halle-Vilvoorde...

[edit] External links

• Official website Only available in Dutch