New Home Far From Home, Thailand To Gent Belgium
Gent
Ghent (in Dutch : Gent) is the fourth largest city of
Belgium with about 250.000 inhabitants. It is not as big as Antwerp but bigger
than Bruges. It is also less famous among tourists than the often praised
BrugesHowever, for some people Ghent is the real diamond of Flanders and
Belgium. In a unique way, Ghent has managed to preserve its medieval power while
keeping up with the times. The city center alone is a showcase of medieval
Flemish wealth and commercial success. Modern Ghent certainly cannot be
overlooked in Belgium. The city has an important harbor, thanks to the canal
Ghent-Terneuzen which allows sea-going vessels to bring their products to the
city and its industrial hinterland. Because of the central location in the
country, the 'Flanders Technology' fair can regularly be organized. The Belgian
State University (RUG = Rijksuniversiteit Gent) continues to grow in importance.
The presence of so many young people and students has turned Ghent into an
important Flemish cultural center.
Ghent is also the flower city of Belgium. Flower growers from the region around
Ghent sell their beautiful begonia's and azalea's all over the world. Every 5
years the successful 'Gentse Floraliën" ( Ghent Flower Show) attracts thousands
to the city.The tourist will not have eyes enough to admire the awesome
architectural wealth , which offers a splendid combination of impressiveness and
idyllic charm of the proud and (in former times) often rebellious city of Ghent.
Is Ghent the most beautiful city in Belgium ?
In any case, a walking trip through the city will make clear that this city was
a powerful center of trade and commerce. The citizens of the medieval city
certainly did their best to turn Ghent into a rich showcase of beautiful civil
gothic buildings. The buildings and monuments listed on the left side of the
page can all be seen and visited during a walking tour through the historic
center.
Archeological research has proved that there was human settlement in Ghent
during prehistoric times. Only later, in the Roman period, the nucleus of a city
began to grow near the confluence of the two rivers Scheldt and Leie. (The
flemish name 'Gent' is probably derived from the Celtic 'Ganda', which meant
confluence). It was around the year 630 that Ghent continued to grow when the
Abbey of Saint Peter (later Abbey of Saint Bavo) was founded. Later, a second
abbey was founded on the so-called 'Blandijnberg'. It was around these two
religious centers that a residential nucleus came into existence. This early
city was important enough to create a 'portus' with commercial activity.
Charlemagne gave it a fleet for protection against the Vikings. In both 851 and
879 the Vikings attacked and plundered the city. Shortly afterwards a first
wooden fortification was built for better protection. It stood on the spot where
now the impressive 'Castle of the Count' can be visited.
Under the rule of Philip II of Spain (son of Charles V)
Gent suffered like most other cities of Flanders and the low countries under the
continuous religious troubles between Protestants and Catholics. Lots of people
left the impoverished Flanders and settled in England and Germany. It was only
under the Archdukes Albert and Isabella that Gent could flourish once more.
Later, the economic situation improved thanks to the construction of the canal
between the Gent harbor and the city of Ostende. War, however, was never far
away, especially when Louis XIV of France repeatedly tried to conquer Flanders.
The Austrian period of the 18th century again brought peace and prosperity. New
industries were developed (sugar refineries and cotton mills).
In 1795 the former Austrian Netherlands were annexed to France. As from 1800 the
cotton industry started to flourish. A citizen of Gent, Lieven Bauwens, had
smuggled the plans for a cotton mill out of England. Gent turned into one of the
most important industrial centers of the French Empire. After the battle of
Waterloo and the defeat of Napoleon, the French Netherlands were united with
Holland into the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. King William I founded the
Gent University in 1817 and had the canal Gent-Terneuzen constructed. Gent
continued to grow as an industrial center.
The number of inhabitants tripled in the 19th century. The miserable working and
housing conditions of the working-class resulted in the creation of the first
Belgian trade union in Gent. Gent also played an important part in the Flemish
movement in Belgium. In 1886 the Royal Academy of Language and Literature was
founded. In 1930 the Gent University became a Dutch-language university. Now,
Gent has a population of about 250.000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the
Belgian province of East-Flanders.
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