Everything about Kortrijk totally explained
» For the Dutch village, see Kortrijk (Netherlands)
Kortrijk (official name in
Dutch;
French:
Courtrai;
Latin:
Cortoriacum) is a
Belgian city and
municipality located in the
Flemish province West Flanders. The wider municipality comprises the city of Kortrijk proper and the towns of
Aalbeke,
Bellegem,
Bissegem,
Heule,
Kooigem,
Marke, and
Rollegem. With 73,657 inhabitants Kortrijk is the
seventh largest city in the
Flemish region.
The city is situated on the
River Lys, 42 km (26 miles) southwest of
Ghent and 25 km (15 miles) northeast of
Lille in
France. Both Kortrijk and Lille are part of the same transnational
Eurodistrict urban area with around 1,700,000 inhabitants.
The
arrondissement of Kortrijk is both a judicial and an administrative
arrondissement.
History
Origins to the 13th century
Cortoriacum was founded by the
Romans at an important crossroads near the
Lys River, then developed as a typical
Gallo-Roman vicus. In the
9th century,
Baldwin II, Count of Flanders established fortifications against the
Normans. The town gained its city
charter in
1190 from
Philip of Alsace. The population growth required new
defensive walls, part of which can still be seen today (the
Broeltorens).
In the
13th century, the battles between
Fernando of Portugal, Count of Flanders and his first cousin, King
Louis VIII of France, led to the destruction of the city. The Counts of Flanders had it rebuilt soon after. From that time, Kortrijk gained great importance as a centre of
linen production.
Battle of the Golden Spurs
In
1302, the population of
Bruges started a successful uprising against the
French, who had annexed
Flanders a couple of years earlier. On
May 18, the French population in that city was murdered, an event that couldn't go unpunished. The famous ensuing
Battle of the Golden Spurs (
Dutch:
Guldensporenslag) between the
Flemish people, mostly commoners and farmers, and
Philip the Fair’s knights took place near Kortrijk on
July 11, resulting in a massive victory for Flanders. This date is now remembered as a national holiday by the whole
Flemish community.
Following a new uprising by the Flemish in
1323, but this time against their own
Count Louis I, the French invaded again. These Flemish acquisitions were consolidated by the French at the
Battle of Cassel (1328). Louis I’s son,
Louis II, then
Philip van Artevelde briefly regained the city in
1381 but lost it again the following year at the
Battle of Roosebeke, resulting in a new wave of plundering and destruction.
15th century until now
Most of the
15th century was prosperous under the
Dukes of Burgundy, until the death of
Mary of Burgundy in
1482, which ushered in renewed fighting with France. The
16th century was marked by the uprising of the
Netherlands in
1539, by
Charles V’s heavy-handed reprisal to it, and later by the confrontations engendered by the
Reformation.
Louis XIV’s reign saw Kortrijk occupied by the French five times in sixty years and its former fortifications razed to the ground. The
Treaty of Utrecht finally gave the whole area to
Austria.
After the
French Revolution and the
Napoleonic era, the
textile industry, based on
flax, and the general economy of the city could finally prosper again. Kortrijk was heavily bombed in the summer of
1917, but even more damaged by the allied bombing in
1944. Most of the city that we see today was rebuilt after the war.
Sights
- On the main square, the façade of the late-Gothic, early Renaissance city hall is adorned with the statues of the Counts of Flanders.
- The nearby belfry is surmounted by a statue of Mercury, god of the merchants. The belfry is classified by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
- The Saint-Martin church dates from the 13th century but was mostly rebuilt after a fire in the 15th century. It now houses a 48-bell carillon.
- The beguinage is one of the quaintest sites in the city, taking visitors back to the 17th century. It too, was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
- The church of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk) was where the golden spurs taken from the battlefield in 1302 were hung. It now houses a famous van Dyck painting.
- Other reminders of Kortrijk's medieval history are the Our Lady Hospital (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwehospitaal), and the near-identical Broel towers with the small bridge in between that spans the river.
- Several museums dot the city, including a fine art and archeological museum, Kortrijk 1302: a historic museum, as well as a flax museum in honour of the plant that once was the main driver of Kortrijk’s economy.
Economy
The city is historically connected with the
flax and the textile industry, and still today the textile industry remains important in the region.
Major companies headquartered in Kortrijk include
Barco and
Bekaert.
Education
The
KULAK, a campus of the
Catholic University of Leuven, is located in Kortrijk. Other institutes of higher education include the KATHO and HOWEST
university colleges.
Transport
Kortrijk lies at the intersection of three highways. The Belgian highway A19 and
European roads E17 and E403. These highways can be reached from the ringroad R8 around the city. The Kortrijk train station has hourly direct connections to many Belgian cities including
Ghent,
Bruges,
Ypres,
Oudenaarde,
Brussels and
Antwerp. It also has a direct connection with the neighbouring French city of
Lille. The city has a small airport known as
Kortrijk-Wevelgem International Airport, which is mainly used for business travel. The
River Lys is used for goods transport and is currently upgraded for ships of, which causes important public works in the city-center.
Sport
Kortrijk has three official football clubs. The most famous of them is
K.V. Kortrijk, which will play in the
Belgian First Division in the 2008-2009 season, after having won the championship in the
Belgian second division during the 2007-2008 season. The second club
SV Kortrijk plays in the
second provincial division. The third club, Wikings Kortrijk, only has youth teams.
Notable citizens
Hendrik Beyaert, architect
Francis Bonaert, architect
John II of Brienne, Count of Eu
Hendrik Conscience, writer
Greg LeMond, 3-time Tour de France Winner
Carl Colpaert, director movie industries
Laurence Courtois, tennis player
Edmée Daenen, pop artist
Stefaan De Clerck, politician and mayor of Kortrijk, former Minister of Justice
Carl de Keyzer, photographer
Pierre de La Rue, Renaissance composer
Ann Demeulemeester, fashion designer
Sophie de Schaepdrijver, historian
Stijn Devolder, road bicycle racer
Ernest Gambart, art publisher and dealer
Guido Gezelle, poet
Robert Gillon (1884-1972), lawyer, politician
Piet Goddaer, singer-composer, mostly under the name:Ozark Henry
Paul Goethals (1832-1901), first Archbishop of Calcutta
The members of electro rock band Goose
Gilles Joye, Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance
Xavier Malisse, tennis player
Isidore of Saint Joseph (1881-1916), Passionist brother, beatified by Pope John Paul II in 1984
Morris, creator of Lucky Luke
Jan Palfyn (1650-1730), doctor, surgeon and inventor of the forceps
Louis Robbe (1806-1887), painter
Roelant Savery (1576-1639), painter
Stijn Streuvels (1871-1969), writer
Jacobus Vaet, Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance
Gella Vandecaveye, judoka
Guido van Gheluwe (b. 1926), founder of the Orde van den Prince
Vincent Van Quickenborne (b. 1973), current minister of enterprise and member of the Kortrijk city council.
Emmanuel Vierin (1869-1954), painter
George Washington, inventor
Town twinning
Kortrijk participates in town twinning to encourage good international relations.
Frascati, Italy
Bad Godesberg, Germany (1964)
Windsor and Maidenhead, United Kingdom
Saint-Cloud, France
Lahore, Pakistan
Greenville, South Carolina, USAFurther Information
Get more info on 'Kortrijk'.
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