Merchtem () is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

located in the Belgian province of

Flemish Brabant Flemish Brabant ( ; ) is a province of Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. It borders on (clockwise from the North) the Belgian provinces of Antwerp, Limburg, Liège, Walloon Brabant, Hainaut and East Flanders. Flemish Brabant also ...

. The municipality comprises the villages of

Brussegem Merchtem () is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality located in the Belgium, Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. The municipality comprises the villages of Brussegem and Hamme (Merchtem), Hamme, the hamlets of Ossel and Peizegem, and Merchtem ...

and

Hamme Hamme () is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality located in the Belgium, Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the settlements of Hamme proper, Kastel Moerzeke, and . In 2018, Hamme had a total population of 24,827. ...

, the hamlets of Ossel and Peizegem, and Merchtem proper. On July 9, 2009, Merchtem had a total population of 15,298. The total area is 36.72 km² which gives a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

of 416 inhabitants per km².

Folklore

Merchtem is known for 'de steltenlopers', people walking on

stilts Stilts are poles, posts or pillars that allow a person or structure to stand at a height above the ground. In flood plains, and on beaches or unstable ground, buildings are often constructed on stilts to protect them from damage by water, wav ...

(up to several meters above ground). Langevelde, a part of the municipality, was frequently flooded after heavy rain. In order to reach the centre, people were using sticks to walk. After an internal struggle, the group split up in two parts, 'stichting Langevelde' and 'stichting Jan Vaderhasselt'.

Language controversy

On August 28, 2006 mayor

Eddie de Block Eddie may refer to: *Eddie (text editor), a text editor originally for BeOS and now ported to Linux and Mac OS X *Eddie (crater), a crater on Mars *Eddie (given name) *The Eddie, a surfing tournament Arts and entertainment * ''Eddie'' (film), a 1 ...

introduced a ban on speaking

French French may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France ** French people, a nation and ethnic group ** French cuisine, cooking traditions and practices Arts and media * The French (band), ...

in the town's schools. Mayor de Block said that the measure did not violate

human rights Human rights are universally recognized Morality, moral principles or Social norm, norms that establish standards of human behavior and are often protected by both Municipal law, national and international laws. These rights are considered ...

and that it would help

integration Integration may refer to: Biology *Multisensory integration *Path integration * Pre-integration complex, viral genetic material used to insert a viral genome into a host genome *DNA integration, by means of site-specific recombinase technology, ...

. A previous ban on signs in languages different from

Dutch Dutch or Nederlands commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands ** Dutch people as an ethnic group () ** Dutch nationality law, history and regulations of Dutch citizenship () ** Dutch language () * In specific terms, i ...

in the town's markets had been overturned by

Flemish Flemish may refer to: * Flemish, adjective for Flanders, Belgium * Flemish region, one of the three regions of Belgium *Flemish Community, one of the three constitutionally defined language communities of Belgium * Flemish dialects, a Dutch dialec ...

Interior Minister An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a Cabinet (government), cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and iden ...

Marino Keulen Marino Ghislainus Keulen (born 24 October 1963) is a Belgian politician from Flanders and a member of the Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats party. He is a representative in the Flemish Parliament, and served in the Flemish Government of 2004 ...

Places of interest

File:Parochiekerk Onze-Lieve-Vrouw Kerkstraat Merchtem Belgium.jpg, Onze-Lieve-Vrouw church File:Merchtemsteltenlopers.jpg, Steltenlopers

References

External links

*
Official website
{{Authority control Municipalities of Flemish Brabant