Waremme (; nl, Borgworm, ; wa, Wareme) is a city and
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the ...
of
Wallonia
Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—al ...
located in the
province of Liège, in
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
.
The city is located on the River
Geer
Geer (; wa, Djer) is a municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Liège, Belgium.
On January 1, 2006, Geer had a total population of 2,854. The total area is 23.62 km² which gives a population density of 121 inhabitants per k ...
( nl, Jeker), in the
loessic
Loess (, ; from german: Löss ) is a clastic, predominantly silt-sized sediment that is formed by the accumulation of wind-blown dust. Ten percent of Earth's land area is covered by loess or similar deposits.
Loess is a periglacial or aeolian ...
Haspengouw region. The economy is based on the cultivation of cereals and sugar beet, and on the food industry.
The municipality includes the following districts:
Bettincourt,
Bleret,
Bovenistier,
Grand-Axhe,
Lantremange,
Oleye, and Waremme.
History
Several findings were unearthed near Waremme containing remnants of
Neolithic
The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several pa ...
and
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
settlements. The main
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
* Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...
road linking
Bavai to
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
passed right through the territory.
Tumuli
A tumulus (plural tumuli) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds or ''kurgans'', and may be found throughout much of the world. A cairn, which is a mound of stones built ...
and Roman
villa
A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became ...
s were found nearby. Romans have also left a
horse burial.
The medieval hamlet of ''Woromia'' was cited for the first time in 965. On February 5, 1078, ''Woromia'' was ceded to the
Prince-Bishopric of Liège
The Prince-Bishopric of Liège or Principality of Liège was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire that was situated for the most part in present-day Belgium. It was an Imperial Estate, so the bishop of Liège, as its prince, ...
, together with its castle, five mills, and six breweries.
By 1215, with its 815 inhabitants, it had grown to town size. Its frontier position near the
Duchy of Brabant
The Duchy of Brabant was a State of the Holy Roman Empire established in 1183. It developed from the Landgraviate of Brabant and formed the heart of the historic Low Countries, part of the Burgundian Netherlands from 1430 and of the Habsburg ...
, however, attracted several raids from the duke, causing it to be burnt to the ground and rebuilt at least a couple of times. In the 14th century, the town built a market place and a hospital, slowly becoming an important regional center, where coins were issued and important meetings held.
During his
conquest of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège,
Charles the Bold
Charles I (Charles Martin; german: Karl Martin; nl, Karel Maarten; 10 November 1433 – 5 January 1477), nicknamed the Bold (German: ''der Kühne''; Dutch: ''de Stoute''; french: le Téméraire), was Duke of Burgundy from 1467 to 1477. ...
burnt the city once more in 1468. In the 16th century, the town became one of the 21 ''bonnes villes'' (main cities) of the
prince-bishopric. In 1748, a quarter of the city was again destroyed by fire, this time accidentally. In 1792, the
French Revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...
ary troops entered the city and closed the convents. Three years later, the Prince-Bishopric of Liège was dissolved and the city became
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
.
The 19th century was prosperous, thanks to the advent of the railways linking
Mechelen
Mechelen (; french: Malines ; traditional English name: MechlinMechelen has been known in English as ''Mechlin'', from where the adjective ''Mechlinian'' is derived. This name may still be used, especially in a traditional or historical contex ...
to
Ans, and the construction of two sugar refineries and several schools. In 1904, Guillaume Moës established his engine and locomotive company
Ateliers Moës-Freres
Ateliers Moës-Freres was an engineering company based in Waremme, Belgium, specialising in engines and locomotives. The company was founded in 1904 by Guillaume Moës (1854–1929). The company saw its greatest success between the First and Se ...
in Waremme; they continued manufacturing in the town until October 2013.
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was List of wars and anthropogenic disasters by death toll, one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, ...
did not bring any destruction to the city, except for that of the old surrounding walls.
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, however, was a lot worse as half of the city was destroyed by air raids, only days before
Liberation Day. The city then counted about 5,000 inhabitants.
Attractions
*The City Hall dates from 1900.
*The town's main church dates from 1881 and houses 14th-century baptismal fonts.
*A natural reserve can also be found on the territory of Waremme.
People born in Waremme
*
Edmond Leburton, prime minister of Belgium in the 1970s (1915–1997)
Twin towns – sister cities
Waremme is
twinned with:
*
Skopje
Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre.
The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; r ...
, North Macedonia
*
Gérardmer, France
*
Gallinaro
Gallinaro is a '' comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Frosinone in the Italian Lazio region. It is about east of Rome and about east of Frosinone.
Geography
Gallinaro is located in the Comino Valley and is crossed by Rio Mollo, a tributar ...
, Italy
References
External links
Official web site(in
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
)
{{Authority control
Cities in Wallonia
Municipalities of Liège Province
Belgium geography articles needing translation from French Wikipedia