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Ninove () is a
city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...
and
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' ...
in the
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 ...
province of
East Flanders East Flanders ( ; ; ; ) is a Provinces of Belgium, province of Belgium. It borders (clockwise from the North) the Netherlands, Dutch province of Zeeland and the Belgian provinces of Antwerp (province), Antwerp, Flemish Brabant, Hainaut (provinc ...
in Belgium. It is on the river
Dender The Dender () or Dendre () is a long river in Belgium, the right tributary of the river Scheldt. The confluence of the two rivers is in the Belgian town of Dendermonde. The Western or Little Dender is long and begins in Barry near Leuze-en-Hain ...
, and is part of the
Denderstreek The Denderstreek or Denderland is a region in Belgium. It is named after the river Dender. Though the river stretches over three provinces, Hainaut (province), Hainaut, East Flanders and Flemish Brabant, the region called after the river is situa ...
. The municipality comprises the city of Ninove proper and since the 1976 merger of the towns of , , , ,
Meerbeke Meerbeke is a village in the Denderstreek in the province of East Flanders in Belgium. Administratively it is part of the municipality of Ninove. This rural community is located along the Dender River on the western border of what is known as "Pajo ...
, , , , , and . On 1 January 2023 Ninove had a total population of 40.090. The total area is 72.57 km2 which gives a population density of 553 inhabitants per km2.


History

The oldest version of the name "Ninove", ''Neonifus'' dates from the 9th century. Later versions of the city name were ''Ninive'' and ''Nineve''. The current version of the city name dates from the 14th century. The origin of the city name is not clear. There are two theories about the origin. One states that name is from Roman origin, the other states that it is of
Frankish Frankish may refer to: * Franks, a Germanic tribe and their culture ** Frankish language or its modern descendants, Franconian languages, a group of Low Germanic languages also commonly referred to as "Frankish" varieties * Francia, a post-Roman ...
origin. The meaning of the name, however, is known. Ninove means "nieuw weiland" or in English, "new pasture". During Roman rule, Ninove was a small settlement located in the current "''Nederwijk''". With the arrival of the Franks in the 4th century AD, the settlement grew to a small agricultural town. The area on which Ninove is located was from 843 on part of the
Holy Roman Empire The Holy Roman Empire, also known as the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation after 1512, was a polity in Central and Western Europe, usually headed by the Holy Roman Emperor. It developed in the Early Middle Ages, and lasted for a millennium ...
. In the 11th century this area was conquered by the
Count of Flanders The count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders, beginning in the 9th century. Later, the title would be held for a time, by the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Spain. During the French Revolution, in 1790, the c ...
, Boudewijn V and the whole area between the rivers
Scheldt The Scheldt ( ; ; ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of Netherlands, the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corresponding to Old Englis ...
and
Dender The Dender () or Dendre () is a long river in Belgium, the right tributary of the river Scheldt. The confluence of the two rivers is in the Belgian town of Dendermonde. The Western or Little Dender is long and begins in Barry near Leuze-en-Hain ...
became part of Flanders. From the 11th century on, the medieval
castrum ''Castra'' () is a Latin language, Latin term used during the Roman Republic and Roman Empire for a military 'camp', and ''castrum'' () for a 'Fortification, fort'. Either could refer to a building or plot of land, used as a fortified milita ...
was fortified into a castle stronghold. Because it lay on the trade route between
Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
and Brabant, the town prospered and grew into a city. In 1137,
Norbertine The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their habit), is a religious order of canons regular in the Catholic Church ...
monks from
Park Abbey Park Abbey (; also Parc Abbey) is a Premonstratensian abbey in Belgium, at Heverlee just south of Leuven, in Flemish Brabant. The ''Annales Parchenses'' were written here in the 12th century. History The abbey was founded in 1129 by Godfrey I ...
founded the Saint Cornelius Abbey (Abbey of Our Lady and SS. Cornelius and Cyprian), adjacent to the city (''see below''). In 1295 the town and lands were bought by the
count of Flanders The count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders, beginning in the 9th century. Later, the title would be held for a time, by the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Spain. During the French Revolution, in 1790, the c ...
Guy of Dampierre Guy of Dampierre (; ) ( – 7 March 1305, Compiègne) was the Count of Flanders (1251–1305) and Marquis of Namur (1264–1305). He was a prisoner of the French when his Flemings defeated the latter at the Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302 ...
. His grandson Henry awarded the town a city charter in 1339. The 15th–17th centuries were a bad time for the city as the region was plagued with war and religious and political strife. The abbey was plundered by the French in 1578 during the reformation. In 1658, Ninove was occupied by the French army. After the
Treaty of the Pyrenees The Treaty of the Pyrenees(; ; ) was signed on 7 November 1659 and ended the Franco-Spanish War that had begun in 1635. Negotiations were conducted and the treaty was signed on Pheasant Island, situated in the middle of the Bidasoa River on ...
, the French returned the area back to Spain but the area was to change hands many times during the wars of
Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...
and
Louis XV of France Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity (then defi ...
. During the 17th century Ninove was crippled under the indemnities laid on it by the warring parties and the town faced a big economic crisis as its cloth industry went into decline. The big abbey was closed by the French in 1796, after Flanders was annexed to France. The town served as a cavalry headquarters during the
Waterloo Campaign The Waterloo campaign, also known as the Belgian campaign (15 June – 8 July 1815) was fought between the French Army of the North (France), Army of the North and two War of the Seventh Coalition, Seventh Coalition armies, an Anglo-allied arm ...
of 1815. During the 19th century Ninove became industrialized and by the time of the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, the city became the centre of the Flemish
match A match is a tool for starting a fire. Typically, matches are made of small wooden sticks or stiff paper. One end is coated with a material that can be ignited by friction generated by striking the match against a suitable surface. Wooden matc ...
industry. This industry however declined in importance until the last match factory closed during the late 1970s. From 1973 to 2011 the town of
Meerbeke Meerbeke is a village in the Denderstreek in the province of East Flanders in Belgium. Administratively it is part of the municipality of Ninove. This rural community is located along the Dender River on the western border of what is known as "Pajo ...
was the finish of the cycling race
Tour of Flanders The Tour of Flanders () may refer to the following cycle races: * Tour of Flanders (men's race) The Tour of Flanders (), also known as ''De Ronde'' (''"The Tour"''), is an annual road bicycle racing, road cycling race held in Belgium every spri ...
. The population of Ninove has steadily grown and the city has become an attractive centre for commercial, recreational and economical activities in the area, and plays host to a popular annual Volkswagen show every March, specifically for air-cooled vehicles, i.e. Beetles, Camper-vans, Type 3's, 4's etc. The opening of a shopping mall in the centre of the city, as well as new sport and cultural infrastructure, and the construction of many residential apartment buildings have made Ninove a growing competitor for nearby Aalst and an ideal living-place for many commuters who work in nearby
Brussels Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
.


Premonstratensian abbey

The
Premonstratensian The Order of Canons Regular of Prémontré (), also known as the Premonstratensians, the Norbertines and, in Britain and Ireland, as the White Canons (from the colour of their habit), is a religious order of canons regular in the Catholic Chur ...
abbot of
Park Abbey Park Abbey (; also Parc Abbey) is a Premonstratensian abbey in Belgium, at Heverlee just south of Leuven, in Flemish Brabant. The ''Annales Parchenses'' were written here in the 12th century. History The abbey was founded in 1129 by Godfrey I ...
founded the
Abbey of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian Ninove Abbey (Dutch: ''Abdij van Sint-Cornelius en Sint-Cyprianus'') was a monastery of the Premonstratensian Order in the center of Ninove, in the province of East Flanders, Belgium. Only the abbey church now remains. The parish church at Ninove ...
in 1137. The monks settled on uncultivated lands which had been offered to them by the lord of Ninove which were near the town, on the banks of the river
Dender The Dender () or Dendre () is a long river in Belgium, the right tributary of the river Scheldt. The confluence of the two rivers is in the Belgian town of Dendermonde. The Western or Little Dender is long and begins in Barry near Leuze-en-Hain ...
. The community continued to grow and its financial position soon allowed it to occupy the adjacent parishes. The lay brothers undertook the farm work. Because of its large landholdings, the abbey soon became one of the biggest grain producers in Flanders. The 16th and 17th centuries were difficult times because of the political troubles and the effects of the
French wars of religion The French Wars of Religion were a series of civil wars between French Catholic Church, Catholics and Protestantism, Protestants (called Huguenots) from 1562 to 1598. Between two and four million people died from violence, famine or disease di ...
on the
Southern Netherlands The Southern Netherlands, also called the Catholic Netherlands, were the parts of the Low Countries belonging to the Holy Roman Empire which were at first largely controlled by Habsburg Spain (Spanish Netherlands, 1556–1714) and later by the ...
. The 18th century brought a period of calm and prosperity. All the abbey buildings were reconstructed to the plans of a Ghent architect advised by
Laurent-Benoît Dewez Laurent-Benoît Dewez (14 April 1731 – 1 November 1812) was a Belgians, Belgian architect of Walloons, Walloon origin. He is considered the most influential architect in the Austrian Netherlands (present-day Belgium) from the second half of t ...
. The abbey was suppressed in 1796 during the French Revolution. The abbey community was able to buy it back but this process lasted until 1822. Many of the buildings were demolished during the first half of the 19th century. The abbey church became the parish church of the Assumption of Mary in 1813.


City politics

Since 1 November 2015, the mayor of Ninove has been (
Open VLD The Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (, , Open Vld) is a Flemish liberal political party in Belgium. The party has been described as centre-right and has smaller factions within the party that have conservative liberal and social liberal ...
). The city council currently has 33 members, and is composed as follows: * Open VLD – 9 seats * Forza Ninove (
Vlaams Belang Vlaams Belang (; ; VB) is a Flemish nationalist, Eurosceptic and right-wing populist political party in the Flemish Region and Brussels Capital Region of Belgium. It is widely considered by the media and political analysts to be on the polit ...
) – 15 seats * Samen (
SP.a Vooruit (, Dutch for Forward) is a Flemish social democratic political party in Belgium. It was formerly known as the (Flemish) Socialist Party (1978–2001: ''Socialistische Partij'', SP; 2001–2021: ''Socialistische Partij Anders'' , , SP.A) ...
-
Groen Groen or de Groen is a surname of Dutch people, Dutch origin, meaning ''green''.CD&V Christian Democratic and Flemish (, ; CD&V) is a Flemish Christian-democratic political party in Belgium. The party has historical ties to both trade unionism ( ACV) and trade associations ( UNIZO) and the Farmer's League. Until 2001, the party w ...
) – 7 seats *
N-VA The New Flemish Alliance ( ; N-VA) is a Flemish nationalist, conservative political party in Belgium. The party was established in 2001 by the right-leaning faction of the centrist-nationalist People's Union (VU). The N-VA is a regionalist an ...
– 2 seats


2001–2007

CD&V and N-VA had allied themselves for the 2000 election, and formed a coalition with the VLD. Due to the increase of population, the threshold of 35,000 inhabitants had been passed and Ninove saw an increase from 31 to 33 council members for the communal elections, which were held on Sunday 8 October 2006. The municipal elections on 8 October 2006 let the VLD retain its 12 seats, the CD&V win a seat, giving them a total of 8, the Vlaams Belang double its seats, giving them a total of 8, the socialist party PRO Ninove lose a seat, making a total of 4, and the Green Party hold their single seat. The coalition between VLD and CD&V was renewed, but without the N-VA.


2007–2012

During the 2 January 2007 elections of the OCMW council, one member of the VLD fraction voted for a candidate of Vlaams Belang, making the VLD lose 1 seat. After an investigation led by the local chapter of the VLD, it was announced that the person they suspected to be the culprit was
Schepen A schepen (Dutch, ; . ') or échevin (French, , ) or Schöffe (German, ) is a municipal officer in Belgium and formerly the Netherlands, where it has been replaced by the (a municipal executive). In modern Belgium, the ''schepen'' or ''échevin'' ...
Mariette De Smet. De Smet announced she would leave the VLD, but would remain in the council of the mayor and aldermen as an independent. Her colleagues in the council stripped her of all her duties, but after a few months she regained a few of them. On 9 January 2008 De Smet, fellow VLD schepen Corijn and another VLD member of the city council announced they were joining LDD, leaving the VLD-CD&V with a brittle one seat majority on the city council. The LDD alderman however elected to stay in the majority, making for a brittle coalition. On 5 May 2009 a Vlaams Belang councilmember defected to the LDD. In 2009 mayor Luc Durant announced he would resign for health reasons. He was replaced in September by Michel Casteur. In 2010 another VB councilmember left the party to become an independent. In January 2011 Mariette De Smet announced she would join the Vlaams Belang lead chartel list "Forza Ninove" and left LDD. She was then again stripped of her duties by her fellow aldermen. On 27 July 2011 De Smet was murdered in a murder-suicide by a friend of her husband. She was replaced as alderman by a member of the VLD. In 2012 the local LDD disbanded with its members either joining Forza Ninove or N-VA.


2013–2018

The municipal elections on 14 October 2012 saw the ruling VLD-CD&V-LDD coalition head for electoral defeat as the VLD (9) lost three and the CD&V (4) lost four seats. Vlaams Belang, under the cartel name "Forza Ninove", won a seat, giving them a total of 9. The socialist party SP.a and the Green Party formed a chartel and won six seats. N-VA won 5 seats. After the negotiations between Open VLD, SP.a-Groen and N-VA collapsed, the coalition between Open VLD and CD&V was renewed but expanded with SP.a-Groen. N-VA, claiming election irregularities by CD&V and "Forza Ninove", launched and won an administrative appeal. This ruling vacated the election results and ordered new elections to be held. Open VLD, CD&V and SP.a-Groen appealed this ruling to the
Council of State A council of state is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head ...
which in February 2013 subsequently overthrew the previous ruling and restored the election results. The new city council and aldermen were finally inaugurated on 25 February 2013. On 1 November 2015 mayor Casteur stood down and was replaced by Tania De Jonge.


2019–2024

The municipal elections on 14 October 2018 saw Forza Ninove win a landslide victory with 40% of the vote, winning 15 seats (+6). Open VLD retained its 9 seats, SAMEN (a cartel of socialists, greens and Christian-democrats) won 7 seats. N-VA won 2 seats (−3). Forza was unable to form a majority coalition, and ultimately Open VLD and SAMEN combined with one councillor from N-VA who sits as an independent to form a majority.


2024-now

In the
2024 Belgian local elections The 2024 Belgium, Belgian Provinces of Belgium, provincial, Municipalities of Belgium, municipal and Districts of Antwerp, district elections took place on Sunday 13 October 2024, four months after the simultaneous 2024 European Parliament elect ...
, Forza Ninove won an absolute majority in the municipality, leading to Guy d'Haeseleer becoming the first-ever Vlaams Belang mayor.


List of former mayors


Nicknames

Throughout the ages the inhabitants of Ninove were given various nicknames as a title of honour or mockery.


''Wortelmannen or Wortels''

The inhabitants were given the title of "wortelmannen" or "wortels" (Dutch for carrot people or carrot) because of an event during the Middle Ages. During a row with the neighbouring city of Aalst, the people of Aalst decided to besiege Ninove. The inhabitants of Ninove were completely surprised by this attack and were found unprepared. In all the confusion the key to close the city gate could not be found. To bolt the gate, a carrot was used. A passing donkey saw the carrot-bolt and ate it, leaving the city gate unbolted and the militiamen from Aalst free entry of the city.


''De Oudste, de Stoutste en de Wijste der Steden''

Ninove was described by
Antonius Sanderus Antonius Sanderus (Antwerp, 15 September 1586 – Affligem, 10 January 1664) was a Flemish Catholic cleric and historian. Biography Sanderus was born "Antoon Sanders", but like all writers and scholars of his time he Latinized his name. Having ...
as the Oldest, the Boldest and the Wisest of Cities. Sanderus wrote in his ''Flandria Illustrata'': Ninove was called the oldest because of the similarity of its name with the ancient
Assyria Assyria (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , ''māt Aššur'') was a major ancient Mesopotamian civilization that existed as a city-state from the 21st century BC to the 14th century BC and eventually expanded into an empire from the 14th century BC t ...
n city
Nineveh Nineveh ( ; , ''URUNI.NU.A, Ninua''; , ''Nīnəwē''; , ''Nīnawā''; , ''Nīnwē''), was an ancient Assyrian city of Upper Mesopotamia, located in the modern-day city of Mosul (itself built out of the Assyrian town of Mepsila) in northern ...
, the boldest because it waited on the enemy with open gates and the wisest because the city had no jester or town fool, if one was needed a fool from a neighbouring town was lent.


Media


Newspapers

Ninove is the home of independent digital news outlet Ninofmedia. Founded in 2013, Ninofmedia primarily covers news in Ninove and other surrounding areas in the Denderstreek.


Radio

Since March 2021, Radio Ninove (95 FM) has been operating as a local radio station licensed to serve Ninove. It was founded by experienced radio hosts who had previously worked at other radio stations in East Flanders, primarily in the city of Aalst. Radio Ninove aims to be a "partner in life" of Ninove's residents and local businesses by covering regional news, sports, politics, culture, and other important topics and events. The predecessor to Radio Ninove—a station of the same name—was active during the 1980s. Radio Ninove is involved in a close partnership with enkaavee, a radio station dedicated entirely to the Carnival of Ninove.


People

* Johannes Despauterius (ca.1480–1520), Flemish humanist * Anthoni Schoonjans (1655–1726), painter * Frans Hemerijckx (1902–1969), physician, worked among lepers in the Belgian Congo and India * Louis Waltniel (1925–2001), liberal politician and industrialist * Willy Roggeman (born 1934), writer and
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
musician * (born 1953), chairman
ABVV The General Labour Federation of Belgium (, , FGTB; , , ABVV) is a socialist national trade union federation in Belgium. It was founded in 1945. It is affiliated with the International Trade Union Confederation and has a membership of 1.5 million ...
* Johan Evenepoel (born 1965), Belgian composer


Sports

*
Romain Gijssels Romain Gijssels ( Denderwindeke, 10 March 1907 – Paris, 31 March 1978) was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer between 1930 and 1936. In 1932, Gijssels won both the Tour of Flanders and Paris–Roubaix in the same season, which (up to 2 ...
(1907–1978), professional
road bicycle racer Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most com ...
*
Wesley Sonck Wesley Sonck (born 9 August 1978) is a Belgian professional association football, football manager and former player who manages the Belgium national under-19 football team, Belgium U19 national team. He played as a striker (association football ...
(born 1978), former football player of the Belgium national team *
Geert De Vos Geert De Vos (born 6 October 1981) is a Belgian darts player. His nickname is "Foxy". Career In 2012, De Vos qualified for the first time for BDO World Darts Championship; this performance led to a wildcard for the Zuiderduin Masters. During t ...
(born 1981), is a Belgian dart player who plays for the British Darts Organisation *
Kevin van der Perren Kevin van der Perren (born 6 August 1982) is a Belgian former competitive figure skater. He is the 2007 & 2009 European Figure Skating Championships, European bronze medalist, a three-time Grand Prix medalist, and an eight-time (2000–2004, 200 ...
(born 1982), ice skater, 9th at the
Winter Olympics The Winter Olympic Games (), also known as the Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were held i ...
*
Laurens de Plus Laurens De Plus (born 4 September 1995) is a Belgian cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam . He was named in the start list for the 2017 Giro d'Italia, and in the startlist for the 2019 Tour de France. He is the older brother of fellow ...
(born 1995), professional
road bicycle racer Road bicycle racing is the cycle sport discipline of road cycling, held primarily on paved roads. Road racing is the most popular professional form of bicycle racing, in terms of numbers of competitors, events and spectators. The two most com ...


References


External links

*
Official website of the OCMW NinoveOfficial demographic statistics of Ninove – 2006

Official demographic statistics of Ninove – 2007
– Only available in Dutch

– Article about the Norbertine monastery
Official site Carnival Ninove
Only available in Dutch {{Authority control Municipalities of East Flanders Populated places in East Flanders