Lovendegem () is a town and former
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
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 ...
, one of the three regions of
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
, and in the 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 ...
. The municipality comprised the towns of Lovendegem proper and
Vinderhoute
Vinderhoute is a village in the municipality of Lievegem in the province of East Flanders in Belgium. It is located in the Flemish Valley about north-west of Ghent.
History
Vinderhoute is located in the on the left bank of the and is surroun ...
. In 2018, Lovendegem had a total population of 9,574. The total area is 19.48 km
2.
History
The name of the town was first recorded as ''Lovendenghiem'' in 1150, but there are traces of human settlements back to the
Iron Age
The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...
. The name means "settlement of the people of Lubantos (person)". Lovendegem used to be a complicated patchwork of ''
heerlijkheden
A ''heerlijkheid'' (a Dutch word; pl. ''heerlijkheden''; also called ''heerschap''; Latin: ''Dominium'') was a landed estate that served as the lowest administrative and judicial unit in rural areas in the Dutch-speaking Low Countries before 1800. ...
'' (landed estates) and one barony. The religious wars of the late 16th century and the subsequent repression by the
Iron Duke caused a near abandonment of Lovendegem. For most of its history, it was an agricultural community. From the 1960s onwards, Lovendegem developed into a residential town. and experienced a steady population growth.
The
Ghent-Bruges Canal crosses the municipality, with the town of Lovendegem to the north of the canal, and Vinderhoute to the south.
Effective 1 January 2019,
Waarschoot
Waarschoot () is a town and former municipality located in the Flemish province of East Flanders, in Belgium. The municipality comprised the towns of Waarschoot proper. In 2018, Waarschoot had a total population of 7,967. The total area is .
Until ...
, Lovendegem and
Zomergem
Zomergem () is a town and former municipality located in the Flanders and in the province of East Flanders, in Belgium. The municipality comprises the towns of Oostwinkel, Ronsele and Zomergem proper. On 1 January 2018, Zomergem had a total popul ...
were
merged
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of a company, business organization, or one of their operating units is transferred to or consolidated with another entity. They may happen through direct absorpt ...
into the new municipality of
Lievegem
Lievegem () is a municipality in the Belgian province of East Flanders that arose on 1 January 2019 from the merging of the municipalities of Waarschoot, Lovendegem and Zomergem.
The merged municipality has an area of 80.78 km2 and is ho ...
.
Gallery
Image:Lovendegem, monumentaal pand positie3 foto2 2011-10-03 11.01.JPG, Lovendegem, townhall
Image:Lovendegem, Sint Martinuskerk foto6 2010-10-08 16.19.JPG, Lovendegem, church: Sint Martinuskerk
File:Lovendem 001.JPG, Industry
File:Rode Poort Appensvoordestraat Lovendegem.jpg, Villa in Lovendegem
Famous inhabitants
*
Maurice De Waele
Maurice De Waele (; 27 December 1896 – 14 February 1952) was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer.
De Waele placed second in the 1927 Tour, an hour and fifty eight minutes behind Nicolas Frantz, and third in 1928, again won by ...
, cyclist, winner of the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
References
External links
*
Official website
{{Authority control
Lievegem
Former municipalities of East Flanders
Populated places in East Flanders