Malle () is a municipality located in the

Campine The Campine () or Kempen () is a natural region situated chiefly in north-eastern Belgium and parts of the south-eastern Netherlands which once consisted mainly of extensive moors, tracts of sandy heath, and wetlands. It encompasses a large n ...

region of the Belgian province of

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

. The municipality comprises the villages of

Oostmalle Oostmalle is a village which is located in the Belgium, Belgian province of Antwerp (province), Antwerp. The village itself is part of the municipality of Malle. Oostmalle was an independent municipality until 1976. It has a surface area of 28.27& ...

and Westmalle. In 2021, Malle had a total population of 15,620. The total area is 51.99 km².

History

Early history

The origin and meaning of the word Malle is uncertain: on the one hand it could refer to an extended plain, border or stop, but more likely it refers to a place which was used by the

Franks file:Frankish arms.JPG, Aristocratic Frankish burial items from the Merovingian dynasty The Franks ( or ; ; ) were originally a group of Germanic peoples who lived near the Rhine river, Rhine-river military border of Germania Inferior, which wa ...

for legal matters. A ''Mallum'' was a general court session presided by the count. In Irish, the name ''Ó Maoileoin'', means a devotee of St. John. A record of the name Malle emerges for the first time in 1194, when the bishop of Kamerijk donated the altar of Malle and Vorsele to the ''Chapter of Our Kind Lady of Antwerp''. Originally Oostmalle, Westmalle and

Zoersel Zoersel () is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the towns of , , and Zoersel proper. In 2021, Zoersel had a total population of 22,142. The total area is 38.65 km2. Sports The women's A s ...

were joined into one domain: Malle, which was part of the County Toxandria. The origin of

dates back to the

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 Roman civilization *Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...

era, when a settlement was built along the

Roman road Roman roads ( ; singular: ; meaning "Roman way") were physical infrastructure vital to the maintenance and development of the Roman state, built from about 300 BC through the expansion and consolidation of the Roman Republic and the Roman Em ...

from ''Trajectum ad Rhenum'' (

Utrecht Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...

) to Bavay (now approximately the ''Lierselei'' and the ''Hoogstraatsebaan''). During the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

(476–1492), Oostmalle was part of the

Duchy of Brabant The Duchy of Brabant, a Imperial State, state of the Holy Roman Empire, was established in 1183. It developed from the Landgraviate of Brabant of 1085–1183, and formed the heart of the historic Low Countries. The Duchy comprised part of the Bu ...

, governed by lords like Jan Van Hesselbeke and Jan Volckaert (around 1300). The ''lower'' feudal rights belonged to the House of

Breda Breda ( , , , ) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the southern part of the Netherlands, located in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant. ...

, the ''higher'' rights belonged to the

Duke of Brabant The Duke of Brabant (, ) was the ruler of the Duchy of Brabant since 1183/1184. The title was created by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa in favor of Henry I, Duke of Brabant, Henry I of the House of Reginar, son of Godfrey III of Le ...

. Westmalle's origin dates to before 1100, when the place of residence (''Mansus'') of the representative (''Villicus'' or ''Meier'') of the

was mentioned in historical record. The history of Westmalle Castle reflects the history of the governing families of Westmalle. Henry I, Duke of Brabant granted some feudal rights to the

abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the head of an independent monastery for men in various Western Christian traditions. The name is derived from ''abba'', the Aramaic form of the Hebrew ''ab'', and means "father". The female equivale ...

of the Abbey of Villers on the condition that a

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

would be built in Westmalle. However, the monastery was built in Hemiksem instead.

Separation of Malle

In the first half of the 13th century Malle was separated when the County of Strijen was divided; Oostmalle came to belong to the County of

, Westmalle and Zoersel remained with the

. Westmalle was governed by a local ''Meier'' belonging subsequently to the families van der Moelen, de Cotereau en Powis and also by the Abbot of the Abbey of Villers. About 1300 the feudal rights of Oostmalle were divided between Jan van Hesselbeke and Jacobus van Dworp. Jan Volkaert I, was married with the daughter of the Jan van Hesselbeke. He owned half of the feudal rights of Oostmalle, while the other half was owned by his brother-in-law Jacob van Couree. Later on the feudal rights went to the Lords of

Berchem Berchem () is a southern Districts of Antwerp, district of the municipality and city of Antwerp in the Flemish Region of Belgium. Berchem is located along the old ''Grote Steenweg'' (Dutch language, Dutch for 'Big Paved Road') that has connected ...

. Between 1431 and 1464 Willem van Berchem built a

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

in Oostmalle. By the end of the 16th century, from 1602 onwards, during the entire

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

, all

feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...

rights of Oostmalle belonged to the family '' van Renesse'' (French: de Renesse), descendants of Jan van Renesse.

16th to 18th century

Almost continuously the

villages were plundered and besieged; foreign troops caused severe havoc, and also brought with them diseases like the

Bubonic plague Bubonic plague is one of three types of Plague (disease), plague caused by the Bacteria, bacterium ''Yersinia pestis''. One to seven days after exposure to the bacteria, flu-like symptoms develop. These symptoms include fever, headaches, and ...

. Oostmalle suffered most from the plague between 1575 and 1605. In 1542, during the wars of Charles of Guelders against

Charles V Charles V may refer to: Kings and Emperors * Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor (1500–1558) * Charles V of Naples (1661–1700), better known as Charles II of Spain * Charles V of France (1338–1380), called the Wise Others * Charles V, Duke ...

, Oostmalle and Renesse Castle were destroyed by the troops of Maarten van Rossum. The entire region suffered severely during the

Eighty Years War The Eighty Years' War or Dutch Revolt (; 1566/1568–1648) was an armed conflict in the Habsburg Netherlands between disparate groups of rebels and the Spanish government. The causes of the war included the Reformation, centralisation, exce ...

, between the Protestant north of the

Low Countries The Low Countries (; ), historically also known as the Netherlands (), is a coastal lowland region in Northwestern Europe forming the lower Drainage basin, basin of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta and consisting today of the three modern "Bene ...

and the Spanish-controlled

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 ...

. During the 1580s, only 23 families survived in Westmalle and they had to hide for four years at Westmalle Castle because of the Spanish troops, who were ravaging the region. During the 17th century the region suffered from several attacks from the

Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, commonly referred to in historiography as the Dutch Republic, was a confederation that existed from 1579 until the Batavian Revolution in 1795. It was a predecessor state of the present-day Netherlands ...

. Around 1620,

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

n (In old Flemish: ''Krawaten'') soldiers of the Spanish army occupied Malle. In 1626 a ''Chapel of Saint Anthony'' was built in Salphen for people from Oostmalle who fled their village to escape the plague. At the end of the 17th century, during the Dutch War (1672–1678) Westmalle was almost entirely burned to ashes. At the start of the 18th century, the region suffered during the

War of the Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish E ...

when French troops occupied Malle in 1703. Following the

French Revolutionary Wars The French Revolutionary Wars () were a series of sweeping military conflicts resulting from the French Revolution that lasted from 1792 until 1802. They pitted French First Republic, France against Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain, Habsb ...

the

Austrian Netherlands The Austrian Netherlands was the territory of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire between 1714 and 1797. The period began with the acquisition by the Austrian Habsburg monarchy of the former Spanish Netherlands under the Treaty of Ras ...

were invaded and annexed by the

First French Republic In the history of France, the First Republic (), sometimes referred to in historiography as Revolutionary France, and officially the French Republic (), was founded on 21 September 1792 during the French Revolution. The First Republic lasted u ...

in 1792. Shortly after the invasion of the French army, an epidemic of

dysentery Dysentery ( , ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications may include dehyd ...

hit Malle.

Modern era

After the defeat of

Napoleon I of France Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

in 1814,

Cossack The Cossacks are a predominantly East Slavic Eastern Christian people originating in the Pontic–Caspian steppe of eastern Ukraine and southern Russia. Cossacks played an important role in defending the southern borders of Ukraine and Rus ...

s occupied Malle and plundered the village. Only after the Dutch rule during the period of the

United Kingdom of the Netherlands The United Kingdom of the Netherlands is the unofficial name given to the Kingdom of the Netherlands as it existed from 1815 to 1839. The United Netherlands was created in the aftermath of the Napoleonic Wars through the fusion of territories t ...

(1815–1830) and the establishment of the kingdom 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 ...

, came a period of increasing prosperity for the region. In 1885 Oostmalle became the centre for the Tram network of the region, which would last until 1962. During World War I and World War II Malle escaped severe damage. On 25 June 1967, Oostmalle was hit by a tornado which destroyed the church and 135 houses. On 1 January 1977 Oostmalle and Westmalle were reunited, first under the name Westmalle, and since 30 June 1979 under the original name Malle.

Tourism

Important curiosities in Malle include the Trappist Abbey of Westmalle and its

brewery A brewery or brewing company is a business that makes and sells beer. The place at which beer is commercially made is either called a brewery or a beerhouse, where distinct sets of brewing equipment are called plant. The commercial brewing of b ...

, Renesse Castle, the Scherpenberg mill, Westmalle Castle which dates back to 1100, and the Castle of Blommerschot. The Chapel of

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Our Mother of Perpetual Succour (), colloquially known as Our Lady of Perpetual Help), is a Catholic Church, Catholic Titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with a 15th-century Byzantine art, Byzantine ico ...

(Dutch: Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Bijstand) at the Herentalsebaan was built by Leonard Pierre Joseph du Bus de Gisignies in 1837. In 1930 a

Lourdes Lourdes (, also , ; ) is a market town situated in the Pyrenees. It is part of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. Prior to the mid-19th century, the town was best known for its Château fort, a ...

cave was added to the chapel (inaugurated on 7 May 1933), and in 1934 a

Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Via Dolorosa, Way of Sorrows or the , are a series of fourteen images depicting Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and acc ...

was added in remembrance of King

Albert I of Belgium Albert I (8 April 1875 – 17 February 1934) was King of the Belgians from 23 December 1909 until his death in 1934. He is popularly referred to as the Knight King (, ) or Soldier King (, ) in Belgium in reference to his role during World War I ...

. The sculptor of the latter was Simon Gossens. Malle has three churches: the Church of

Saint Lawrence Saint Lawrence or Laurence (; 31 December 225 – 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the Persecution of Christians, persecution of the Christians that the Roman Empire, Rom ...

(Dutch: Sint Laurentius, Oostmalle), the Church of

Saint Paul Paul, also named Saul of Tarsus, commonly known as Paul the Apostle and Saint Paul, was a Christian apostle ( AD) who spread the teachings of Jesus in the first-century world. For his contributions towards the New Testament, he is generally ...

(Dutch: Sint Paulus, Westmalle) and the Church of Saint Martin (Dutch: Sint Martinus, Westmalle). The most important local festival is called "Salphenkermis", which is held in the hamlet Salphen in honor of Saint Anthony. The forests of Herenbos, Molenbos (Drieboomkesberg), Bruulbergen and Schrabbenbos are also worth a visit.

Twin towns

Malle is linked to the following towns as

twin towns A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inte ...

, also known as partner towns: *: Saint-Savin *:

Heusenstamm Heusenstamm () is a town of over 19,000 people in the Offenbach district in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany. Geography Location Heusenstamm is one of 13 towns and communities in the Offenbach district. The town li ...

*: Zakrzówek, Lublin Voivodeship *:

Hartley Wintney Hartley Wintney is a large village and civil parish in the Hart district of Hampshire, England. It lies about northwest of Fleet and east of Basingstoke. The parish includes the smaller contiguous village of Phoenix Green as well as the ...

Economy

History

Malle is located in the

(Dutch: Kempen) region, which historically was not densely populated, and consisted of enormous heaths and marshlands, interrupted by woods and swampland. Since the Middle Ages the majority of the land in the Campine has been cultivated. Until the 18th century Oostmalle was known for its black pottery, such as "Lollepotten" which were small stoves used for room heating in winter.

Modern era

Nowadays, Malle is a regional economic centre. It is home to several companies like ETAP Lighting, ETAP Yachting, Ecover, and Meubelfabrieken Karel Mintjens (among the TOP500 of the Belgian Companieswww.top500.de
/ref>).

Notable inhabitants

* May Claerhout, sculptor * Viscount Leonard Pierre Joseph du Bus de Gisignies (1780–1849) *

Maria Rosseels Maria, Baroness Rosseels (23 October 1916 – 18 March 2005), also known with her pen name "E. M. Vervliet", was a Belgium, Belgian Catholic writer. Biography The first years of her life, she lived in the Goedendagstraat in Borgerhout. When Mar ...

(1916–2005), journalist and writer
Godfroy Lenaerts
ground owner and landlord (1925–2006)

History

Early history

Separation of Malle

16th to 18th century

Modern era

Tourism

Twin towns

Economy

History

Modern era

Notable inhabitants

Evolution of inhabitants

After merger

See also

References

External links