Halle
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City andmunicipality | |
 The Grote Markt | |
 Flag .svg) Coat of arms | |
 Location of Halle in Flemish Brabant | |
 Interactive map of Halle | |
  Halle Location in Belgium | |
| Coordinates:50°44′10″N04°14′14″E / 50.73611°N 4.23722°E /50.73611; 4.23722 | |
| Country | Belgium |
| Community | Flemish Community |
| Region | Flemish Region |
| Province | Flemish Brabant |
| Arrondissement | Halle-Vilvoorde |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Eva Demesmaeker (N-VA) |
| • Governing parties | N-VA,CD&V |
| Area | |
• Total | 44.98 km2 (17.37 sq mi) |
| Population (2018-01-01)[1] | |
• Total | 39,096 |
| • Density | 869.2/km2 (2,251/sq mi) |
| Postal codes | 1500, 1501, 1502 |
| NIS code | 23027 |
| Area codes | 02 |
| Website | www.halle.be |
Halle (Dutch pronunciation:[ˈɦɑlə]ⓘ;French:Hal,pronounced[al]ⓘ) is aBelgiancity andmunicipality in theHalle-Vilvoorde district (arrondissement) of theprovince ofFlemish Brabant. It is located on theBrussels–Charleroi Canal and on the Flemish side of the language border that separatesFlanders andWallonia. Halle lies on the border between the Flemish plains to the North (thick loam) and the undulating Brabant lands to the South (thinner loam). The city also borders on thePajottenland to the west. It is about 22 km (14 mi) southwest of Brussels. The official language of Halle isDutch, as in the rest ofFlanders.
The municipality comprises the city of Halle proper and the towns ofBuizingen andLembeek. The neighboring towns are:Pepingen,Sint-Pieters-Leeuw,Beersel,Braine-l'Alleud,Braine-le-Château, andTubize. The population of Halle has increased from 32,758 inhabitants in 1991 to 39,536 on 1 January 2019. Themayor isEva Demesmaeker of theN-VA party.
Borders have always played an important role in the history of Halle. Already in the prehistoric era, before theRoman conquests, a tribe ofNervii – either a GermanizedCeltic people or a CelticizedGermanic people – lived in this region. In the 7th century, SaintWaltrude, the daughter of an important[according to whom?]Merovingian figure, gave some of her inherited land around Halle to the chapter of the abbey which she had just founded inMons. From that time on and until the French Revolution, the region around Halle would depend to various degrees on theCounty of Hainaut. In the 8th century,Hubertus, archbishop ofTongeren, founded a church dedicated to theBlessed Virgin Mary. This may have been the start of the regional devotion that continues today.The town must[why?] have grown quickly sinceJeanne, Countess of Flanders and Hainaut granted its freedom charters in 1225. The miraculous statue of the Virgin was sent to Halle in 1267 as a wedding gift toJohn II, Count of Holland and of Hainaut. The cult of Mary attracted important visitors, such asEdward I of England andLudwig the Bavarian, making Halle an important frontier town betweenHainaut andBrabant. A larger church, dedicated to Mary, was completed in the 15th century. The death ofPhilipe Bold, Duke of Burgundy in Halle in 1404 benefitted the city. All subsequent rulingDukes of Burgundy paid visits here to honor the duke's grave. In 1460 the French KingLouis XI decided to bury his stillborn son in the Halle church.
After the death ofMary of Burgundy,Flanders, and Brabant revolted against her husbandEmperor Maximilian. Hainaut, and therefore Halle, remained loyal to the Holy Roman emperor. Two attempts by aBrussels army to conquer Halle in 1489 failed.
In the 16th century, Brussels and Halle were fighting again, this time over religion. Following the Protestant Reformation, the predominately Calvinistic Brabant tried to take over Catholic Hainaut. Again, two attempts failed, leading to an increased devotion among residents to the city's miraculous statue. In 1621, with the support of archdukesAlbert andIsabella, theJesuits were invited to establish educational institutions in the city, expanding their religious influence.
Philip IV of Spain used his stake in Halle and the surrounding area as a warrant against a loan; in 1648 he was forced to cede the city to the Duke ofArenberg.Louis XIV's wars at the end of the century resulted in serious losses. In the 18th century there was a resurgence in devotional and economic prosperity.
TheFrench Revolution at the end of the century suppressed much religious practice. But the pilgrimage site and the statue were spared confiscation thanks to the initiative of the inhabitants. WhenNapoleon gained power, his government restored religious services. The tradition of Napoleon princely visits to the church of Halle continues until this day.
Today, Halle is a regional services and care center, offering trade, educational establishments, general hospital, and public services (61% of the active population works in the services sector).
Atrain collision in February 2010 in Buizingen killed around 18 people.
The flag of Halle was adopted on 1 October 1991; it is quartered as saltire (argent and azure). Its proportions are 2:3. If you cut the flag in two vertically and flip both sides, you get a blue lozenge, hinting atBavaria.
On the municipal coat of arms, the first quarter shows an argent-coloured Virgin with Child on an azure background. The fourth quarter is the coat of arms of theWittelsbach family. The second and third quarters are the coat of arms ofHainaut, accentuating Halle's position on the language border.
Halle istwinned with:
| Czech Republic:Kadaň |  |
| Germany:Werl |  |
| France:Mouvaux, nearLille |  |
Places adjacent to Halle, Belgium | |
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| Halle-Vilvoorde |  | |
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| Leuven | ||
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| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
