Herstal Hesta (Walloon) | |
|---|---|
City andmunicipality | |
 View from the heights of Herstal | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
Location of Herstal  | |
  Herstal Location in Belgium Location of Herstal in Liège province  | |
| Coordinates:50°40′N05°38′E / 50.667°N 5.633°E /50.667; 5.633 | |
| Country |  Belgium |
| Community | French Community |
| Region | Wallonia |
| Province |  Liège |
| Arrondissement | Liège |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Frédéric Daerden (PS) |
| • Governing party/ies | PS-H |
| Area | |
• Total | 23.36 km2 (9.02 sq mi) |
| Population (2018-01-01)[1] | |
• Total | 39,958 |
| • Density | 1,700/km2 (4,400/sq mi) |
| Postal codes | 4040-4042 |
| NIS code | 62051 |
| Area codes | 04 |
| Website | www.herstal.be |
Herstal (French pronunciation:[ɛʁstal]ⓘ;Walloon:Hesta), formerly known asHeristal, orHéristal (pronounced[eʁistal]), is amunicipality andcity[2] ofWallonia located in theprovince of Liège, Belgium. It lies along theMeuse river. Herstal is included in the "GreaterLiège"agglomeration, which counts about 600,000 inhabitants.
The municipality consists of the following districts: Herstal,Liers,Milmort, andVottem.
A large armaments factory, theFabrique Nationale or FN, and the biggest industrial zone of Wallonia (Haut-Sart) provide employment locally.
The name Herstal is ofFranconian origin, consisting of the elementshari ("army") andstal ("resting place", "camp"; compare Modern GermanStall, "stable"). The first mention of Herstal is in Latin documents from ±718 (Cheristalius corrected toCharistalius) and 723 (Harastallius). The first possibly non-Latinized occurrences areEristail (in 919) andHarstail (1197).[3][4]
Pippin of Herstal (ca 635–714),Mayor of the Palace and de facto ruler ofAustrasia andNeustria and founder of the family that established theCarolingian dynasty, probably chose this location as his main residence because of its proximity to the major cities ofTongeren,Maastricht, andLiège. Pippin was the father ofCharles Martel, victor of the decisiveBattle of Tours that stopped the Arab-Muslim advance into northwestern Europe, and great grandfather ofCharlemagne, also supposedly born in Herstal. Charlemagne lived for at least fifteen years in Herstal but later established his capital inAachen, ending Herstal's period of medieval glory as capital of the empire.
The town was incorporated into the Duchy ofLower Lotharingia, which became part of theDuchy of Brabant at the end of the 12th century. Despite its proximity toLiège, the territory of Herstal did not become part of thePrince-Bishopric of Liège until 1740, when the prince-bishop Georges-Louis de Berghes bought it fromFrederick II of Prussia.[5] By that time, the town was mainly known for its able craftsmen: ceramists, blacksmiths, and clockmakers.
In the 19th century, Herstal became a city of coal and steel. It would, however, become world-famous thanks to the foundation of theFabrique Nationale, a major armament factory, in 1889. Severalmotorcycle manufacturers also established themselves in town. On August 7, 1914, at the very beginning ofWorld War I, the invadingGerman army executed 27 civilians and destroyed 10 homes in Herstal.
AfterWorld War II, heavy industry saw a prolonged period of decline, drastically reducing the number of jobs in these areas. Today, Herstal's economy is picking up again, with more than 200 companies established on its territory, including Techspace Aero, which manufactures precision parts for theEuropean Space Agency’sAriane rocket.
| Municipal head | |
|---|---|
| Mayor | Frédéric Daerden (PS) |
| Deputies | Franco Ianeri (PS) Marc Haeken (PS) Jean-Louis Lefebvre (PS) Christian Laverdeur (PS) Léon Campstein (PS) André Namotte (E.P.H.) Isabelle Thomsin (PS) |
| Party | % | Diff. 2000 | Seat | Diff 2000 | Leader |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS | 50,86 | -1,14 | 20 | -1 | Albert Crépin |
| EPH (PSC) | 18,99 | +2,59 | 6 | +1 | Norbert Weytjens |
| MR[6] (PRL) | 14,14 | +3,24 | 4 | +1 | Jennifer Maus[7] |
| PTB[8] | 9,38 | +2,18 | 2 | 0 | Nadia Moscufo |
| ECOLO[9] | 6,62 | -2,28 | 1 | -1 | Anne-Marie Meunier-Balthasart |
Herstal is a left-wing/socialist stronghold. It was also the strongest area in support of the far-leftWorkers' Party of Belgium in the 2019 elections, gaining 27.55% of the votes in Herstal.[10]
Media related toHerstal at Wikimedia Commons
Municipalities in theprovince of Liège,Wallonia | ||
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| Huy |  | |
| Liège | ||
| Verviers | ||
| Waremme | ||
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| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
