Baarle-Hertog | |
|---|---|
 Former town hall | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
Location of Baarle-Hertog  | |
  Baarle-Hertog Location in Belgium Location of Baarle-Hertog in the province of Antwerp  | |
| Coordinates:51°27′N04°56′E / 51.450°N 4.933°E /51.450; 4.933 | |
| Country |  Belgium |
| Community | Flemish Community |
| Region | Flemish Region |
| Province |  Antwerp |
| Arrondissement | Turnhout |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Frans de Bont (Forum+) |
| • Governing party/ies | N-VA, Forum+ |
| Area | |
• Total | 7.41 km2 (2.86 sq mi) |
| Population (2020-01-01)[1] | |
• Total | 2,865 |
| • Density | 390/km2 (1,000/sq mi) |
| Postal codes | 2387 |
| NIS code | 13002 |
| Area codes | 014 |
| Website | Official website |
Baarle-Hertog (Dutch pronunciation:[ˌbaːrləˈɦɛrtɔx];French:Baerle-Duc,pronounced[baʁl(ə)dyk]) is aFlemishmunicipality ofBelgium, much of which consists of a number of small Belgianenclaves fully surrounded by theNetherlands.
Parts ofBaarle-Hertog are surrounded by the Dutch province ofNorth Brabant, but it is part of the Belgian province ofAntwerp. As of 2021[update], it had a population of 2,935. The total area is 7.48 square kilometres (2.89 square miles).[2]
Baarle-Hertog is noted for its complicated borders withBaarle-Nassau,Netherlands.[3]
The border's complexity results from a number of medieval treaties, agreements, land-swaps and sales between the Lords ofBreda and theDukes of Brabant. Generally speaking, predominantly agricultural or built environments became constituents of Brabant and other parts devolved toBreda. These distributions were ratified and clarified as a part of the border settlements agreed under theTreaty of Maastricht in 1843. The tight integration of theEuropean Union and in particular theSchengen Agreement have made many of the practicalities of the situation substantially simpler since the 1990s.
In total, the municipality of Baarle-Hertog consists of 26 separate parcels of land. Four are linked to other Belgian municipalities, from west to east: the Baalbrugse Bemden, a strip of land along the Merkske, Zondereigen-Ginhoven and an area near Weelde-Station. The largest single section,Zondereigen (named after its main hamlet), is located within mainland Belgium on the contiguousDutch-Belgian border (north of the town ofMerksplas). In addition to this, there are 22 Belgianexclaves fully within the Netherlands. There are also seven Dutch enclaves within the Belgian exclaves (i.e.,counter-exclaves) that are part of the territory of the Netherlands. Six of these Dutch enclaves are located within the largest Belgian exclave, and a seventh in the second-largest Belgian exclave. An eighth Dutch exclave is located nearGinhoven [nl].
During theFirst World War, this situation meant that theImperial German Army could not occupy these parts of Belgium without crossing the Netherlands, which the Dutch government did not allow. Thus, these pieces of Belgium became a place where refugees could safely stay.[4] A clandestine radio transmitter was smuggled in and from there worked with the Belgian resistance. The Dutch government fenced off these areas and controlled access in or out of them, building a church and school for the Belgian people who were effectively stranded within the enclaves.[5][circular reference] This situation did not exist in theSecond World War, as both countries were occupied byNazi Germany.
Some houses in the town ofBaarle-Hertog/Baarle-Nassau are divided between the two countries. At one time, according to Dutch laws, restaurants had to close earlier. For some restaurants on the border, this simply meant that the customers had to move to a table on the Belgian side.[6] In 2020, restrictions due to theCOVID-19 pandemic differed between the two countries; for instance, preventing a Belgian citizen living metres away from an open Dutch bar from patronising it.[7]
Manyfireworks shops are found inBaarle-Hertog, as Belgian laws controlling the sale of fireworks are more lenient than those of the Netherlands. Many Dutch tourists come toBaarle-Hertog to buy fireworks to celebrate the New Year.
Two villages in the municipality, Zondereigen and Ginhoven, are located in the main territory of Belgium.
These are all part ofBaarle-Nassau municipality.
| Serial no. and local name[8] | Area (ha) | area acre | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 N1,De Loversche Akkers – De Tommelsche Akkers | 5.3667 | 13.2615 | Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, inBaarle-Hertog; contains a mix of dwellings and farmland; boundary of N1 and H1 runs through one building. |
| N2,De Tommelsche Akkers | 1.3751 | 3.3981 | Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, inBaarle-Hertog; contains 8 dwellings. |
| N3,De Tommelsche Akkers | 0.2863 | 0.7075 | Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, inBaarle-Hertog; boundary of N3 and H1 bisects the loading dock of a liquor store. |
| N4,De Rethsche Akkers | 1.2324 | 3.0454 | Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, inBaarle-Hertog; boundary of N4 and H1 runs through a warehouse, with vacant Dutch land to the rear of the warehouse. |
| N5,De Rethsche Akkers | 1.9212 | 4.7475 | Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, inBaarle-Hertog; boundary of N5 and H1 runs through a furniture showroom, a shed and a barn. |
| N6,Gierle Straat | 1.4527 | 3.5898 | Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, inBaarle-Hertog; consists of farmland with two buildings. |
| N7,De Kastelein | 0.5812 | 1.4363 | Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian Oordeel exclave H8, inBaarle-Hertog; occupies part of a field. |
| N8, Vossenberg | 2.8528 | 7.0496 | Farmland enclave situated within Zondereigen, Belgium, less than 50 meters south of the Dutch border. |
These are all part ofBaarle-Hertog municipality, and are surrounded byBaarle-Nassau municipality (Netherlands).
| Serial no. and local name[8] | Area (ha) | area acre | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| H1, Aen het Klooster Straetje - Hoofdbraek - Loveren - De Boschcovensche Akkers - De Loversche Akkers - De Tommelsche Akkers - De Tommel - De Gierle Straat - De Reth - De Rethsche Akkers - Het Dorp - De Kapel Akkers - De Kastelein | 153.6448 | 379.6717 | Forms aquadripoint with enclave H2; largest Belgian exclave; encompasses six Dutch enclaves; consists of dwellings for the most part, with outlying farmland and an industrial area; boundary runs through numerous buildings; contains a portion of the former Turnhout-Tilburg rail line, now a cycle path. |
| H2,De Rethsche Akkers | 2.4116 | 5.9594 | Consists of farmland with a single point of connection (quadripoint) between enclaves H1 and H2 in the middle of a corn field. |
| H3,De Rethsche Akkers | 0.3428 | 0.8471 | Occupies part of a field; boundary runs through a shed in one instance. |
| H4,De Rethsche Akkers | 1.476 | 3.6474 | Consists of farmland; boundary runs through a house and three sheds. |
| H5, De Kapel Akkers | 0.9245 | 2.2846 | Consists of farmland with a dwelling. |
| H6, Hoofdbraek | 1.7461 | 4.3148 | Mixed land usage; boundary runs through a warehouse/factory. |
| H7, De Loversche Akkers | 0.2469 | 0.6102 | Boundary runs through two dwellings, including the middle of one front door (giving it two house numbers: Loveren 2,Baarle-Hertog / Loveren 19,Baarle-Nassau). |
| H8, Boschcoven - De Kastelein - De Oordelsche Straat | 41.8781 | 103.485 | Second-largest Belgian exclave, contains a mix of dwellings and farmland; boundary runs through a barn, a dwelling and two businesses. |
| H9, De Kapel Akkers | 0.4005 | 0.9897 | Boundary runs through a printing factory/warehouse in an industrial area. |
| H10, De Oordelsche Straat | 0.65 | 1.6063 | Consists of farmland. |
| H11, De Oordelsche Straat | 0.93 | 2.2982 | Consists of farmland. |
| H12, Boschcoven | 0.2822 | 0.6974 | Consists of farmland. |
| H13, Boschcoven | 1.5346 | 3.7922 | Boundary runs through about 20 dwellings. |
| H14, Boschcoven | 0.7193 | 1.7774 | Boundary runs through about 13 dwellings. |
| H15, Boschcoven | 1.7211 | 4.2531 | Boundary runs through about 16 dwellings. |
| H16, Keizershoek - Oordelsche Straat | 4.4252 | 10.9352 | Boundary runs through a house and three sheds; inside one of the sheds, the linear boundary changes direction three times |
| H17, Moleriet Heide | 14.9248 | 36.8807 | Rural area containing a portion of the former Turnhout-Tilburg rail line, now a cycle path. |
| H18, De Manke Gooren | 2.9247 | 7.2273 | Consists of farmland. |
| H19, De Peruiters | 0.6851 | 1.693 | Consists of several ponds and a field. |
| H20, Wurstenbosch - Vossenberg | 1.1681 | 2.8865 | Consists of farmland. |
| H21, Baelbrugsche Beemden | 1.1845 | 2.9271 | Consists of farmland. |
| H22, De Wit Hagen | 0.2632 | 0.6504 | South of the village of Ulicoten; occupies part of a field; nationality was contested from the 1830s until 1995 (remained unallocated to either country in boundary treaty of 26 April 1974) |
| Climate data for Baarle-Hertog (1991−2020 normals) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 6.3 (43.3) | 7.4 (45.3) | 11.0 (51.8) | 15.4 (59.7) | 18.9 (66.0) | 21.6 (70.9) | 23.6 (74.5) | 23.4 (74.1) | 19.8 (67.6) | 15.1 (59.2) | 10.1 (50.2) | 6.7 (44.1) | 14.9 (58.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 3.6 (38.5) | 4.0 (39.2) | 6.8 (44.2) | 10.1 (50.2) | 13.8 (56.8) | 16.7 (62.1) | 18.7 (65.7) | 18.3 (64.9) | 15.1 (59.2) | 11.2 (52.2) | 7.1 (44.8) | 4.2 (39.6) | 10.8 (51.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 0.9 (33.6) | 0.8 (33.4) | 2.6 (36.7) | 4.8 (40.6) | 8.7 (47.7) | 11.8 (53.2) | 13.8 (56.8) | 13.2 (55.8) | 10.3 (50.5) | 7.3 (45.1) | 4.1 (39.4) | 1.6 (34.9) | 6.7 (44.1) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 75.8 (2.98) | 69.9 (2.75) | 59.3 (2.33) | 45.3 (1.78) | 62.3 (2.45) | 76.1 (3.00) | 84.5 (3.33) | 83.2 (3.28) | 71.7 (2.82) | 73.9 (2.91) | 83.6 (3.29) | 96.6 (3.80) | 882.2 (34.73) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 12.9 | 12.0 | 10.8 | 8.9 | 9.9 | 10.3 | 11.3 | 11.0 | 10.4 | 11.2 | 13.2 | 14.7 | 136.6 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 63 | 81 | 136 | 190 | 217 | 215 | 220 | 205 | 162 | 117 | 69 | 53 | 1,726 |
| Source:Royal Meteorological Institute[9] | |||||||||||||
Baarle-Hertog has two elementary schools: De Vlinder and De Horizon.[10]
It shares, withBaarle-Nassau, a joint library with Belgian and Dutch staff.[11]
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