Aalst (; , ; Brabantian: Oilsjt) is a city and municipality in the province of East Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located on the Dender River, about northwest of Brussels. The municipality comprises the city of Aalst itself and the villages of Baardegem, Erembodegem, Gijzegem, Herdersem, Hofstade, Meldert, Moorsel and Nieuwerkerken; it is the country's tenth largest city by population with 92,131 inhabitants. Aalst is crossed by the Molenbeek-Ter Erpenbeek in Aalst and Hofstade. The current mayor of Aalst is Christoph D'Haese, from the New-Flemish Alliance party. The town has a long-standing folkloric feud with Dendermonde, north along the same river, which dates from the Middle Ages.

History

thumb|left|Church of the [[beguinage, Aalst]]

thumb|left|Aalst on the [[Ferraris map (around 1775)]]

The first historical records on Aalst date from the 9th century, when it was described as the villa Alost, a dependency of the Abbey of Lobbes. During the Middle Ages, a town and port grew at this strategic point, where the road from Bruges to Cologne crossed the Dender. While it was within the Holy Roman Empire it was considered the capital of the province of Flanders. In 1046, Aalst was transferred to the Countship of Imperial Flanders, and absorbed a portion of Brabant, and in 1173 it was united with the remainder of the Flanders province. Several manuscripts from this period still survive in the town archives. The town hall, and the city itself, were almost entirely destroyed by fire in 1360. The town was soon rebuilt and a new belfry in gothic style was built in the 15th century. This was a time of great prosperity for the city, dominated by the powerful weavers' guild. It is also at that time that Dirk Martens, a local citizen, became the Southern Netherlands’ first printer, founding a printing shop in 1473 that published books by various authors including Christopher Columbus; Martens would later become a professor at the Old University of Leuven,

Aalst suffered considerably under the Eighty Years' War (1568–1648). It was later taken by the French Marshal Turenne in the War of Devolution of 1667, then occupied by France until 1706, when it became independent once more following the Battle of Ramillies, 1830 saw Belgium gain independence and Aalst became part of the country, this ended a long period, starting in 1056, of foreign control, by such as the Spanish, German, French, and the Dutch. In the Pre-World War II years, the fascist movement in the Low Countries gained momentum, with the collaborationist Vlaamsch Nationaal Verbond (Flemish National Union) putting down roots in the region. Aalst, along with Brussels and Antwerp were the strongest subscribers to this line of thought. The 20th century was marked by bombardment in part because of the French occupation. Aalst produces not only the textiles themselves, clothing and footwear, but manufactures many of the needed machines. The more rural regions are noted for their production of hops, which are sold to the old breweries there. They also have a large active cut flower business in the region.

Controversy

In December 2019, anticipating UNESCO's response to the decision of the carnival organizers to double down on the widely reported use of anti-Semitic stereotypes, the mayor of Aalst pre-emptively applied to have his city's carnival removed from the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. This is the only time such a request has been made.

In 2020 the Aalst parade included more anti-Semitic costumes. These included floats depicting Orthodox Jews with hooked noses standing on sacks of gold coins. Israel's ambassador to Belgium stated “What we are asking for is the prohibition of all these antisemitic cartoons, which are beyond good taste, which have nothing to do with a sense of humor and which do not honor an exemplary democracy such as Belgium.” In response, Belgium’s prime minister, Sophie Wilmès, described the parade as an “internal affair.” UNIA, the Interfederal Centre for Equal Opportunities and Opposition to Racism, stated in a report that no criminal offences were committed, for the parade had no anti-semitic motive, nor the intent to incite hatred or violence against Jews.

In the media

The Belgian TV police drama, 13 Geboden (13 Commandments) was filmed in Aalst.

The Belgian historical drama Thieves of the Wood is set in and around Aalst.

The 1992 movie Daens, about Adolf Daens and directed by Stijn Coninx, is set in Aalst. Coninx also filmed the Aalst-set 2018 movie Niet Schieten (based on the last attributed crime of the Brabant killers, committed in Aalst in 1985) in Aalst.

Sites of interest

  • The 15th-century Belfry of Aalst next to the town hall

Footnotes

References

  • - Only available in Dutch