Oudenaarde (; ; in English sometimes Oudenarde) is a Belgium city and municipality in the Flemish Region province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Oudenaarde proper and the towns of Bevere, Edelare, Eine, Ename, Heurne, Leupegem, Mater, Melden, Mullem, Nederename, Volkegem, Welden and a part of Ooike.
From the 15th to the 18th century, but especially in the 16th century, Oudenaarde was known as a centre of tapestry production. The town's name, meaning "old field", still lingers on in "outnal", an obsolete English language term for a kind of brown linen thread.
History
The glory of Ename
The history of the current municipality of Oudenaarde starts in 974, when Otto II, Holy Roman Emperor and king of Germany, built one of its three fortifications on the
Scheldt at Ename to protect his kingdom against possible attacks from
Francia (next to the other frontier post at
Valenciennes, later in also the Margraviate of Antwerp). Ename grew very fast. By 1005, the town already had a couple of churches and had become the largest town in the Duchy of Lotharingia. In 1034, Ename was destroyed by an irregular army that surrendered the city to Count Baldwin IV. In 1047, the son of Baldwin V (peacefully) received the imperial fief from the German emperor. The fief was, however, confiscated in 1047 when the Baldwins rebelled against the German empire. In 1062, Baldwin V, together with his wife, founded the
Benedictine Ename Abbey. By that time, the former merchants and guild artisans of Ename easily got across the Scheldt to the recently founded city of Oudenaarde.
[Van Droogenbroeck, F. J. (2018), "De markenruil Ename – Valenciennes en de investituur van de graaf van Vlaanderen in de mark Ename", Handelingen van de Geschied- en Oudheidkundige Kring van Oudenaarde 55. pp. 47–127.]
Oudenaarde’s golden age
In the 11th century, Oudenaarde’s economy flourished, thanks to the proximity of the Scheldt and the burgeoning but vibrant cloth and tapestry industry. Churches, cloisters and hospitals were built. Throughout the Middle Ages, the city was one of the staunchest supporters of the counts of Flanders, defending them against insurrections from the South and even from
Ghent. The city became known as the
residence of the nobles. It built itself a flagship town hall (built 1526–1537), which we can still admire today, and the St-Walburga church. Charles V stayed here for a couple of months in 1522 and fathered an illegitimate daughter, Margaret of Parma, who was to become Regent of the Netherlands.
Decline
During the Reformation, the people of Oudenaarde chose
Protestantism and allied themselves with Ghent against Charles V. In 1582, after a prolonged siege by Margaret's son, Alexander Farnese, the city finally gave in, causing most merchants, workers, and even nobles to flee. Oudenaarde fell under the Counter-Reformation, which for a short while revived the commerce of tapestry. The glory days, however, never came back. The French attacked and took the city three times in less than a century. Fortifications were repeatedly improved in the 16th and 17th centuries, including additions by Vauban.
In 1708, one of the key battles in the War of the Spanish Succession, known as the Battle of Oudenaarde, was fought in the vicinity of the city. Oudenaarde slumbered as a provincial town under the Habsburg regime. Like its neighbours, in the 1790s, it suffered religious curtailment imposed by the French Revolution.
The city later suffered damage during World War I, which is commemorated by several monuments scattered around town.
During World War II the town was occupied by Nazi German forces in . The town was liberated by British forces on the 5th of September 1944.[ Battle for the Escaut 1940: The France and Flanders Campaign by Jerry Murland, pg. xi]
Beer
Oudenaarde is known for the brewing of
Oud bruin beer, which is sometimes termed Oudenaarde Oud bruin, especially that of
Liefmans Brewery in the town.
[ The Ale Trail, 1995, Roger Protz, quote: "The Old Brown Oud ales of Oudenaarde, a waterside city steeped in Flemish culture and history, are highly complex beers".][ Oxford Companion to Beer, 2011, quote: "Liefmans Brewery is a Belgian specialty brewery in Oudenaarde, in the province of East Flanders."]
Oud Bruin (Old Brown), also known as Flanders Brown, is a style of beer originating from the Flanders region of Belgium. The Dutch name refers to the long aging process, up to a year. It undergoes a secondary fermentation, which takes several weeks to a month, followed by bottle ageing for several more months. The extended ageing allows residual yeast and bacteria to develop a sour flavour characteristic for this style.
Sights
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The Flamboyant Gothic–style Town Hall and its Belfry were designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1999.
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The Church of Our Lady of Pamele, begun in 1234 on the banks of the Scheldt, and the Church of St Walburga near the market square, are both worth a visit.
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Oudenaarde is also home to the Centrum Tour of Flanders, a museum dedicated to the Tour of Flanders cycling race.
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Since 2008, the village of Mater in Oudenaarde has been the home of Belgium's smallest craft brewery: the Smisje Brewery (previously located in Bruges).
File:Oudenaarde_stadhuis_25-9-2016_09-52-11.JPG|Oudenaarde Town Hall
File:Onze-Lieve-Vrouw van Pamele kerk 2.jpg|Church of Our Lady of Pamele
File:Oudenaarde, de Sint Walburgakerk oeg27310 foto8 2013-05-07 15.44.jpg|Saint Walburga's church, Oudenaarde
File:Oudenaarde, stationsgebouw oeg27384 foto1 2013-05-07 15.25.jpg|Oudenaarde railway station
File:Oudenaarde, straatzicht op de Markt positie2 met oeg27250 plaatsen foto3 2013-05-07 15.40.jpg|The marketplace, Oudenaarde
Events
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Recurring events include a beer fest in June, an open-air musical festival in the summer, and an agricultural fair in February.
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Every ten years, one of the largest floral displays in Flanders takes place on the market square ( Grote Markt). The last one took place in 2005.
Newspaper
Oudenaarde used to have its own newspaper, namely
the Gazette van Audenaerde.
Sports
The main football club in Oudenaarde is K.S.V. Oudenaarde.
The celebrated Tour of Flanders voor Vrouwen, the women's Tour of Flanders cycle race, starts in Oudenaarde every spring. The men's Tour of Flanders has passed through Oudenaarde on several occasions, finishing in the town since 2012, and it regularly ascends the Koppenberg hill in the municipality. The Koppenbergcross cyclo-cross race, which takes place on the Koppenberg hillside, is part of the BPost Bank Trophy.
Rhinos Rugby Oudenaarde is a rugby club in Oudenaarde that was voted the coolest club of Flanders in 2018.
Notable inhabitants
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The Viscount of Audenaerde
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Arnold of Soissons, saint (1040-1087)
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Margaret of Parma, daughter of Charles V and Regent of the Netherlands (1522-1586)
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Henri-Charles Lambrecht, bishop, born in Welden.
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Johannes van den Driesche, orientalist and exegete (1550-1616)
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Adriaen Brouwer, painter (1605-1638)
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Charles Liedts, politician (1802-1878)
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Gentil Theodoor Antheunis, poet (1840-1907)
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Reimond Stijns, writer (1850-1905)
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Robert Herberigs, painter, writer and musician (1886-1974)
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Arthur Decabooter, cyclist, born in Welden (1936-2012)
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André Dierickx, road racing cyclist (b. 1946)
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Jotie T'Hooft, poet (1956-1977)
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Bart Kaëll, singer and TV host (b. 1960)
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Eric Van Lancker, cyclist (b. 1961)
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Mario De Clercq, cyclist, three-time world cyclo-cross champion (b. 1966)
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Frank De Bleeckere, football referee (b. 1966)
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Jonathan Page, cyclist, American cyclo-cross champion (b. 1976)
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Brigitta Callens, Miss Belgium (b. 1980)
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Charlotte Vandermeersch, actress (b. 1983)
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Stijn Vandenbergh, cyclist (b. 1984)
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Kenny De Ketele, track cyclist, Madison World Champion (b. 1985)
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Jan Bakelants, cyclist (b. 1986)
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Jan Dequeker, professor, humanitarian and philanthropist (b. 1997)
International relations
Twin towns—sister cities
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Coburg, Germany (1972)
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Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands (1986)
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Castel Madama, Italy (1986)
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Arras, France (1990)
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Hastings, United Kingdom (1991)
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Buzău, Romania (2007)
External links
