Belsele Explained

Official Name:Belsele
Settlement Type:Town
Pushpin Map:Belgium
Pushpin Label Position:right
Pushpin Map Caption:Location in Belgium
Pushpin Mapsize:250
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Type2:Province
Subdivision Type3:Municipality
Subdivision Name:
Subdivision Name1:Flemish Region
Subdivision Name2:East Flanders
Subdivision Name3:Sint-Niklaas
Area Total Km2:19.83
Population As Of:2021
Population Footnotes:[1]
Population Total:10.572
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone:CET

Belsele is a village and a deelgemeente of the municipality of Sint-Niklaas, which is situated in the Belgian province of East Flanders.

History

Around the 2nd or 3rd century CE there stood a Roman villa in Belsele, that was discovered in the 19th century. Other findings (like Roman coins) also suggest there was a Roman presence in Belsele around the 3rd century.

Belsele was first mentioned in 870. In 1217 Belsele became an autonomous parish.[2] In that time Belsele and Sinaai were united in rule in a tribunal (under the Keure van Waas). In 1795, Belsele became canton Capitol of the Scheldt department, with Daknam, Eksaarde, Elversele, Kemzeke, Sinaai, Sint-Pauwels, Tielrode, and Waasmunster as subordinate municipalities.This statute was in force till the Belgian Revolution in 1830.

Until the first half of the twentieth century, Belsele maintained its typical character of a farmers village in the Waas. Production was mainly focused on flax and wheat till 1850. This changed in the twentieth century when the emphasis was put on food, construction, and textile. Since the second world war, Belsele evolved to a green, residential area. Most of the people work in Sint-Niklaas and Antwerp (fewer).The hamlet Puivelde forms a separate entity.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bevolking per statistische sector - Sector 46021C . Statistics Belgium . 5 May 2022 .
  2. Web site: Belsele . Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed . 5 May 2022. nl.