| Duffel | |
| Picture-Legend: | Duffel Town Hall |
| Map: | Duffel Antwerp Belgium Map.svg |
| Map-Legend: | Location of Duffel in the province of Antwerp |
| Arms: | Blason ville be Duffel.svg |
| Flag: | Flag of Duffel.svg |
| Arrondissement: | Mechelen |
| Nis: | 12009 |
| Mayor: | Sofie Joosen (N-VA) |
| Majority: | N-VA, CD&V |
| Postal-Codes: | 2570 |
| Telephone-Area: | 015, 03 |
| Web: | www.duffel.be |
| Coordinates: | 51.1°N 35°W |
Duffel (in Dutch; Flemish pronounced as /ˈdʏfəl/) is a municipality in the Belgian province of Antwerp.
The municipality comprises the town of Duffel proper. On 1 January 2020, Duffel had a total population of 17,664. The total area is 22.71 km2 which gives a population density of 778 inhabitants per km2.
The area is the eponym of a coarse woolen cloth, manufactured in this area from the 11th century, mainly used to make blankets, outdoor (army) coats, and tote bags. Duffel became a household name during and after World War II in the meaning of a coat designed with toggle-and-loop fastening and roomy hood.[1]
The etymology of Duffel is from "dubro" and "locus", from the Gaulish dubrum, dubron – "water".
In 1836, the Duffel railway station opened on the Brussels-North to Antwerp railway line.[2]
The town gives its name to a type of heavy woolen cloth generally used to make blankets and overcoats, especially for the armed forces, and a type of luggage.[3] In the Middle Ages, an important part of the region's industry was the manufacturing of Flemish laken (a broadcloth), while the cloth produced in Duffel was a thicker variation. The manufacturing process was brought to England by Flemish emigrants in the 1500s.[4] The name for the cloth was so well-known that a type of overcoat made from the cloth and manufactured in England got the name Duffel coat.[5] [6]