Knesselare

Knesselare
Knesselare
Deelgemeente
	Town centre and Saint Willibrord Church
	Flag Coat of arms
	Knesselare
	Coordinates: 51°08′N 03°25′E / 51.133°N 3.417°E
Country	Belgium
Province	East Flanders
Arrondissement	Ghent
Municipality	Aalter
Area
• Total	37.45 km2 (14.46 sq mi)
Population (2021)
• Total	8,211
• Density	220/km2 (570/sq mi)
Postal code	9910
Area code	09
Website	www.knesselare.be

Knesselare (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈknɛsəˌlaːrə]) is a village and deelgemeente in the municipality of Aalter and a former municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprised the towns of Knesselare proper and Ursel [nl].

The municipality's name is derived from the Germanic words "klisse" (herb) and "laar", (a soggy brushwood terrain),^[2] and was first attested in 1128.^[3]

Knesselare became an independent parish in 1171. It was originally a village heerlijkheid, but during the rule of Louis II, Count of Flanders (1330–1384), the area had been split into four different administrations. Until the 19th century, large parts of the municipality still contains forests and heaths.^[3]

On 1 August 2015, Knesselare had a total population of 8,171.^[4] The total area was 37.27 km² which gives a population density of 219 inhabitants per km².

Effective 1 January 2019, the municipality was merged into Aalter.

Gallery

Ursel village center
The Drongengoedbos [nl] at dawn
Pierlala [nl] beer

References

^ ^a ^b "Bevolking per statistische sector - Sector 44029". Statistics Belgium. Retrieved 4 May 2022. Including Ursel (2,817)
^ "Knesselare". Our Meetjesland. Retrieved 12 April 2006.
^ ^a ^b "Knesselare". Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed (in Dutch). 4 May 2022.
^ "IBZ Institution et Population" (PDF). Retrieved 23 September 2015.