Editing Zonnebeke (section)

==History==
[[File:Destruction on the Western Front 1914-1918 Q12282.jpg|thumb|left|Destruction of Zonnebeke, 1918]]
The villages of Zonnebeke congregated around a large [[Augustinians|Augustinian]] [[abbey]] and its associated [[Benedictine]] [[convent]] in [[Nonnebosschen]]. Both were destroyed during the iconoclastic outbreak in 1580. Only the abbey was rebuilt, but was looted during the [[France|French]] occupation the abbey was confiscated. Passendale played a role in the [[Battle of Westrozebeke]] in 1382.

Situated in the centre of the [[Ypres Salient]], [[World War I]] destroyed the whole area. Left abandoned until the early 1920s, people slowly returned and rebuilt the villages. In 1932, the locals opened a cheese making facility, which to this day is the only source of [[Passendale cheese]].<ref>[http://www.deoudekaasmakerij.be Deoudekaasmakerij.be]</ref>

Another battle during [[World War II]] during the Allied advance across Europe, where Passendale was used in a defensive operations by the [[Nazi]]s, did little damage.

Today, Zonnebeke has returned to its long-time balance between [[agriculture]], small business and work in the neighbouring towns. Its major industry is the [[brickworks]] in the village of Zonnebeke itself, which extracts the local blue clay.