Editing Perwez (section)

== History ==
In Roman times, Perwez was on the Roman road from Bavay to Cologne.{{sfn|Antoine|2012|p=9}} This resulted in three tumuli which are no longer visible today. In 1977 a tomb with several Roman artefacts was discovered near the farm of Long Pont.{{sfn|Antoine|2012|p=10}}

In medieval times, Perwez often suffered from its position near the border between the [[Duchy of Brabant]] and the [[Prince-Bishopric of Liège]].{{sfn|Antoine|2012|p=11}} Perwez developed around its church and its castle, which was demolished somewhat before 1870. The main source of wealth for Perwez was its market, which relied on agricultural products.{{sfn|Antoine|2012|p=12}}

[[File:PERWEZ bombardement 130540 (14).jpg|left|thumb|Destruction caused by the bombardment of May 13, 1940.]]
In the [[modern era]] (1500-1800) Perwez got a [[cloth hall]] and a wheats exchange {{lang|fr|halle aux grains}}. In 1511 it got an annual October market. In 1577 troops paid by the rebellious States General camped near Perwez.{{sfn|Antoine|2012|p=19}}

During the [[Franco-Dutch War]] many houses and harvests were destroyed.{{sfn|Antoine|2012|p=19}} The  subsequent [[Nine Years' War]] was utterly ruinous for Perwez.{{sfn|Antoine|2012|p=20}}

During the 19th century Perwez saw quite some industrialization based on agriculture. In 1870 there were two [[watermill]]s, two [[windmill]]s, two [[tannery|tanneries]], three [[brewery|breweries]] and a [[râperie]], linked to a central sugar factory.

The râperie was a very significant enterprise, which had  175 employees.{{sfn|Antoine|2012|p=24}} It extracted juice from sugar beet, which was then sent by pipeline to the [[Wanze Sugar Factory]]. It was located on the Avenue de Rosaraie and closed down in 1959. Some remaining buildings are now used by a high-end restaurant.

During World War II Perwez suffered from an accidental disaster. On 13 May 1940, a French ammunition storage or mine in the center of town was hit and exploded. There were 33 casualties. The French then ignited other mines, leading to much destruction. On 6 September 1944 Perwez was liberated by the  American [[2nd Armored Division (United States)|2nd Armored Division]].{{sfn|Antoine|2012|p=26}}