Editing Temse (section)

== History ==
[[File:Temse - 1641.jpg|thumb|Temse in ''[[Flandria Illustrata]]'' (1641), with the [[Castle of Temse]] and the [[Church of Our Lady (Temse)|Church of Our Lady]] in the background]]
The oldest archaeological traces of habitation go back to the Stone Age. There have been finds from the late Bronze Age, the Iron Age and the Gallo-Roman period. The [[Christianization]] of the municipality took place before 772 and in 864 the village was donated to the [[Saint Peter's Abbey, Ghent|Blandinus]] abbey in Ghent by the Count of Flanders, the municipality remained in the management of a knighthood of this abbey until 1460. A weekly market was set up in 1264 and expanded by [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] in 1519 with an annual market.<ref>[http://www.temse.be/index.php/over-temse/historiek Temse, parel aan de Schelde...]; Gemeente Temse; 18 July 2014</ref> On 7 July 1684 a large fire raged through Temse, destroying a large part of the village.<ref name="IOE">[https://inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be/erfgoedobjecten/121043 Fiche Temse]; [[:nl:Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed|Inventaris Onroerend Erfgoed]]</ref>

In 1912 the ''[[:nl:Internationale Vliegweek voor Watervliegtuigen|Internationale Vliegweek voor Watervliegtuigen]]'' ("International Flying Week for Seaplanes") took place here, the meeting was set up for the assessment of seaplanes that could possibly be deployed in the Belgian Congo.<ref>[https://www.luchtvaartgeschiedenis.be/content/de-vliegweek-van-temse-7-tot-16-september-1912 De Vliegweek van Temse (7 to 16 September 1912)]; Luchtvaartgeschiedenis.be</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20171010054859/http://www.waaserfgoed.be/erfgoed/33298-temse-vliegweek-1912 Prentkaart Temse, vliegweek (1912)]; Ergoedbank Waasland</ref> Tests were carried out with a private aircraft by fifteen pilots from Belgium, France and Germany. It was the biggest event in Temse's history.<ref>[http://www.gva.be/cnt/aid1091974/temse-zoekt-beelden-van-de-internationale-vliegweek-in-1912 Temse zoekt beelden van de Internationale Vliegweek in 1912]; [[Gazet van Antwerpen]]; 15 November 2011</ref>

During the First World War, the front magazine ''Onze Temschenaars'' appeared as a binding agent between the home and war front. Sixty-three Temse soldiers were killed and eleven requisitioned succumbed in camps.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20171010055625/http://www.temse.cdenv.be/nieuws/temse-herdenkt-100-jaar-wereldoorlog-i Temse herdenkt 100 jaar Wereldoorlog]; [[Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams|CD&V]] Temse; 9 December 2013</ref> Theofiel Maes and Kamiel Van Buynder were also executed on 14 July 1917 in [[:nl:Fort 4|Fort 4]] in [[Mortsel]] because of espionage activities. They had been active for the espionage service codenamed ''Theo'', whose purpose was to inform the Belgian army about the movements of the German troops.<ref>[http://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20130807_00685153 Foto gefusilleerde Kamiel Van Buynder verhuist naar Temse]; [[Het Nieuwsblad]]; 8 August 2013</ref>

Between 1829 and 1994, Temse was home to the [[Boelwerf]] shipyard (locally lknown as "De Zaat") which for much of the twentieth century dominated the local economy and employment market.

After the last ship was completed in 1996, the shipyard's extensive terrain to the west of the town centre became available for redevelopment. The land was acquired in 2001 by a consortium of local construction firm Cordeel and three banks, and "Nieuw Temse" (New Temse) has since emerged as a whole new river-side town district and also the home of the new town hall. Local architect Pieter De Maeyer led the urban planning for the new district, and a number of high-profile architects were attracted for the design of a series of residential buildings along the river.