Editing Wervik (section)

===Middle Ages===

In the 13th century the population of Belgium rose sharply, thanks to the great heyday of the textile trade which penetrated international markets up to the Far East. In 1327 the city was taken by [[Philip of Valois, Duke of Orléans|Philip of Valois]] and partially destroyed.

During the Ghent uprising of 1382, Wervik was an outpost of the army of [[Philip van Artevelde]] during the [[Battle of Roosebeke|Battle of Westrozebeke]]. The rebellion failed, and the city was plundered by the [[Bretons]] and reduced to ashes. The Saint Medardus church had to be rebuilt completely. Wervik had not yet fully recovered when a major fire in 1400 destroyed the whole town again. Of the 820 dwellings there only 20 remained. [[John the Fearless|Jan Zonder Vrees]] gave Wervik a market hall in 1401, as an incentive for recovery and revival. In 1436 part of the garrison of Calais invaded Wervik and again burnt the town to ashes, in 1440 the town was burnt again. The many successive fires were mainly because most houses were built of wood and straw, and that the town had no protection against attacks as it was never walled. After the succession of fires the town was attacked by the plague. In the years 1436 and 1468 the population was decimated by the epidemic.