Editing Geraardsbergen

{{use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox Belgium municipality
|name             = Geraardsbergen
|picture          = File:Geraardsbergen-Grammont(Belg).jpg
|picture-legend   = Montage of Geraardsbergen
|map              = Geraardbergen East-Flanders Belgium Map.svg
|map-legend       = Location of Geraardsbergen in East Flanders
|arms             = Geraardsbergen wapen.svg
|flag             = Geraardsbergen vlag.svg
|region           = {{BE-REG-FLE}}
|community        = {{BE-NL}}
|province         = {{BE-PROV-OV}}
|arrondissement   = [[Arrondissement of Aalst|Aalst]]
|nis              = 41018
|pyramid-date=
|0-19=
|20-64=
|65=
|foreigners=
|foreigners-date  =
|mayor            = [[Ann Panis]] (Open VLD)
|majority         = [[Christian Democratic and Flemish|CD&V]], [[Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats|Open VLD]] 
|postal-codes     = 9500, 9506
|telephone-area   = 054
|web              = {{URL|www.geraardsbergen.be}}
|coordinates      = {{coord|50|46|N|03|52|E|region:BE|display=inline,title}}
|imagesize=250px}}

'''Geraardsbergen''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈɣeːraːrtsˌbɛrɣə(n)|lang|Nl-Geraardsbergen.ogg}}; {{langx|fr|Grammont}} {{IPA|fr|ɡʁamɔ̃|}}) is a [[City status in Belgium|city]] and [[Municipalities of Belgium|municipality]] located in the [[Denderstreek]] and in the [[Flemish Ardennes]], the hilly southern part of the [[Belgium|Belgian]] province of [[East Flanders]]. The municipality comprises the city of Geraardsbergen proper and the following towns:
:{{ill|Goeferdinge|nl}}, {{ill|Grimminge|nl}}, {{ill|Idegem|nl}}, {{ill|Moerbeke, Geraardsbergen|nl|Moerbeke (Geraardsbergen)|lt=Moerbeke}}, {{ill|Nederboelare|nl}}, {{ill|Nieuwenhove|nl}}, {{ill|Onkerzele|nl}}, {{ill|Ophasselt|nl}}, {{ill|Overboelare|nl}}, {{ill|Schendelbeke|nl}}, {{ill|Smeerebbe-Vloerzegem|nl}}, [[Viane, Belgium|Viane]], {{ill|Waarbeke|nl}}, {{ill|Zandbergen|nl|Zandbergen (België)}} and {{ill|Zarlardinge|nl}}.

In 2021, Geraardsbergen had a total population of 33,970. The total area is 79.71&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>.<ref name="stat">{{cite web|url=https://statbel.fgov.be/sites/default/files/files/opendata/bevolking/sectoren/OPENDATA_SECTOREN_2021.xlsx |title=Bevolking per statistische sector - Sector 41018 |website=Statistics Belgium |access-date=9 May 2022 }}</ref>

The current mayor of Geraardsbergen is [[Ann Panis]], from the (liberal) party [[Open VLD]].

==History==
[[File:Geraardsbergen 1649 Blaeu.jpg|thumb|left|Geraardsbergen in 1649]]
Geraardsbergen is one of the oldest cities in Belgium. It came into existence close to the settlement of Hunnegem and in 1068 was one of the first communities in Western Europe to be granted [[City status in Belgium|city status]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geraardsbergen.be/content/content/record.php?ID=1158&s_navID=229|title=Stad Geraardsbergen - Geschiedenis van de stad Geraardsbergen|access-date=2010-03-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706134204/http://www.geraardsbergen.be/content/content/record.php?ID=1158&s_navID=229|archive-date=2011-07-06|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The city was destroyed in 1381 by [[Walter IV of Enghien]] and his troops. According to legend, during the siege local people threw some of their left over food over the city wall to show that they had sufficient food to survive a long siege. This bravado notwithstanding, the city was still captured by Enghien's troops. Every year the city organizes the [[Krakelingen and Tonnekensbrand|''krakelingenworp'']] carnival on top of the hill at Oudenberg ({{convert|111|m}}) to celebrate this historical event.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geraardsbergen.be/content/content/record.php?ID=2195|title=Stad Geraardsbergen - Krakelingen & Tonnekensbrand (Eng)|access-date=2010-03-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706134253/http://www.geraardsbergen.be/content/content/record.php?ID=2195|archive-date=2011-07-06|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 29{{nbsp}}May 1815, shortly before the [[Battle of Waterloo]], [[Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington|Wellington]] and [[Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher|Blücher]] reviewed the Allied cavalry here. Some 6,000 troops were paraded in meadows on the banks of the [[Dender]] between Geraardsbergen and Jedeghem.<ref>[[Alexander Cavalié Mercer|Cavalié Mercer]], ''Journal of the [[Waterloo Campaign]] Kept throughout the Campaign of 1815, Da Capo Press, 1995</ref>
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==Places of interest==
* ''Manneken Pis'', the oldest such statue, older than the [[Manneken Pis|more famous one in Brussels]].{{dubious|date=September 2011}}
* The ''[[Muur van Geraardsbergen|wall]]'', a steep street paved with cobblestones, climbed every year by cyclists during the [[Tour of Flanders]].
* ''[[Boelare Castle]]'', seat of the former feudal domain Land (Barony) of Boelare.
* ''[[Overboelare Airfield]]'', small glider airfield with a Douglas C-54A Skymaster (DC-4) as gate guard.

<gallery>
Geraardsbergen_Markt_R02.jpg|Market place
Geraardsbergen_stadhuis.jpg|Town hall
0 Grammont - Manneke Pis (2).JPG|''Manneke Pis'' is the most famous statue of Geraardsbergen
Muur van Geraardsbergen.JPG|''De Muur van Geraardsbergen'' (the Wall of Geraarsbergen)
PriorijHunnegem.jpg|Priory of Hunnegem, 2005
0 Grammont - Chapelle N-D de la Vieille Montagne (1).JPG|Chapel of Our Lady of the Oudenberg (1724)
</gallery>

==Mattentaart==
[[File:Mattentaart.JPG|thumb|left|{{Interlanguage link|Mattentaart|nl}}]]
Geraardsbergen is known for the {{Interlanguage link|mattentaart|2=nl|preserve=1}}, a type of sweet pastry. This is made with ''matten'' paste or cheese curd.<ref name="EU2081-92">{{cite web |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:C:2006:003:0009:0011:EN:PDF |title=Summary, Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 'Geraardsbergse Mattentaart' |publisher=Official Journal of the European Union |date=2006-01-06 |access-date=2009-03-04}}</ref>

The ''mattentaart'' was granted [[Protected Geographical Status|Protected Geographical Indication]] status by the European Union in 2006, indicating they can only be made in Geraardsbergen or in the nearby municipality of [[Lierde]].<ref name="EU2081-92"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tastethelanguage.net/proeven-van-nederlands/recept/english/mattentaart.cfm |title=Mattentaart |access-date=2009-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724091911/http://www.tastethelanguage.net/proeven-van-nederlands/recept/english/mattentaart.cfm |archive-date=2011-07-24 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
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==Notable individuals==
*{{Interlanguage link|Daniël van Geraardsbergen|nl}} (1116–1196)
*[[William of Moerbeke]] (1215–1286), first translator of [[Aristotle]]'s works into [[Latin]]
*{{Interlanguage link|Guillebert de Mets|nl}} (1415–1460), scrivenist and scribe
[[File:Gabriel Grupello.png|thumb|150px|Gabriel Grupello]]
*[[Gabriël Grupello]] (1644-1730), Flemish Baroque sculptor 
* [[Frans Rens]] (1805-1874), Flemish scholar, active in the Flemish Movement
*[[Robert de Foy]] (1893–1960), Belgian magistrate, and head of the Belgian State Security Service
* [[Frans Van Coetsem]] (1919-2002), Belgian-born linguist and university teacher ([[Katholieke Universiteit Leuven|Leuven]], [[University of Leiden|Leiden]] and [[Cornell University|Cornell]] )
* [[Cyriel Delannoit]] (1926-1998), boxer, European champion 1948
*[[Paul Van den Berghe]] (born 1933), Belgium Bishop in the Roman Catholic Church
* [[Ferdi Van Den Haute]] (born 1952), cyclist
* [[Guido De Padt]] (born 1954), politician
* [[Jan Callebaut]] (born 1955), communication and marketing advisor and entrepreneur
* [[Marie-Christine Deurbroeck]] (born 1957), long-distance runner
* [[Michaël Borremans]] (born 1963), painter and filmmaker
* [[Alain Van Den Bossche]] (born 1965), cyclist
* [[Dean Delannoit]] (born 1989), singer
* {{ill|Jan De Cooman|nl}} (1893–1949), painter

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Cite EB1911 |wstitle= Grammont |volume = 12 |last= |first= |author-link= |page=332 |short=1}}
{{Commons category-inline}}
*{{Official website|www.geraardsbergen.be}} {{in lang|nl}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060424043404/http://zichtopgeraardsbergen.be/ Sightseeing in Geraardsbergen] {{in lang|nl}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20150924121058/http://www.reocities.com/belgiumtowns/geraardsbergen.html/ The historical city Geraardsbergen] {{in lang|en}}

{{Geographic location
|Centre    = Geraardsbergen
|North     = [[Herzele]]
|Northeast = [[Ninove]]
|East      = [[Galmaarden]] ([[Flemish Brabant|VBR]])
|South     = [[Lessines]] ([[Hainaut (province)|WHT]]), [[Bever, Belgium|Bever]] ([[Flemish Brabant|VBR]])
|West      = [[Brakel, Belgium|Brakel]]
|Northwest = [[Lierde]]
}}

{{Municipalities in East Flanders}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Municipalities of East Flanders]]
[[Category:Populated places in East Flanders]]
[[Category:Geraardsbergen| ]]