Editing Knesselare

{{use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name              = Knesselare
| official_name     = 
| settlement_type   = [[Deelgemeente]]
| image_skyline     = Kerk Knesselare.png
| imagesize         = 
| image_alt         = 
| image_caption     = Town centre and [[Saint Willibrord]] Church
| image_shield      = Blason ville be Knesselare.svg
| image_flag        = Flag of Knesselare.svg
| pushpin_map       = Belgium
| mapsize           = 
| map_alt           = 
| map_caption       = 
| subdivision_type  = Country
| subdivision_name  = [[Belgium]]
| subdivision_type1 = [[Provinces of Belgium|Province]]
| subdivision_name1 = [[East Flanders]]
| subdivision_type2 = [[Arrondissements of Belgium|Arrondissement]]
| subdivision_name2 = [[Arrondissement of Ghent|Ghent]]
| subdivision_type3 = [[Municipalities of Belgium|Municipality]]
| subdivision_name3 = [[Aalter]]
| coordinates       = {{coord|51|08|N|03|25|E|region:BE|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_m       = 
| area_footnotes    = <ref name="stat"/>
| area_total_km2    = 37.45
| population_footnotes = <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 44029 |quote=Including Ursel (2,817) |website=Statistics Belgium |access-date=4 May 2022 }}</ref>
| population_as_of  = 2021
| population_total  = 8,211
| population_density_km2 = auto
| postal_code_type  = [[Postal code]]
| postal_code       = 9910
| area_code_type    = [[Telephone numbering plan|Area code]]
| area_code         = 09
| website           = {{website|http://www.knesselare.be/}}
| footnotes = 
}}

'''Knesselare''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈknɛsəˌlaːrə}}) is a village and ''[[deelgemeente]]'' in the municipality of [[Aalter]] and a former [[Municipalities of Belgium|municipality]] located in the [[Belgium|Belgian]] province of [[East Flanders]]. The municipality comprised the towns of Knesselare proper and {{Interlanguage link multi|Ursel, Belgium|nl|Ursel|lt=Ursel}}.

The municipality's name is derived from the Germanic words "''klisse''" (herb) and "''laar''", (a soggy brushwood terrain),<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~noemeetjesland/meetjesland/knesselare.htm
|title=Knesselare
|accessdate=2006-04-12
|work=Our Meetjesland}}</ref> and was first attested in 1128.<ref name="invent">{{cite web|url=https://inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be/themas/14189 |title=Knesselare |website=Agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed |date=4 May 2022 |language=nl}}</ref> 

Knesselare became an independent parish in 1171. It was originally a village ''[[heerlijkheid]]'', but during the rule of [[Louis II, Count of Flanders]] (1330–1384), the area had been split into four different administrations. Until the 19th century, large parts of the municipality still contains forests and heaths.<ref name="invent"/>

On 1 August 2015, Knesselare had a total population of 8,171.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.ibz.rrn.fgov.be/fileadmin/user_upload/fr/pop/statistiques/stat-1-1_f.pdf
|title=IBZ Institution et Population
|accessdate=2015-09-23}}</ref> The total area was 37.27&nbsp;km² which gives a [[population density]] of 219 inhabitants per km².

Effective 1 January 2019, the municipality was merged into [[Aalter]].

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Urseldorp - 19 09 2011.jpg|Ursel village center
File:20111120 Drongengoedbos (17).jpg|The {{Interlanguage link multi|Drongengoedbos|nl}} at dawn
File:Pierlala bier.JPG|{{Interlanguage link multi|Pierlala|nl}} beer
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline}}

{{Geographic location
|Centre = Knesselare
|N = [[Maldegem]]
|E = [[Zomergem]]
|S = [[Aalter]]
|W = [[Beernem]] ([[West Flanders|VWV]])
}}
{{Belgian municipality Aalter}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Aalter]]
[[Category:Former municipalities of East Flanders]]
[[Category:Populated places in East Flanders]]


{{EastFlanders-geo-stub}}