Editing Lanaken

{{Infobox Belgium municipality
|name             = Lanaken
|picture          = 20140727 Bridge over Zuid-Willemsvaart in Smeermaas.jpg
|picture-legend   = [[Zuid-Willemsvaart]] at Smeermaas
|map              = Lanaken Limburg Belgium Map.svg
|map-legend       = Location of Lanaken in Limburg
|arms             = Lanaken wapen.svg
|flag             = Lanaken vlag.svg
|region           = {{BE-REG-FLE}}
|community        = {{BE-NL}}
|province         = {{BE-PROV-LI}}
|arrondissement   = [[Arrondissement of Tongeren|Tongeren]]
|nis              = 73042
|pyramid-date=
|0-19=
|20-64=
|65=
|foreigners=
|foreigners-date=
|mayor            = Marino Keulen ([[Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats|Open Vld]])
|majority         = [[Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats|Open Vld]], [[Vooruit (political party)|Vooruit]]-[[Groen (political party)|Groen]]
|postal-codes     = 3620-3621
|telephone-area   = 089
|web              = [http://www.lanaken.be/ www.lanaken.be]
|coordinates      = {{coord|50|53|N|05|39|E|region:BE|display=inline,title}}
}}
'''Lanaken''' ({{IPA|nl|laːˈnaːkə(n)}}; {{langx|li|Laoneke}}) is a [[Municipalities of Belgium|municipality]] located in the [[Belgium|Belgian]] province of [[Limburg (Belgium)|Limburg]]. On January 1, 2007, the municipality of Lanaken had a total population of 24,724. Its area is 59.00&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> which gives a [[population density]] of 415 inhabitants per km<sup>2</sup>.

Lanaken is located on the [[Belgium|Belgian]]-[[Netherlands|Dutch]] border, bordering [[Maastricht]] directly. In the 2006 census, some 20 percent of the inhabitants turned out to have the Dutch nationality. A number of neighbourhoods in Lanaken is characterized by these immigrants' numerous villas and exclusive landhouses.

Lanaken consists of the following villages: Lanaken proper, [[Rekem, Belgium|Rekem]], [[Neerharen]], [[Gellik]], [[Veldwezelt]], [[Smeermaas]] and [[Kesselt]]. Also located in Lanaken are the hamlets [[Briegden]] and [[Herbricht]] and the old village centre [[Oud-Rekem]].

The [[Veldwezelt-Hezerwater]] [[Palaeolithic]] [[archaeological site]] is located in the municipality.

== History ==
Archaeological finds on the territory of Lanaken are known from the [[Neolithic]], [[Roman Empire|Roman]] and [[Merovingian dynasty|Merovingian]] periods. There were several [[Gallo-Roman culture|Gallo-Roman]] cemeteries and in Smeermaas was the Gallo-Roman villa of Smeermaas was located.

In the [[Middle Ages]], the domain of Lanaken probably belonged to the emperor of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. From the 12th century Lanaken was part of the [[Seignory|seigniory]] of Pietersheim of Loon, whose lords founded the Abbey of Hocht around 1186. In 1106 the patronage right of the parish church was given to the Maastricht chapter of St. Servaas.

In 1808 the present borough was formed, merging Lanaken with Smeermaas, Hocht, Pietersem, Ca(u)berg, Bessemer and Briegden. In 1839, as a result of the [[Belgian Revolution|Belgian revolution]] and subsequent [[Treaty of London (1839)|Treaty of London]], the municipality was split into a Belgian and a Dutch part (Caberg). Caberg then became an independent parish. Smeermaas received its own church in 1870. The borough of Bessemer was later incorporated into the municipality of [[Zutendaal]].

From 1824-1829 the [[Zuid-Willemsvaart|South Willemsvaart]] was built, and from 1930-1934 the Briegden-Neerharen canal. These canals cut through the territory of Lanaken. In 1856 followed the Hasselt-Maastricht railroad line, which was closed to passenger traffic in 1954.

On October 4, 1914, during [[World War I]], the center of Lanaken was set on fire by the Germans, partly in retaliation for the resistance of a Belgian volunteer group led by Mayor Edgard de Caritat de Peruzzis. The castles of de Caritat de Peruzzis and Alicebourg were then blown up.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-01-23 |title=Lanaken had een Engelse tuin tot de Duitsers in 1914 langskwamen |url=https://www.hbvl.be/cnt/dmf20220120_96459028 |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=www.hbvl.be |language=nl-BE}}</ref>

On May 10, 1940, during [[World War II]], German planes bombed the barracks of de Caritat de Peruzzis killing Captain-Commander Henri Giddelo and five other soldiers.

In 1957, the Saint Barbara Hospital in Lanaken was established by the Limburg mines to enable research and combat occupational diseases, especially dust lung, which mostly affected the miners of the Kempen coal basin.

On January 1, 1977, Lanaken merged with the surrounding municipalities of Gellik, Neerharen, Rekem and Veldwezelt to form the present municipality of Lanaken.

== Etymology ==
Lanaken was mentioned in 810 as ''Ludinaca'' and in 1106 as ''Lodenaken''. This contains the personal name ''Hlodo'' or ''Ludo'' followed by the word ''haka'', meaning sand plate.<ref>{{Cite web |date=1996 |title=Lanaken |url=https://inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be/themas/13466 |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be |language=nl}}</ref>

== Nature and landscape ==
Lanaken is characterized by being located on the southern edge of the [[Campine|Kempen Plateau]], separated from the more southern region of [[Hesbaye|Haspengouw]] by the [[Albert Canal]]. To the southeast, Lanaken is cut off from Smeermaas and the Maas basin by the [[Briegden-Neerharen Canal]]. Lanaken itself lies at an altitude of about 60 meters, to the northwest one finds steep edges to the plateau, which reaches heights of up to 100 meters, and the deeply cut valleys of the brooks Asbeek and Ziepbeek. This part, which is part of the [[Hoge Kempen National Park]], has marshy lowlands, heaths, and forests, consisting of coniferous forest, once planted for the production of mining wood, and mixed forest. The most famous areas are Pietersembos and Asbroek.

Marked walks through this area start both at Pietersheim Castle and at the parking lot near the Saint-Barbara Hospital.

== Economy ==
Lanaken grew as a result of the presence of railroad and canals, there was commuter traffic to Maastricht, and jobs were created at the Eisden coal mine. Also established were a paper factory (today: [[Sappi]]), a rubber factory (today: Hercorub) and a factory for synthetic fibers ([[Celanese]]), among others.

In 2006, four 100 meter high wind turbines were built to provide electricity to the Celanese factory. Later on 8 more have been built. 

The [[South Africa]]n pulp and paper company Sappi operates a large mill on the outskirts of the town and is an important source of employment for the town's residents. In October 2023, Sappi announced the closure of their facility in Lanaken.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-10-10 |title=Papierfabriek Sappi in Lanaken sluit, 550 jobs op de tocht |work=[[De Morgen]] |url=https://www.demorgen.be/snelnieuws/papierfabriek-sappi-in-lanaken-sluit-550-jobs-op-de-tocht~bfb2a7c7/ |accessdate=2023-10-28}}</ref>

Lanaken is part of the [[Albert Canal Economic Network]] together with 24 other municipalities through which the canal runs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Economisch Netwerk Albertkanaal (ENA) |url=https://omgeving.vlaanderen.be/ena-economisch-netwerk-albertkanaal}}</ref>

== Transportation ==
The reactivation of the former railway [[Maastricht]]-Lanaken-[[Hasselt]] as a [[light rail]] known as the [[Hasselt – Maastricht tramway]] as part of the Belgian Spartacus plan was scheduled for 2014. It was later postponed to 2025, to be later canceled in June 2022 and in favour of an electric "trambus" which will start operations in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-06-17 |title=Het is zover: elektrische trambussen rijden vanaf 2024 in Limburg maar je zal er ook nu al veel van merken |url=https://www.hbvl.be/cnt/dmf20230615_95384978 |access-date=2023-10-17 |website=www.hbvl.be |language=nl-BE}}</ref>

==Born in Lanaken==
* [[Eric Gerets]] (1954) Former professional football (soccer) player for Belgium, born in Rekem
* [[Edgar Willems]] (1890–1978), artist, musician, and music educator

==Gallery==
{|
| [[File:Lanaken, Parochiekerk Sint-Ursula oeg873 IMG 1119 2021-10-10 16.13.jpg|Sint-Ursula church|thumb|140px|upright]]
| [[File:Hochtabdissenkwartier.jpg|thumb|310px|upright|Hocht Abbey at Lanaken]]
| [[File:Oud-Rekem-Kasteel d'Aspremont-Lynden (2).JPG|thumb|270px|upright|d'Aspremont-Lynden castle at Rekem]]
|}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline}}
*[http://www.lanaken.be Official website] - Available only in [[Dutch language|Dutch]]

{{Geographic location
|Centre = Lanaken
|N  = [[Maasmechelen]]
|NE = [[Meerssen]] ([[Netherlands|NL]]-[[Limburg (Netherlands)|LI]])
|E  = [[Maastricht]] ([[Netherlands|NL]]-[[Limburg (Netherlands)|LI]])
|S  = [[Riemst]]
|W  = [[Zutendaal]]<br/>[[Bilzen]]
}}
{{Municipalities in Limburg}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Lanaken| ]]
[[Category:Municipalities of Limburg (Belgium)]]