Editing Menen

{{About|the Belgian municipality|the Nauruan district|Meneng District}}
{{Infobox Belgium municipality
|name             = Menen
|type             = city
|picture          = Townhall Menen.jpg
|picture-legend   = Town hall of Menen
|map              = Menen West-Flanders Belgium Map.svg
|map-legend       = Location of Menen in West-Flanders
|arms             = Menen wapen.svg
|flag             = Flag of Menen.svg
|region           = {{BE-REG-FLE}}
|community        = {{BE-NL}}
|province         = {{BE-PROV-WV}}
|arrondissement   = [[Arrondissement of Kortrijk|Kortrijk]]
|nis              = 34027
|pyramid-date     =
|0-19=
|20–64=
|65=
|foreigners=
|foreigners-date  =
|mayor            = Eddy Lust (Open Vld)
|majority         = [[Voor8930]], [[Christian Democratic and Flemish|CD&V]], 
|postal-codes     = 8930
|telephone-area   = 056
|web              = {{URL|www.menen.be}}
|coordinates      = {{coord|50|48|N|03|07|E|region:BE|display=inline,title}}
}}

'''Menen''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈmeːnə(n)|-|Nl-Menen.ogg}}; {{langx|fr|Menin}} {{IPA|fr|mənɛ̃|}}; {{langx|vls|Mêenn}} {{IPA|vls|ˈmeːnən|}} or {{lang|vls|Mêende}} {{IPA|vls|ˈmeːndə|}}) is a [[City status in Belgium|city]] and [[Municipalities of Belgium|municipality]] located in the [[Belgium|Belgian]] province of [[West Flanders]]. The municipality comprises the city of Menen proper and the towns of [[Lauwe (Belgium)|Lauwe]] and [[Rekkem]]. The city is situated on the French/Belgian border. On January 1, 2006, Menen had a total population of 32,413. The total area is 33.07&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> which gives a [[population density]] of 980 inhabitants per km<sup>2</sup>.

The city of Menen gives its name to the [[Menin Gate]] in [[Ypres]], which is a monument to those killed in [[World War I]]. The gate is so called as the road from that gate is the road to Menen.

The town hall of Menen, with its large belfry, was inscribed on the [[UNESCO]] [[World Heritage List]] in 1999 as part of the [[Belfries of Belgium and France]] site, because of its civic importance and architecture.<ref name = "unesco">{{cite web |url = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/943 |title= Belfries of Belgium and France  |website = UNESCO World Heritage Centre |publisher = United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization |access-date = 5 November 2021}}</ref>

==History==
Menen's position near the French border led to many sieges in the history of the city. There were as many as 22 sieges between 1579 and 1830.

The city was part of [[France]] between 1668 and 1713. [[Vauban]] turned Menen into a model-fortification (1679–1689).

The city was [[Siege of Menin (1706)|besieged]] and taken by the [[John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough|Duke of Marlborough]]'s allied Army in August 1706. Between 1744 and 1748, it was again under French rule after the [[Siege of Menin (1744)]]. There was a devastating fire in 1750, that almost completely destroyed the city. During the [[Low Countries theatre of the War of the First Coalition|Flanders Campaign]] of the [[Wars of the French Revolution]] the city changed hands several times. It was also the scene of a [[Battle of Menin (1793)|battle]] in September 1793.

Menen was a [[barrier town]] for the [[Dutch Republic]] against France from 1715 to 1781.

In 2013, the city drew international attention by forbidding its civil servants to speak [[French language|French]] with [[francophone]]s. The [[mayor]], {{Interlanguage link|Martine Fournier|nl}}, ordered that, if necessary, the communication should be in [[sign language]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/franais-interdit-belgian-town-of-menen-bans-the-use-of-french-8800788.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220512/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/franais-interdit-belgian-town-of-menen-bans-the-use-of-french-8800788.html |archive-date=2022-05-12 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title = Français interdit: Belgian town of Menen bans the use of French|website = [[Independent.co.uk]]|date = 5 September 2013}}</ref>

==Culture==
A new art museum, the [[Stadsmuseum ’t Schippershof]], opened in 1999, holds many works by Menen-born sculptor [[Yvonne Serruys]]. Opposite 't Schippershof there is the [[cultural center]] [[CC De Steiger]] that houses the city's theater, [[public library]] and a concert space for live music.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Townhall Menen.jpg|Townhall Menen
File:Belfry of Menen (DSCF9322).jpg|[[Belfry]]
File:Menen - Schippershof 1.jpg|{{Interlanguage link|'t Schippershof|nl}} in Menen.
File:Sint-Franciscuskerk, Menen (DSCF9328).jpg|Sint-Franciscuskerk
File:Cc de steiger menen.jpg|CC de steiger Menen
File:Cemitary Menen.png|Cemetery Menen: [[World War I|WW1]] and [[World War II|WW2]] [[Allies of World War I|allied Soldiers]] and [[Belgian Resistance|Resistance fighters]]
File:Provinciaal Mausoleum van Politieke gevangenen Menen.jpg|[[Provincial Mausoleum of Political Prisoners and Deportees|Provincial Mausoleum of Political Prisoners]]
File:Menen duits kerkhof.jpg|German [[World War I]] military cemetery
File:Menen, de watertoren oeg55937 foto5 205-08-09 17.17.jpg|[[Water tower|Watertower]]
File:Menen, molen de Goede Hoop oeg55911 foto4 2015-08-09 10.54.jpg|[[Windmill]]: molen de Goede Hoop
File:Menen - Casemates 1.jpg|Menen [[casemates]]
File:Generaal J. Van der Mersch.JPG|Statue of General [[Jean-André van der Mersch]] 
</gallery>

==Towns==
The municipality of Menen consists of Menen proper, [[Lauwe (Belgium)|Lauwe]] and [[Rekkem]]. In the area of Rekkem, there is also the hamlet of {{Interlanguage link|Paradijs (Rekkem)|nl|3=Paradijs (West-Vlaanderen)}}, separated from Rekkem proper by the [[A14 (Belgium)|A14]]/[[European route E17|E17]]. In addition to the central town, Menen proper also contains the parishes and districts of {{Interlanguage link|De Barakken|nl}} and {{Interlanguage link|Ons Dorp|nl}}. Menen proper is mainly located north of the [[Leie]]; Lauwe and Rekkem are located south of the river. The urban area of the city of Menen is directly connected with the urban area of the [[France|French]] municipality of [[Halluin]].

{| border="0" style="border: 1px solid #999; background-color:#FFFFFF"
|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
! # !! Name !! Area !! Population (2006)
|- align="right" bgcolor="#efefef"
|I <br /> &nbsp; <br /><small>(V)</small><br /><small>(VI)</small>|| align="left" | Menen <br /> – Menen <br />- [[De Barakken]] <br /> – [[Ons Dorp]]|| 16,49 <br /> &nbsp;<br /> &nbsp; <br /> &nbsp; || 19.246 <br /> &nbsp;<br /> &nbsp; <br /> &nbsp;
|- align="right"
|II || align="left" | [[Lauwe (Belgium)|Lauwe]] || 8,80 || 8.357
|- align="right" bgcolor="#efefef"
|III <br /> &nbsp; <br /> <small>(IV)</small> ||  align="left" | [[Rekkem]] <br /> – Rekkem <br /> – [[Paradijs (Rekkem)|Paradijs]]|| 7,90<br /> &nbsp;<br /> &nbsp; ||4.813<br /> &nbsp;<br /> &nbsp;
|}

{{Col-begin|width=70%}}
{{Col-break}}
[[Image:MapMenen.svg|thumb|none|250px|Menen, towns and neighbours. The yellow areas are urban areas.]]
{{Col-break}}
The municipality of Menen borders the following villages:
*a. [[Moorsele]] (Wevelgem)
*b. [[Wevelgem]] (Wevelgem)
*c. [[Marke, Belgium|Marke]] (Kortrijk)
*d. [[Aalbeke]] (Kortrijk)
*e. [[Mouscron]] ([[Wallonia]])
*f. [[Neuville-en-Ferrain]] ([[France]])
*g. [[Halluin]] ([[France]])
*h. [[Wervik]] (Wervik)
*i. [[Geluwe]] (Wervik)
{{col-end}}

==Notable people from Menen==<!-- PLEASE RESPECT ALPHABETICAL ORDER -->
* [[Jonathan Breyne]] (born 1991), cyclist
* [[Yves Chauvin]] (1930–2015), French chemist, Nobel Prize winner 2005
* [[Françoise Chombar]] (born 1962), entrepreneur
[[File:Paul Deman.jpg|thumb|150px|Paul Deman 1914]]
* [[Paul Deman]] (1889–1961), cyclist
* [[Bernard Lietaer]], (1942–2019), economist, was born in Lauwe
* [[Jean-André van der Mersch]] (1734–1792), leader of the Brabant patriots in the Brabant Revolution in 1789
* [[Arthur Van Overberghe]] (born 1990), cyclist
* [[Yvonne Serruys]] (1873–1953), Franco-Belgian artist
* Gerard Vandenbussche (1902–1986) entrepreneur
* [[Louis Verhelst]] (born 1990), cyclist
* Albert Wauquier (born 1940), neurophysiologist, sleep medicine, writer
*{{Interlanguage link|Maurits Withouck|nl}} (born 1928), sculptor

== Politics ==

== Mayors ==

* 1921-1938: August Debunne (socialist)
* 1939-1942: Armand Deweerdt (liberal)
* 1944-1946: Armand Deweerdt (liberal)
* 1947-1964: René Gombert (liberal)
* 1964-1982: Paul Isebaert (N/D)
* 1983-1989: Fernand Dehaene (Christian Democrat)
* 1989-1994: Gilbert Bossuyt (Socialist)
* 1995-2000: Jean Libbrecht (liberal)
* 2001-2012: Gilbert Bossuyt (socialist)
** 2003-2004: Karl Debuck (replacement mayor)
* 2013-2018: Martine Fournier (Christian Democrat)
* 2019-: Eddy Lust (liberal)

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
! colspan="2" style="text-align:left;" |Political Parties
! colspan="2" |10-10-1976<ref>[http://www.ibzdgip.fgov.be/result/nl/main.html 1976-2000:Verkiezingsdatabase Binnenlandse Zaken]</ref>
! colspan="2" |10-10-1982
! colspan="2" |9-10-1988
! colspan="2" |[[:nl:Belgische lokale verkiezingen 1994|9-10-1994]]
! colspan="2" |[[:nl:Belgische lokale verkiezingen 2000|8-10-2000]]
! colspan="2" |[[:nl:Belgische lokale verkiezingen 2006|8-10-2006]]<ref>{{cite web|access-date=16 June 2019 |title=Gegevens 2006: http://www.vlaanderenkiest.be/verkiezingen2006 |url=https://www.vlaanderenkiest.be/verkiezingen2006/lijsten.html?type=GE&nis=34027#tabevent_tab_uitslagen_GE}}<!-- auto-translated from Dutch by Module:CS1 translator --></ref>
! colspan="2" |[[:nl:Belgische lokale verkiezingen 2012|14-10-2012]]<ref>[https://www.vlaanderenkiest.be/verkiezingen2012/index.html#/gemeente/34027/uitslagen Gegevens 2012: www.vlaanderenkiest.be/verkiezingen2012]</ref>
! colspan="2" |[[:nl:Belgische lokale verkiezingen 2018|14-10-2018]]
! colspan="2" |[[:nl:Belgische lokale verkiezingen 2024|13-10-2024]]
|-
! colspan="2" style="text-align:left;" |Votes/Chairs
!%
!31
!%
!31
!%
!31
!%
!31
!%
!31
!%
!31
!%
!31
!%
!31
!%
!31
|-
| bgcolor="orange" style="width: 3px" |
| style="text-align:left;" |Christian Democrats
| style="background-color:orange" |38,39<sup style="color:red;">1</sup>
| style="background-color:orange" |13
|30,18<sup style="color:red;">1</sup>
|10
|28,03<sup style="color:red;">1</sup>
|10
|26,21<sup style="color:red;">1</sup>
|9
|24,11<sup style="color:red;">1</sup>
|8
| rowspan="2" |21,99<sup style="color:red;">A</sup>
| rowspan="2" |'''7'''
|23,86<sup style="color:red;">2</sup>
|'''8'''
| style="background-color:orange" |29,4<sup style="color:red;">2</sup>
| style="background-color:orange" |10
|20,8<sup style="color:red;">2</sup>
|'''7'''
|-
| bgcolor="yellow" style="width: 3px" |
| style="text-align:left;" |New Flemish Alliance
(Flemish Nationalists)
|14,83<sup style="color:red;">1</sup>
|4
|16,04<sup style="color:red;">1</sup>
|5
|10,19<sup style="color:red;">1</sup>
|2
| -
|
| -
|
|17,25<sup style="color:red;">2</sup>
|'''6'''
|12,6<sup style="color:red;">2</sup>
|'''4'''
|22,1<sup style="color:red;">2</sup>
|7
|-
| bgcolor="blue" style="width: 3px" |
| style="text-align:left;" |Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats
|10,59<sup style="color:red;">1</sup>
|3
|13,76<sup style="color:red;">1</sup>
|4
|17,05<sup style="color:red;">1</sup>
|5
|17,7<sup style="color:red;">2</sup>
|6
|22,24<sup style="color:red;">2</sup>
|'''7'''
|19,08<sup style="color:red;">2</sup>
|6
|16,01<sup style="color:red;">3</sup>
|'''5'''
|18,1<sup style="color:red;">3</sup>
|'''6'''
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:blue;color:white" |32,0<sup style="color:red;">D</sup>
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:blue;color:white" |'''11'''
|-
| bgcolor="red" style="width: 3px" |
| style="text-align:left;" |Vooruit/SP.A
(Socialist Party)
|33,85<sup style="color:red;">1</sup>
|11
| style="background-color:red;color:white" |33,81<sup style="color:blue;">1</sup>
| style="background-color:red;color:white" |12
| style="background-color:red;color:white" |37,98<sup style="color:blue;">1</sup>
| style="background-color:red;color:white" |13
| style="background-color:red;color:white" |31,15<sup style="color:blue;">1</sup>
| style="background-color:red;color:white" |11
| style="background-color:red;color:white" |32,95<sup style="color:blue;">1</sup>
| style="background-color:red;color:white" |'''12'''
| style="background-color:red;color:white" |32,24<sup style="color:blue;">B</sup>
| style="background-color:red;color:white" |'''12'''
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:red;color:white" |24,26<sup style="color:blue;">C</sup>
| rowspan="2" style="background-color:red;color:white" |8
|17,2<sup style="color:red;">2</sup>
|'''6'''
|-
| bgcolor="green" style="width: 3px" |
| style="text-align:left;" |Greens
| -
|
| -
|
|5,98<sup style="color:red;">1</sup>
|1
|6,08<sup style="color:red;">1</sup>
|1
| -
|
|4,82<sup style="color:red;">2</sup>
|0
|9,2<sup style="color:red;">3</sup>
|2
|6,8<sup style="color:red;">3</sup>
|1
|-
| bgcolor="brown" style="width: 3px" |
| style="text-align:left;" |Flemish Interest
(Flemish separatists)
| -
|
| -
|
| -
|
|5,48<sup style="color:red;">1</sup>
|1
|7,53<sup style="color:red;">1</sup>
|2
|12,51<sup style="color:red;">2</sup>
|4
|5,92<sup style="color:red;">2</sup>
|1
|10,2<sup style="color:red;">2</sup>
|3
|16,9<sup style="color:red;">2</sup>
|5
|-
| bgcolor="darkred" style="width: 3px" |
| style="text-align:left;" |Party of the labourers
(Marxists)
|0,77<sup style="color:red;">1</sup>
|0
|0,62<sup style="color:red;">1</sup>
|0
|0,76[[:nl:Groen (partij)|<sup style="color:red;">2</sup>]]
|0
|0,99<sup style="color:red;">1</sup>
|0
| -
|
| -
|
| -
|
|3,2<sup style="color:red;">1</sup>
|0
| -
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="width: 3px" |
| style="text-align:left;" |<small>Open City Menen</small>
| -
|
| -
|
| -
|
| -
|
| -
|
| -
|
|7,37
|2
| -
|
| -
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="width: 3px" |
| style="text-align:left;" |<small>New</small>
| -
|
| -
|
| -
|
| -
|
| -
|
|9,37
|2
|5,33
|1
| -
|
| -
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="width: 3px" |
| style="text-align:left;" |<small>VIA</small>
| -
|
| -
|
| -
|
| -
|
|5,37
|1
| -
|
| -
|
| -
|
| -
|
|-
| bgcolor="white" style="width: 3px" |
| style="text-align:left;" |<small>GEBE</small>
| -
|
| -
|
| -
|
|11,57
|3
|5,28
|1
| -
|
| -
|
| -
|
| -
|
|-
| colspan="2" style="text-align:left;" |<small>''Other Political Parties<sup>(*)</sup>''</small>
|''1,57''
|''0''
|''5,59''
|''0''
|''-''
|
|''0,82''
|''0''
|''2,51''
|''0''
|''-''
|
|''-''
|
|''-''
|
|''1,4''
|''0''
|-
! colspan="2" style="text-align:left;" |Total Votes
! colspan="2" |23750
! colspan="2" |23079
! colspan="2" |23009
! colspan="2" |22605
! colspan="2" |22327
! colspan="2" |22918
! colspan="2" |22314
! colspan="2" |22326
! colspan="2" |13261
|-
! colspan="2" style="text-align:left;" |attendance (in%)
! colspan="2" |
! colspan="2" |
! colspan="2" |94,26
! colspan="2" |93,12
! colspan="2" |92,62
! colspan="2" |94,08
! colspan="2" |91,94
! colspan="2" |93,4
! colspan="2" |56,0
|-
! colspan="2" style="text-align:left;" |blank/invalid (in%)
! colspan="2" |5,2
! colspan="2" |5,91
! colspan="2" |6,08
! colspan="2" |6,79
! colspan="2" |6,29
! colspan="2" |5,62
! colspan="2" |6,59
! colspan="2" |6,2
! colspan="2" |2,5
|}
The Chairs of the majority coalition are written in '''Bold''': 2018 = New Flemish Alliance: '''4''', Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats: '''6''', SP.A/Greens: '''8'''

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Official website|http://www.menen.be}} {{in lang|nl}}
*{{Cite NIE|wstitle=Menin|short=x}}

{{Geographic location
|Centre = Menen
|North     = [[Wevelgem]]
|East      = [[Kortrijk]]
|Southeast = [[Mouscron]] ([[Hainaut (province)|WHT]])
|South     = [[Halluin]] ([[France|FR]]-[[Nord (French department)|59]]), [[Neuville-en-Ferrain]] ([[France|FR]]-[[Nord (French department)|59]])
|West      = [[Wervik]]
}}
{{Municipalities in West Flanders}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Municipalities of West Flanders]]
[[Category:Divided cities]]
[[Category:Vauban fortifications in Belgium]]