Editing Schoten

{{short description|Municipality in Antwerp Province, Belgium}}
{{For|the former municipality in the Netherlands|Schoten, Netherlands}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Infobox Belgium municipality
|name            = Schoten
|picture         = Paalstraat Schoten.jpg
|picture-legend  = 
|map             = Schoten Antwerp Belgium Map.svg
|map-legend      = Location of Schoten in [[Antwerp Province]]
|arms            = Blason ville be Schoten.svg
|flag            = Schoten_Belgium.svg
|region          = {{BE-REG-FLE}}
|community       = {{BE-NL}}
|province        = {{BE-PROV-AN}}
|arrondissement  = [[Arrondissement of Antwerp|Antwerp]]
|nis             = 11040
|pyramid-date=
|0-19= 
|18–64=
|65=
|foreigners=0
|foreigners-date=
|mayor           = Maarten De Veuster ([[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]])
|majority        = [[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]], [[Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats|Open VLD]]
|postal-codes    = 2900
|telephone-area  = 03
|web             = [http://www.schoten.be/ www.schoten.be]
|coordinates     = {{coord|51|15|N|04|30|E|region:BE|display=inline,title}}
|}}
'''Schoten''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈsxoːtə(n)|-|Nl-schoten.ogg}}) is a [[Municipalities in Belgium|municipality]] located in [[Antwerp Province]], Belgium. The municipality only comprises the town of Schoten proper.  As of 1 January 2020 Schoten has a total population of 34,311. The total area is {{convert|29.55|km²|2|abbr=on}} which gives a population density of {{cvt|1,122|pd/sqkm}}. Schoten borders the [[Antwerp]] districts [[Merksem]] to the west and [[Deurne, Belgium|Deurne]] to the south west.  Neighboring municipalities include [[Brasschaat]] to the north, [[Brecht, Belgium|Brecht]] to the north east, [[Schilde]] to the east, and [[Wijnegem]] to the south.

==History==
[[File:Kasteel van Schoten.jpg|thumb|left|Schoten castle]]

===Early Middle Ages===
The history and usage of the name Schoten may have come from the name given to the wooden dividing walls (''schot'' in [[Dutch language|Dutch]]) that were driven in the ground to separate private property.  The [[Christianization]] of the area dates from the end of the 7th century, under the influence of Abbot [[Ursmarus]], of [[Lobbes Abbey]], which owned property here.

In the 12th century, the territory was under the political authority of the lords of [[Breda]], then of the lords of [[Bergen-op-Zoom]].  Religiously, it was administered by the Villers Abbey.

===16th century until today===
Already by the beginning of the 16th century, well-off burghers and merchants from neighboring Antwerp built castles in Schoten as secondary residences.  The local community succeeded, however, in maintaining its rural [[Campine]] character until well into the 19th century.  Industry first developed on the border with [[Merksem]], later along the [[Albert Canal]].  Much of the rest of the town's territory was kept green and was again used by neighboring Antwerp residents for building extensive villas such as ''Koningshof'' and ''Schotenhof''.  Today about 30% of Schoten's territory still consists of forested areas, a great achievement given its location only {{convert|10|km|0|abbr=on}} away from the center of Antwerp.

==Main sights==
[[File:'t Asbroek - Poel.jpg|thumb|right|’t Asbroek nature reservation in Schoten]]
*The water-encircled Schoten castle started as a farm in the 13th century, and is now converted into a local cultural centre.
*The main square is lined with a [[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic Revival]] city hall and adorned with a [[Till Eulenspiegel]] fountain.
*The Villers castle also dates from the 13th century, while the [[Gothic Architecture|Gothic-style]] church of St-Cordula dates from the 15th century.
*Schoten also has a number of nature reservations and wooded areas, such as the [[Peerdsbos]], the [[Vordenstein park|Vordensteyn]] domain, [['t Asbroek]], Wijtschot or the municipal park.
*Schotenhof is an area of Schoten located in the north-east of the municipality. It was created in the beginning of the 20th century, a time when in several wood-rich municipalities around Antwerp the local castles were divided into lots to allow for the building of residential houses and vacation cottages.

==Events and Sports==
*The World Festival of Folklore Schoten, a [[folk dance]] festivity founded in 1959, takes place annually in the summer.
*The [[Scheldeprijs]], an annual cycling race taking place in April, starts in Antwerp and finishes in Schoten.
*The local [[association football|football]] club is the KFC Schoten SK.

==Politics==
===Municipal council===
The municipal council, per the outcome of the 2018 local elections, is a coalition of NV-A (16 seats) and Open-VLD (1 seat), a total of 17 out of 31 seats.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/dmf20181016_03849719|title=Alleenheerser N-VA neemt Open VLD mee in coalitie in Schoten|access-date=2020-04-30}}</ref>

===Council of Mayor and Aldermen===
Since 2018, the Council of Mayor and Aldermen, the municipal executive board, consists of:<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.schoten.be/college|title=College van burgemeester en schepenen|access-date=2020-04-30}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="width:600px;"
! colspan="2" | Council of Mayor and Aldermen (2018-now)
|-
|'''[[Mayor]]'''
| Maarten De Veuster ([[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]])
|-
|'''[[Alderman]]'''
|
# Iefke Hendrickx ([[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]])
# Wouter Rombouts ([[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]])
# Charlotte Klima ([[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]])
# Paul Valkeniers ([[Open Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten|Open VLD]])
# Paul De Swaef ([[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]])
# Walter Brat ([[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]])
# Veronique d’Exelle ([[New Flemish Alliance|N-VA]])
|}

==Infrastructure==
170 metres tall lattice tower at 51°17'33"N 4°32'24"E, which is an important site for FM- and TV-broadcasting for the Antwerp area.

==Economy==
*Schoten was the place where the Belgian [[fast-food restaurant]] [[Quick (restaurant)|Quick]] established its first outlet in 1971.

==Notable citizens==
*[[Bob Mendes]], writer of [[Thriller (genre)|thrillers]] and detective stories (b. 1928)
*[[Michel A. J. Georges]], [[biologist]] and professor at the [[University of Liège]] (b. 1959)
*[[Marie-Rose Morel]], politician (b. 1972 d. 2011)
*[[Véronique De Kock]], [[Miss Belgium]] 1995 (b. 1977)
*[[Geert Steurs]], professional [[road bicycle racer]] (b. 1981)
*[[Thor Salden]], also known as Thor!, singer (b. 1997)
*[[Harrie Hendrickx]], former mayor

==International relations==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Belgium}}

===Twin towns – sister cities===
Schoten is [[twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:

*{{flagicon|POL}} [[Tarnów]], Poland<ref>{{cite web|title=Miasta Partnerskie|url=http://www.tarnow.pl/Miasto/Urzad-Miasta-Tarnowa/Miasta-Partnerskie|access-date=1 May 2014}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|NLD}} [[Voorschoten]], Netherlands

== See also ==
* [[Deuzeld]], a neighborhood of Schoten that is part of the Antwerp agglomeration.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*[http://www.schoten.be Official website], in [[Dutch language|Dutch]]
*[http://www.festivalschoten.be Official festival website]

{{Geographic location
|Centre = Schoten
|North     = [[Brasschaat]]
|Northeast = [[Brecht, Belgium|Brecht]]
|East      = [[Schilde]]
|South     = [[Wijnegem]]
|West      = [[Antwerp]]
}}
{{Municipalities in Antwerp}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Municipalities of Antwerp Province]]
[[Category:Populated places in Antwerp Province]]
[[Category:Schoten| ]]