Editing Zonnebeke

{{Infobox Belgium municipality
|name             = Zonnebeke 
|picture          = Zonnebeke - Town hall 1.jpg
|picture-legend   = Zonnebeke town hall
|map              = Zonnebeke West-Flanders Belgium Map.svg
|map-legend       = Location of Zonnebeke in West Flanders
|arms             = Zonnebeke wapen.svg
|flag             = Zonnebeke vlag.svg
|region           = {{BE-REG-FLE}}
|community        = {{BE-NL}}
|province         = {{BE-PROV-WV}}
|arrondissement   = [[Arrondissement of Ypres|Ypres]]
|nis              = 33037
|pyramid-date=01/01/2006
|0-19=24.13
|20-64=57.94
|65=17.93
|foreigners=0.91
|foreigners-date=01/07/2006
|mayor            = Dirk Sioen (INSPRAAK)
|majority         = INSPRAAK, [[Christian Democratic and Flemish|CD&V]]
|postal-codes     = 8980
|telephone-area   = 051/057
|web              = [http://www.zonnebeke.be/ www.zonnebeke.be]
|coordinates      = {{coord|50|52|N|02|59|E|region:BE|display=inline,title}}
}}

'''Zonnebeke''' ({{IPA|nl|ˈzɔnəˌbeːkə}}; {{langx|vls|Zunnebeke}}) is a [[Municipalities of Belgium|municipality]] located in the [[Belgium|Belgian]] [[Provinces of Belgium|province]] of [[West Flanders]]. The municipality comprises the villages of {{Interlanguage link multi|Beselare|nl}}, {{Interlanguage link multi|Gheluvelt|nl|3=Geluveld}}, [[Passendale]], [[Zandvoorde (Zonnebeke)|Zandvoorde]] and Zonnebeke proper. On January 1, 2006, Zonnebeke had a total population of 11,758. The total area is 67.57&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> which gives a [[population density]] of 174 inhabitants per km<sup>2</sup>.

==History==
[[File:Destruction on the Western Front 1914-1918 Q12282.jpg|thumb|left|Destruction of Zonnebeke, 1918]]
The villages of Zonnebeke congregated around a large [[Augustinians|Augustinian]] [[abbey]] and its associated [[Benedictine]] [[convent]] in [[Nonnebosschen]]. Both were destroyed during the iconoclastic outbreak in 1580. Only the abbey was rebuilt, but was looted during the [[France|French]] occupation the abbey was confiscated. Passendale played a role in the [[Battle of Westrozebeke]] in 1382.

Situated in the centre of the [[Ypres Salient]], [[World War I]] destroyed the whole area. Left abandoned until the early 1920s, people slowly returned and rebuilt the villages. In 1932, the locals opened a cheese making facility, which to this day is the only source of [[Passendale cheese]].<ref>[http://www.deoudekaasmakerij.be Deoudekaasmakerij.be]</ref>

Another battle during [[World War II]] during the Allied advance across Europe, where Passendale was used in a defensive operations by the [[Nazi]]s, did little damage.

Today, Zonnebeke has returned to its long-time balance between [[agriculture]], small business and work in the neighbouring towns. Its major industry is the [[brickworks]] in the village of Zonnebeke itself, which extracts the local blue clay.

==Zonnebeke underground==
[[File:Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 - Zonnebeke Church Dugout model.jpg|thumb|''Zonnebeke Church Dugout'' constructed by [[171st Tunnelling Company]] in 1918 (model)]]
The village and district of Zonnebeke and its five villages have the largest concentration of underground constructions from World War I, being located at the centre of the [[Third Battle of Ypres]]/[[Battle of Passchendaele]]. The blue-clay is now being extracted for commercial purposes by the Terca Zonnebeke N.V. [[brickworks]] [[factory]], meaning that the structures are now regularly found as the brickworks expands its commercial extraction activities.<ref name=GreatWMusPass/>

About 180 dugout sites have been located in the [[Ypres Salient]] and in the 1990s some of them were entered, at least in part.<ref name= mausershooters>[http://www.mausershooters.org/diggers/E/activiteiten/yorkshire-trench/restauratie.htm Activities of The Diggers - Restoration of the Yorkshire Trench & Dug-out], access date 10 July 2015</ref>

In 1983, the [[Australia]]n-built [[Bremen Redoubt]] was discovered at the rear of the Zonnebeke brickworks. Opened to the public until 1998, it is believed that its eventual collapse was due to drying support timbers.<ref name=FlandBremen>{{cite web|url=http://www.flanderland.de/locations-orte/bremen-redoubt-%28zonnebeke%29/|title=Bremen Redoubt|publisher=flanderland.de|access-date=2010-06-22}}</ref>

During archaeological excavations of the Augustinian abbey, another dugout was discovered under Zonnebeke church. Today the outline of this dugout is marked in an archaeological garden within the church grounds, and a model of the church dugout can be seen at the "[[Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917]]" in Zonnebeke.<ref>[http://www.nieuwsblad.be/cnt/6131ot2n ''Zonnebeke Church Dugout wordt niet toegankelijk voor publiek'', 04/11/2010], access date 9 July 2015</ref>

On February 21, 1998, a farmer's wife disappeared into the ground while washing the windows. [[Beecham dugout]] was subsequently discovered less than {{convert|400|m|ft}} from [[Tyne Cot Cemetery]].<ref name=GreatWMusPass>{{cite web|url=http://www.greatwar.co.uk/ypres-salient/museum-passchendaele-1917.htm|title=Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917|publisher=GreatWar.co.uk|access-date=2010-06-22}}</ref>

It was made public in spring 2006 that the brickworks had received a licence for the extension of its blue-clay extraction zone. The [[Association for Battlefield Archaeology and Conservation]], using maps compiled of 350 underground structures under the management of Belgian archaeologist Johan Vandewalle and British TV producer Peter Barton, showed that at least one structure was near to the proposed development zone, believed to be the [[Vampire dugout]],<ref name=PGWood/> which had been rediscovered in 2007. Following discussion with local preservation, historic, council and state officials, the ABAC was allowed to start a scientific research project. They engaged the Centre for Battlefield Archaeology at [[Glasgow University]] to provide archaeological support (in light of the residence of the Highland Light Infantry).<ref name=PGWood>{{cite web|url=http://www.polygonwood.com/Vampire%20Dugout/Vampir%20Dugout%20Zonnebeke.pdf|title=Vampire Dugout|publisher=polygonwood.com|access-date=2010-06-22}}</ref>

==Towns==
The municipality comprises the villages of Zonnebeke proper, {{Interlanguage link multi|Beselare|nl}}, {{Interlanguage link multi|Gheluvelt|nl|3=Geluveld}}, [[Passendale]] and [[Zandvoorde (Zonnebeke)|Zandvoorde]]. All are "[[deelgemeente]]s", meaning they were independent municipalities before the merger in the 1970s.

{| border="0" style="border: 1px solid #999; background-color:#FFFFFF"
|- align="center" bgcolor="#CCCCCC"
! # !! Name !! Area<br/><small>(km<sup>2</sup>)</small> !! Population<br/><small>(01/01/2014)</small>
|- align="right" bgcolor="#efefef"
|I || align="left" | Zonnebeke || 16,55 || 4.472
|- align="right"
|II || align="left" | {{Interlanguage link multi|Beselare|nl}} || 14,33 || 2.684
|- align="right" bgcolor="#efefef"
|III || align="left" | {{Interlanguage link multi|Gheluvelt|nl|3=Geluveld}} || 7,79 || 1.553
|- align="right"
|IV || align="left" | [[Passendale]] || 22,22  || 3.152
|- align="right" bgcolor="#efefef"
|V || align="left" |  [[Zandvoorde (Zonnebeke)|Zandvoorde]] || 6,68  || 521
|- align="right"
|}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.zonnebeke.be/pdf/bibliotheek/cultuurbeleidsplan%20-%20ontwerp.pdf |title=Gemeente Zonnebeke }}</ref>

{{Col-begin|width=70%}}
{{Col-break}}
[[Image:MapZonnebeke.svg|thumb|250px|none|Zonnebeke, towns and neighbouring town. The yellow areas are urban areas.]]
{{Col-break}}
The municipality of Zonnebeke borders the following towns and municipalities:

*a. [[Moorslede]] (municipality Moorslede) with village {{Interlanguage link multi|Slypskapelle|nl}}
*b. {{Interlanguage link multi|Dadizele|nl}}  (municipality Moorslede)
*c. [[Geluwe]] (municipality Wervik)
*d. [[Wervik]] (municipality Wervik) with village {{Interlanguage link multi|Kruiseke|nl}}
*e. {{Interlanguage link multi|Comines (Belgium)|nl|3=Komen (België)}} (municipality [[Comines-Warneton]]) with village {{Interlanguage link multi|Ten Brielen|nl}}
*f. {{Interlanguage link multi|Houthem, Belgium|lt=Houthem|nl|3=Houthem (België)}} (municipality Comines-Warneton)
*g. [[Hollebeke]] (municipality Ypres)
*h. [[Zillebeke]] (municipality Ypres)
*i. [[Ypres]] (Ieper) (municipality Ypres)
*j. [[Langemark]] (municipality Langemark-Poelkapelle)
*k. [[Poelkapelle]] (municipality Langemark-Poelkapelle)
*l. [[Westrozebeke]] (municipality Staden)
*m. [[Oostnieuwkerke]] (municipality Staden)
*n. [[Roeselare]] (municipality Roeselare)
{{col-end}}

==See also==
* [[Charles Holden]]
* [[Marquess of Becelaere]]

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Memorial Muse Passchendaele batiment.JPG|The [[Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917]]
File:Photo from Memorial Museum Passchendaele.jpg|Memorial Museum Passchendaele, 1917 interior
File:Zonnebeke - Buttes New British Cemetery 1.jpg|Memorial in the [[Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke]]
File:William Orpen - Zonnebeke - Google Art Project.jpg|''Zonnebeke'' (1918), painting by [[William Orpen]], showing devastation after World War I
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Official website|http://www.zonnebeke.be}} - Information available in [[Dutch language|Dutch]] and limited information available in [[English language|English]], [[French language|French]] and [[German language|German]]

{{Geographic location
|Centre = Zonnebeke
|North     = [[Staden]]
|Northeast = [[Roeselare]]
|East      = [[Moorslede]]
|Southeast = [[Wervik]]
|South     = [[Comines-Warneton]] ([[Hainaut (province)|WHT]])
|West      = [[Ypres]]
|Northwest = [[Langemark-Poelkapelle]]
}}
{{Municipalities in West Flanders}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Zonnebeke| ]]
[[Category:Municipalities of West Flanders]]