Mortsel
Template:More citations needed Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox Belgium municipality
Mortsel (Template:IPA) is a municipality and city<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> close to the city of Antwerp located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the city of Mortsel proper. In 2024, Mortsel had a total population of 26,588 people which makes most densely populated municipality in Flanders with 3416 inhabitants per km².<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The total area is 7.78 km².<ref name="stat">Template:Cite web</ref>
Geography
[edit]The city consists of the areas Mortsel-Dorp, Oude-God and Luithagen. Mortsel is bordered by Antwerp (districts Wilrijk, Berchem and Deurne), Borsbeek, Boechout, Hove, and Edegem.
History
[edit]Mortsel was the scene for one of the major collateral damage tragedies of World War II. On 5 April 1943, the Minerva car factory, then used to repair Luftwaffe planes, was the target of a bombing raid by the USAAF. Most bombs missed the target and hit a residential area instead, resulting in the deaths of 936 civilians, including 209 children, exceeding the civilian death toll of the Guernica raid which modern estimates put at 400.<ref>Template:Cite web Template:In lang</ref>
The last V2 launched against Antwerp also fell in Mortsel, killing 27 people, on 27 March 1945.
Economy
[edit]The headquarters of Agfa-Gevaert are situated in Mortsel.
Notable people
[edit]- Alex Agnew, stand-up comedian
- Luc Brewaeys, (born in Mortsel in 1959), composer, conductor, pianist and recording producer
- Daniel Dardha, chess player
- Bart De Wever, politician
- Timo Descamps, actor
- Koen Lenaerts, President of the European Court of Justice
- Clem Schouwenaars (b. Mortsel, 1932–1993), writer
- Tamino, musician
- Luc Tuymans, painter
- Johan Van Overtveldt (born in Mortsel in 1955), Belgian journalist and politician of the New Flemish Alliance
- Jos Vandeloo, writer
See also the Category:People from Mortsel.
References
[edit]External links
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