Ostend

Encyclopedia : O : OS : OST : Ostend

Ostend beach and the promenade pier - panoramic view.

Ostend (Dutch: Oostende, French & German: Ostende) is a municipality located in the province of West Flanders, Flemish Region, Belgium. The municipality comprises the city of Ostend proper and the villages of Mariakerke, Stene and Zandvoorde.

On 1 January 2005 Ostend had a total population of 68,594. The total area is 37.72 km² which gives a population density of 1,818.32 inhabitants per km².

History

Ostend and the museumship, the brigantine Mercator.

Ostend is a Belgian city of about 70.000 people, the largest on the Belgian coast. In earlier times, it was nothing more than a small village built on the east-end (Dutch: oost-einde) of an island (called Testerep) between the North Sea and a beach lake. Although small, the village rose to the status of "city" around 1265 when the inhabitants were allowed to hold a market and to build a market hall.

The major source of income for the inhabitants was, of course, fishing. The North Sea coastline has always been rather unstable and in 1395 the inhabitants decided to build a new Ostend behind large dikes and further away from the always threatening sea.

The beachwalk with the Thermae Palace, the former Royal Residence and the casino.

The strategic position on the North Sea coast had major advantages for Ostend as a harbor but also proved to be a source of trouble. The city was frequently taken, destroyed and rampaged by conquering armies. The most important of these events was the three-year Siege of Ostend between 1601 and 1604, with on both sides combined more than 80,000 dead or wounded. After their independence from the Spanish Empire, the Dutch had persevered (Protestant Dutch freedomfighters).

After this era Ostend turned into a harbour of some importance. In 1722 the Dutch closed off the entrance to the harbour of Antwerp. Therefore, Ostend rose in importance because the city provided an alternative entrance to the sea. The Southern Netherlands (now Belgium) had become part of the Austrian Empire. The Austrian Emperor Charles VI granted the city the trade monopoly with Africa and the Far-East. The Oostendse Compagnie (= the Ostend trade society) was allowed to found colonies overseas. However, in 1727 the Oostendse Compagnie was forced to stop its activities because of Dutch and British pressure. The Netherlands and Britain would not allow competitors on the international trade level. Both nations regarded international trade as their privilege.

The beach at the pier.

In later times the harbour of Ostend continued to expand because the harbor dock, as well as the traffic connections with the hinterland, were improved. In 1838 a railway connection with Brussels was constructed. Ostend became a transit harbour to England in 1846 when the first ferry sailed to Dover. It no longer serves in that role today, except for freight, as an alternative channel crossing point to Calais, France. Very important for the image of the city was the attention it started to receive from the Belgian kings Leopold I of Belgium and Leopold II. Both liked to spend their vacations in Ostend. Important monuments and villas were built to please the Royal Family. The rest of aristocratic Belgium followed and soon Ostend became known as "The Queen of the Belgian sea-side resorts".

The flag bears the colours red (above) and yellow (below). Interesting locations are the Casino and Fort Napoleon.

Famous citizens of Ostend

• Lilian Baels, Princess
• Jean-Marie Dedecker, politician
• James Ensor, painter
• Marvin Gaye, singer
• Herr Seele, cartoonist (Cowboy Henk), painter, performer
• Arno Hintjens, lead-singer of TC Matic
• Kamagurka, cartoonist, singer, performer
• René Magritte, Surrealist painter
• Constant Permeke, expressionist painter
• Leon Spilliaert, painter
• Robert Triffin, economist
• Johan Vande Lanotte, politician
• Robert Van De Walle, judoka

Sport clubs

• K.V. Oostende (football)
• Basketball Club Oostende (basketball)

The Peperbusse- local name for an old church tower from a burned down church.

External links

• [Official website] - Information available in Dutch and limited information available in French, English and German
• [Oostende.net] - Non-Official, although it offers lots of useful information. Cover your eyes - it's blue and orange. Information available in French, English and German.
• [Oostendse verhalen]- Site about the Ostend dialect and culture with Ostend grammatical rules. (mainly in Dutch (nl) and Ostend dialect).
• [Toerisme Oostende - English edition - extensive]
• [Free photos of Ostend]
• [Ostend Airport] - Official website of the international airport of Ostend.
• [Koninginnehof] - A day out in the Local Park