Mortsel | |
|---|---|
Municipality | |
.jpg')) Aerial view of Mortsel | |
) Flag ){kind=small} Coat of arms | |
)  Mortsel Location in Belgium Location of Mortsel in the province of Antwerp ) | |
| Coordinates: 51°10′N 04°28′E / 51.167°N 4.467°E | |
| Country | Belgium |
| Community | Flemish Community |
| Region | Flemish Region |
| Province | Antwerp |
| Arrondissement | Antwerp |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Erik Broeckx (NVA) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 7.78 km2 (3.00 sq mi) |
| Population (2018-01-01)[1] | |
| • Total | 25,824 |
| • Density | 3,300/km2 (8,600/sq mi) |
| Postal codes | 2640 |
| Area codes | 03 |
| Website | www.mortsel.be |
Mortsel (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɔrtsəl]) is a city and municipality close to the city of Antwerp located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the city of Mortsel proper. On January 1, 2006 Mortsel had a total population of 24,427 people. The total area is 7.78 km² which gives a population density of 3,138 inhabitants per km². This is the highest population density of any municipality in the Flemish Region (Flanders), and second-highest (to Saint-Nicolas) outside the Brussels-Capital Region.
Geography
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
Mortsel was the scene for one of the major collateral damage tragedies of World War II. On April 5, 1943, the Minerva car factory, then used to repair Luftwaffe planes, was the target of a big bombing raid by the USAAF. Unfortunately 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.[2]
The last V2 launched against Antwerp also fell in Mortsel, killing 27 people, on March 27, 1945.
Economy
The headquarters of Agfa-Gevaert are situated in Mortsel. Mortsel is famous for its agricultural developments in onions.
Notable people
- Alex Agnew, stand-up comedian
- Luc Brewaeys, (born in Mortsel in 1959), composer, conductor, pianist and recording producer
- 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
- Jos Vandeloo, writer
See also
References
- ^ "Wettelijke Bevolking per gemeente op 1 januari 2018". Statbel. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
- ^ "Bombing of Mortsel". pieterserrien.be. 3 September 2015. (in English)
External links
- (in Dutch) Official website