As, Belgium facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
As
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|
St. Aldegonde's church
|
|||
|
|||
 As
Location in Belgium
|
|||
| Country | Belgium | ||
| Community | Flemish Community | ||
| Region | Flemish Region | ||
| Province | Limburg | ||
| Arrondissement | Hasselt | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 22.07 km2 (8.52 sq mi) | ||
| Population
(2018-01-01)Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
|
|||
| • Total | Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1,575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | ||
| Postal codes |
3665, 3668
|
||
| Area codes | 089 | ||
| Website | www.as.be | ||
As is a town located in the Belgian province of Limburg. It's a place where about 7,500 people live. The town covers an area of 22.07 square kilometers. This means there are about 340 people living in each square kilometer.
Contents
History of As
How As Was Formed
In 1971, the town of As became bigger. It joined together with another nearby village called Niel-bij-As. Both of these places are located along a small stream called the Bosbeek brook. They sit on a flat area known as the Campine plateau. This area is found between two rivers, the Demer and the Meuse.
What "As" Means
The name "As" comes from a very old word, "Aska." This word meant "water" a long, long time ago. At first, "Aska" was the name for the Bosbeek brook. Later, it became the name for the village itself. This makes sense because the villages were built close to water. Water was very important in this dry region.
Early Settlers in As
People have lived in the As area for a very long time.
- Stone Age Finds: Archaeologists have found tools made of flint here. These tools date back to the earliest Stone Age, showing people lived here thousands of years ago.
- Ancient Cemetery: Around 500 BC, there was a cemetery in a field between Genk and As. This shows that people were living here during that time.
- Roman Roads: The Romans built a road that passed through As. This road connected Tongeren to Venlo. The roads you see today near the brook and leading to Niel and Dorne follow the path of this old Roman road. However, the Romans didn't build towns here. The sandy soil wasn't good enough for farming.
The Franks and Christianity
After the Roman Empire ended, a group called the Francs moved into the area. They settled in As.
- Important Village: A cemetery from the Merovingian period (around 500 to 700 AD) shows that As was an important village back then.
- First Church: Starting in the 700s, people in the region began to become Christians. The very first church was built where the current Saint Aldegonde's Church stands today.
- Church Records: We know about this church from a letter written in 1108. In the letter, a church leader named Otbert mentioned "income from the churches of Riemst, Genk, As and Gellik."
Niel's History
Niel was first mentioned in a document from 1253. For a long time, people in Niel had to go to Dilsen for their religious duties. But in 1721, Niel became its own independent church parish.
Farming and Coal
For many centuries, the forests of oak and birch trees were cut down. This made more space for farms and open heathland fields. The small farming villages we see today, like Oeleinde (which is the oldest), grew from these early settlements.
A big change happened in 1901. That's when the first coal was found in As! This discovery led to factories and industries being built in the area. Today, As is mostly a town where people live. It's surrounded by beautiful heathland and forests.
Mayors of As
The mayor is the leader of the town. Here are some of the people who have been mayor of As:
- 1873 - 1908: Jan Matthijs Theunissen
- 1909 - 1927: Jacobus Janssen
- 1927 - 1933: Joseph Weytjens
- 1933 - 1935: Désiré Colemont
- 1935 - 1941: Louis Huveners
- 1941 - 1944: Jan Lambert Dexters
- 1944 - 1947: Koen Lagaert
- 1947 - 1953: Hubert Hoogmartens
- 1953 - 1959: Gisbert Marting
- 1959 - 1971: Albert Jorissen
- 1971 - 1977: Pierre Tilmans
- 1977 - 1983: Albert Jorissen
- 1983 - 2006: Jos Truyen
- 2007 - 2016: Miel Craeghs
- 2017 - Present: Tom Seurs
Places to See in As
As has several interesting places to visit:
- St. Aldegonde's Church: This old church has been carefully restored.
- St. Theresa's Church: This church was built more recently, between 1930 and 1932.
- The Kolenspoor (Coal Track): This is a special group of volunteers. They offer tours along the old railway line that used to carry coal. It runs from Waterschei to Eisden, passing through As.
- The Old Railway Station:
This is the oldest railway station in Limburg. It has been restored and is now a pub called the Kolenspoor. It's also the entrance to the Campine National Park.
- André Dumont Monument: This monument marks the exact spot where coal was first discovered in 1901.
- Historic Water Mills: There are also two old water mills that you can see.
See also
In Spanish: As (Bélgica) para niños
