Knesselare Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids

Knesselare

Deelgemeente

Town centre and Saint Willibrord Church

Flag	Coat of arms

Knesselare

Location in Belgium

Country

Belgium

Province

East Flanders

Arrondissement

Ghent

Municipality

Aalter

Area

• Total

37.45 km² (14.46 sq mi)

Population

(2021)

• Total

8,211

• Density

219.25/km² (567.86/sq mi)

Postal code

9910

Area code

Knesselare (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈknɛsəˌlaːrə]) is a charming village in Belgium. It is located in the province of East Flanders. Knesselare used to be its own town, called a municipality. But now, it is part of the larger town of Aalter. It is known as a deelgemeente, which means a sub-municipality or part of a larger town. The area of Knesselare also includes the village of Ursel [nl].

History of Knesselare
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History of Knesselare

What's in a Name?

The name Knesselare comes from old Germanic words. The word "klisse" means a type of herb. The word "laar" describes a wet, bushy area of land. So, Knesselare likely means a "herb-filled, soggy brushwood terrain." People first wrote about Knesselare in the year 1128.

Early Days and Rule

Knesselare became its own church area, or parish, in 1171. This meant it had its own church and priest. At first, it was a village heerlijkheid. This was a type of lordship where a local lord had power over the area.

During the time of Louis II, Count of Flanders, who ruled from 1330 to 1384, Knesselare was divided. It was split into four different administrative areas. For a long time, even until the 1800s, much of Knesselare was covered by forests and open heathlands.

Population and Merger

On August 1, 2015, Knesselare had a population of 8,171 people. The total area of the municipality was about 37.27 square kilometers. This meant there were around 219 people living in each square kilometer.

On January 1, 2019, Knesselare officially joined with the nearby municipality of Aalter. This means Knesselare is now a part of Aalter.