Mesen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mesen
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 Mesen
Location in Belgium
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| Country | Belgium | ||
| Community | Flemish Community | ||
| Region | Flemish Region | ||
| Province | West Flanders | ||
| Arrondissement | Ypres | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 3.58 km2 (1.38 sq mi) | ||
| Population
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| • Total | Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1,575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | ||
| Postal codes |
8957
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| Area codes | 057 | ||
| Website | www.mesen.be | ||
Mesen (which sounds like "MAY-sen" in Dutch) is a small but important city in Belgium. It's located in the West Flanders province. Even though it's small, it has a rich history, especially from World War I.
As of January 1, 2006, Mesen had about 988 people living there. The city covers an area of 3.58 square kilometers. This means about 276 people live in each square kilometer.
Mesen is special because it's the smallest city in all of Belgium! It's also a "municipality with language facilities." This means it has special rules to help people who speak different languages, like Dutch and French.
The city of Mesen is the main settlement in the area. There's also a small part of Mesen that is separated from the main area. It's surrounded by the towns of Heuvelland and Comines-Warneton.
Mesen is connected to a town called Featherston in New Zealand. This is because of the Messines Ridge (New Zealand) Memorial. This memorial remembers the soldiers from New Zealand who fought here in World War I. Every year on April 25, people gather for Anzac Day to honor them.
Neighboring Villages
Mesen is close to several other villages:
- a. Wijtschate (part of Heuvelland)
- b. Warneton (part of Comines-Warneton)
- c. Ploegsteert (part of Comines-Warneton)
History of Mesen
Mesen has a long history. In the year 1062, a noblewoman named Adela, who was married to Count Baldwin IV of Flanders, brought the bones of Saint Sidronius from Rome to Mesen. This made the town an important religious place.
Mesen played a very important role during World War I (1914–1918). Three major battles were fought right here:
- The first was the Battle of Messines (1914).
- Then came the Battle of Messines (1917). This battle was famous for the huge underground explosions that happened before the attack.
- Finally, part of the Battle of the Lys (1918) also took place near Mesen.
These battles caused a lot of damage to the town. Many memorials and cemeteries in the area now remember the soldiers who fought and died there.
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Church tower from Mesen
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Sint-Niklaaskerk
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Messines Ridge British Cemetery
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Tower, Irish Peace Park in Mesen
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German Order for Mesen 7 April 1918
See also
In Spanish: Mesen para niños
