Beveren

Beveren (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈbeːvərə(n)]) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Beveren proper, Doel, Haasdonk, Kallo, Kieldrecht, Melsele, Verrebroek and Vrasene.

The port of the Waasland (Dutch: Waaslandhaven) is located in Beveren, on the left bank of the Schelde, facing the port of Antwerp on the other side of the river.

History

Roman origins

In Roman times, the Beveren area was at the edge of the sea and heavily influenced by the tides. The earliest inhabitants erected primitive dams, which were later reinforced and heightened by the religious communities that sprung up in the region. The invasions of the Normans in the 9th century prompted the Counts of Flanders and their local vassals to defend this land even more. Among the local nobility were the lords of Beveren, whose territory was eventually ceded to Louis I of Flanders in 1334. Beveren thus became the oldest political centre of the Waasland region – the northeastern part of the historical County of Flanders – basking for more than two centuries in the glory of Flanders and Burgundy.