Merksem
Appearance
Merksem is a district of the municipality and city of Antwerp in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It has almost 41,000 inhabitants.
History
The history of Merksem goes back to Gallo-Roman times. During that period the region was mentioned as Merk (border) and Heim (settlement) being part of the diocese Kamerijk. Merksem has for centuries been part of a larger community together with Schoten and Sint-Job-in-'t-Goor. In the 16th century Merksem was separated from Schoten.
The road currently known as Bredabaan (Breda Road), once a major northern access to Antwerp, passes through Merksem. The suburb's other main axis is the Albert Canal.
External links
- Official site of Merksem: http://merksem.antwerpen.be/MIDA (this site is in the Dutch language).