Baarle-Hertog

"Baerle-Duc" redirects here. For the French town, see Bar-le-Duc.

Baarle-Hertog
Municipality
Former town hall
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Baarle-Hertog
Baarle-Hertog Location in Belgium Location of Baarle-Hertog in the province of Antwerp
Coordinates: 51°27′N 04°56′E
Country	Belgium
Community	Flemish Community
Region	Flemish Region
Province	Antwerp
Arrondissement	Turnhout
Government
• Mayor	Leo van Tilburg (CDK)
• Governing party/ies	CDK
Area
• Total	7.41 km2 (2.86 sq mi)
Population  (2020-01-01)
• Total	2,865
• Density	390/km2 (1,000/sq mi)
Postal codes	2387
NIS code	13002
Area codes	014
Website	Official website

Baarle-Hertog (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌbaːrlə ˈɦɛrtɔx]) is a Flemish municipality of Belgium, much of which consists of a number of small Belgian exclaves in the Netherlands.

While some of its territory consists of exclaves in the Dutch province of North Brabant, it is part of the Belgian province of Antwerp. On 1 January 2006 Baarle-Hertog had a population of 2,306. The total area is 7.48 square kilometres (2.89 square miles) which gives a population density of 308 inhabitants per km² (798 inhabitants/sq mi).

Geography

Border with Baarle-Nassau

Map showing the enclaves of Baarle-Hertog

Baarle-Hertog is noted for its complicated borders with Baarle-Nassau, Netherlands. The complex border was created after the Treaty of Maastricht was signed between the Netherlands and Belgium in 1843. In total it consists of 24 separate parcels of land. The main division of Baarle-Hertog is Zondereigen (named after its main hamlet), located north of the Belgian town of Merksplas. In addition there are twenty Belgian exclaves in the Netherlands and three other sections on the Dutch-Belgian border. There are also seven Dutch exclaves within the Belgian exclaves (i.e., counter-exclaves). Six of these Dutch enclaves are located within the largest Belgian enclave, and a seventh in the second-largest Belgian enclave. An eighth Dutch exclave is located nearby Ginhoven.

Outside of Belgium and the Netherlands, there is at least one other national counter-exclave (enclave enclosed within an enclave) at Nahwa, an enclave of the United Arab Emirates within an enclave of the Sultanate of Oman within the United Arab Emirates.

Some houses in the town of Baarle-Hertog/Baarle-Nassau are divided between the two countries. At one time, according to Dutch laws restaurants had to close earlier. For some restaurants on the border this simply meant that the customers had to move to a table on the Belgian side. The border's complexity results from a number of equally complex medieval treaties, agreements, land-swaps and sales between the Lords of Breda and the Dukes of Brabant. Generally speaking, predominantly agricultural or built environments became constituents of Brabant and other parts devolved to Breda. These distributions were ratified and clarified as a part of the border settlements agreed under the Treaty of Maastricht in 1843.

Many fireworks shops are found in Baarle-Hertog, owing to Belgian laws controlling the sale of fireworks that are more lenient than those in the Netherlands. Close to the end of the year many Dutch tourists come to Baarle-Hertog to buy fireworks to celebrate the New Year.

Two villages in the municipality, Zondereigen and Ginhoven, are located in the main territory of Belgium.

• 
  Cafe in Baarle-Nassau, showing border between Belgium and the Netherlands
• 
  Church of Saint Remigius

List of enclaves

Netherlands enclaves

These are all part of Baarle-Nassau Commune.

Serial no. and local name	Area (ha)	Notes
N1, De Loversche Akkers – De Tommelsche Akkers	5.3667	Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; contains a mix of dwellings and farmland; boundary of N1 and H1 runs through one building.
N2, De Tommelsche Akkers	1.3751	Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; contains 8 dwellings.
N3, De Tommelsche Akkers	0.2863	Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; boundary of N3 and H1 bisects the loading dock of a liquor store.
N4, De Rethsche Akkers	1.2324	Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; boundary of N4 and H1 runs through a warehouse, with vacant Dutch land to the rear of the warehouse.
N5, De Rethsche Akkers	1.9212	Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; boundary of N5 and H1 runs through a furniture showroom, a shed and a barn.
N6, Gierle Straat	1.4527	Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian exclave H1, in Baarle-Hertog; consists of farmland with two buildings.
N7, De Kastelein	0.5812	Counter-enclave surrounded by Belgian Oordeel exclave H8, in Baarle-Hertog; occupies part of a field.
N8, Vossenberg	2.8528	Farmland enclave situated within Zondereigen, Belgium, less than 50 meters south of the Dutch border.

Belgian enclaves

These are all part of Baarle-Hertog Commune, and are surrounded by Baarle-Nassau Commune (Netherlands).

Serial no. and local name	Area (ha)	Notes
H1, Aen het Klooster Straetje - Hoofdbraek - Loveren - De Boschcovensche Akkers - De Loversche Akkers - De Tommelsche Akkers - De Tommel - De Gierle Straat - De Reth - De Rethsche Akkers - Het Dorp - De Kapel Akkers - De Kastelein	153.6448	Forms a quadripoint with enclave H2; largest Belgian exclave; encompasses six Dutch enclaves; consists of dwellings for the most part, with outlying farmland and an industrial area; boundary runs through numerous buildings; contains a portion of the former Turnhout-Tilburg rail line, now a cycle path.
H2, De Rethsche Akkers	2.4116	Consists of farmland with a single point of connection (quadripoint) between enclaves H1 and H2 in the middle of a corn field.
H3, De Rethsche Akkers	0.3428	Occupies part of a field; boundary runs through a shed in one instance.
H4, De Rethsche Akkers	1.476	Consists of farmland; boundary runs through a house and three sheds.
H5, De Kapel Akkers	0.9245	Consists of farmland with a dwelling.
H6, Hoofdbraek	1.7461	Mixed land usage; boundary runs through a warehouse/factory.
H7, De Loversche Akkers	0.2469	Boundary runs through two dwellings, including the middle of one front door (giving it two house numbers: Loveren 2, Baarle-Hertog / Loveren 19, Baarle-Nassau).
H8, Boschcoven - De Kastelein - De Oordelsche Straat	41.8781	Second-largest Belgian exclave, contains a mix of dwellings and farmland; boundary runs through a barn, a dwelling and two businesses.
H9, De Kapel Akkers	0.4005	Boundary runs through a printing factory/warehouse in an industrial area.
H10, De Oordelsche Straat	0.65	Consists of farmland.
H11, De Oordelsche Straat	0.93	Consists of farmland.
H12, Boschcoven	0.2822	Consists of farmland.
H13, Boschcoven	1.5346	Boundary runs through about 20 dwellings.
H14, Boschcoven	0.7193	Boundary runs through about 13 dwellings.
H15, Boschcoven	1.7211	Boundary runs through about 16 dwellings.
H16, Keizershoek - Oordelsche Straat	4.4252	Boundary runs through a house and three sheds, with three turning points inside just one shed.
H17, Moleriet Heide	14.9248	Rural area containing a portion of the former Turnhout-Tilburg rail line, now a cycle path.
H18, De Manke Gooren	2.9247	Consists of farmland.
H19, De Peruiters	0.6851	Consists of several ponds and a field.
H20, Wurstenbosch - Vossenberg	1.1681	Consists of farmland.
H21, Baelbrugsche Beemden	1.1845	Consists of farmland.
H22, De Wit Hagen	0.2632	South of the village of Ulicoten; occupies part of a field; nationality was contested from the 1830s until 1995 (remained unallocated to either country in boundary treaty of 26 April 1974)

Education

Baarle-Hertog has two schools: De Vlinder and De Horizon.

It has a joint library with Baarle-Nassau with Belgian and Dutch staff.

Famous inhabitants

• Petrus Christus, 15th century painter

See also

• Büsingen am Hochrhein, an exclave of Germany surrounded by Switzerland
• Campione d'Italia, an exclave of Italy surrounded by Switzerland
• Llívia, an exclave of Spain surrounded by France
• India–Bangladesh enclaves, 173 former enclaves (not including counter-enclaves)

External links

• Official Web site Baarle-Hertog Template:Nl icon
• Official Web site Baarle-Nassau Template:Nl icon
• The Baarle Enclaves outlined with Maps
• Barry Smith's Baarle Site (with maps)
• Photos from Baarle-Nassau/Hertog
• Jan S. Krogh's Geosite about the Baarles
• Photograph of H-22, the smallest enclave of B.-Hertog at 51°26'54"N 4°50'10"E
• New York Times, Frugal Traveler Blog, August 2008 (Matt Gross) – see video of Baarle-Hartog in middle of page
• 'En Territoire Belge et a quarante centimetres de la frontiere' - English-language PhD thesis on the historical geography of Baarle's enclaves, including photos and detailed maps