Temse

This article is about the Belgian municipality. For the river of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, see Temse (Warnow).

Temse
Municipality
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Temse
Temse Location in Belgium Location of Temse in East Flanders
Coordinates: 51°07′N 04°12′E
Country	Belgium
Community	Flemish Community
Region	Flemish Region
Province	East Flanders
Arrondissement	Sint-Niklaas
Government
• Mayor	Luc De Ryck (CD&V)
• Governing party/ies	CD&V, NV-A
Area
• Total	40.1 km2 (15.5 sq mi)
Population  (2018-01-01)
• Total	29,528
• Density	740/km2 (1,900/sq mi)
Postal codes	9140
NIS code	46025
Area codes	03
Website	www.temse.be

Temse (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈtɛmsə]) is a municipality on the left side of the River Scheldt in East Flanders, Belgium.

The municipality comprises the towns of Elversele, Steendorp, Temse and Tielrode. On January 1, 2012, Temse had a population of 28,809. The total area is 39.92 km² which gives a population density of 722 inhabitants per km².

History

The name Temse is derived from the Gallo-Roman/Gaul Tamisiacum or Tamasiacum. This is also reflected in the French name for the town, Tamise. The main sights include the church of Our Lady, whose steeple was designed built by the famous sculptor Adriaan Nijs, who died in Temse, and who also sculpted the wooden pulpit. Inside the church the relics of Amalberga of Temse are venerated. Close by stands the old "Gemeentehuis" (town hall), built in Flemish Eclectic style, housing a carillon in its main tower.

Between 1829 and 1994, Temse was home to the Boelwerf shipyard (locallly lknown as "De Zaat") which for much of the twentieth century dominated the local economy and employment market.

After the last ship was completed in 1996, the shipyard's extensive terrain to the west of the town centre became available for redevelopment. The land was acquired in 2001 by a consortium of local construction firm Cordeel and three banks, and "Nieuw Temse" (New Temse) has since emerged as a whole new river-side town district and also the home of the new town hall. Local architect Pieter De Maeyer led the urban planning for the new district, and a number of high-profile architects were attracted for the design of a series of residential buildings along the river.

Main sights

• Temse Bridge, road bridge in Belgium, originally designed by Gustave Eiffel.
• Church of Our Lady, 17th century interior.
• Old Town Hall ("Gemeentehuis"), in Flemish Eclectic style, completed in 1906[1]

External links

• Media related to Temse at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website - Only available in Dutch
• Dutch-langue Wikipedia entry on Temse [2]