Wervik
Wervik is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Wervik and the town of Geluwe. On January 1 2006 Wervik had a total population of 17,607. The total area is 43.61 km² which gives a population density of 404 inhabitants per km². You can visit the Tobacco museum. The area is famous for its excellent tobacco.
History
Wervik has a history that dates back to the Roman Age. According to popular belief, a small temple dedicated to Mars was built on what nowadays is called Saint Maarten's Square (St-Maartensplein in Dutch). In Medieval times Wervik was an important place of textile. After the big cities of Ypres, Bruges and Ghent began to decline in importance, Wervik made its appearance. In 1382 the city was destroyed and slowly lost its influence. In the war between the Seventeen Provinces and Spain, the whole village was set on fire and the population fled. In 1713 the town was split in the Northern part, which kept its original name under the Austrians and now lies in Belgium, and the Southern part, which became Wervicq-Sud under French supremacy and now lies in France.
Famous inhabitants
- Wim Delvoye, artist
- Yves Leterme, politician, prime minister of Flanders
