Gent is a city with a long history and one which is also at the forefront of contemporary culture in Belgium today. Due to the rivers there is evidence of human activity from the iron and stone ages, and the city was plundered by the Vikings on more than one occasion. However, due to the thriving wool and cloth industries in Gent the city blossomed from the beginning of the first millennium and, for a while anyway, was the 2nd biggest and most important city in Europe (after Paris). Wool used to be imported in from England and Scotland too and relations between these countries was strong. A statue in the Vrijdagsmarkt (Friday market square), of a man called Jacob Van Artevelde, shows him pointing towards England. This symbolises the political alliance between Gent and England during the hundreds years war, credited with ensuring the economic stability of the region. Gentenaars are still prone to calling Gent "Artevelde city".
It's worth noting that Belgium is a relatively young country. Independence from The Netherlands was declared in 1830 and officially recognised in 1839. This means the identity of being Flemmish, to many, is in fact as strong or stronger than that of being Belgian. Many families here have centuries of Flemmish history, as opposed to only 4 or 5 generations of Belgian history. This leads me back to the three names of our city. Two of which are Flemmish and French (its worth pointing out that Flemmish is in fact Dutch). The symbolism of the difference is never lost on me, and the deep divisions between the Flemmish north and Walloon (french speaking) south is as pronounced today as it has ever been. I will blog more about it as it is very complicated but next time you see a sign in Belgium which is in two languages, just remember there is more to it than two parts of the same country ensuring one can understand the other.
Much of the more recent history of Gent is influenced by Religion and War, one interesting point is that it was here that The Treaty of Ghent was signed which officially brought to an end the 1812 war between Britain and the United States. Towards the end of the 19th century the textile industry was thriving in Gent, this is said to be due to a man called Lieven Bauwens who smuggled a weaving machine out of England and started the first mechanised weaving on the continent. There is a fantastic museum here (Museum Industriele Archeologie en Textiel- MIAT) which exhibits from this, one of the most important eras in the history of Gent.
The castle, called Gravensteen, in the picture above was built by a count in the 1100's. One of the many characters that has a place in the history of this city. One of the most memorable must be the Roman Emperor Charles V, who was born in Gent in 1500. He has a beer named after him due to his reputation as a verocious beer drinker. He was also a famous womaniser, many of them relatives, and it is said he fathered 39 children. He apparently suffered from an enlarged jaw which historians believed was a result of inbreeding, this stopped him being able to eat properly. He had epilespy and suffered from terrible Gout. He died from Malaria but not before he had left an indelible mark on the area. His palace has been destroyed now but most people can tell you about him and his reputation.
More recently Gent has made a name for itself in the world of Arts and Culture. It is home to some of the most exciting new talents in Belgium, including the group SoulWax. The current head of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge is also a Gentenaar. Perhaps the event which really puts Gent on the map is the music and culture festival known as The Gentse Feesten. A ten day festival based in the centre of the city which dates back to the late 1800's. It always starts on the Saturday after July 21st and the final day, a Monday, is known as De Dag van de Lege Portomonnees (the day of the empty wallets!). The modern era of the Gentse Feesten was started in the late 60's by the people from the Trefpunt cafe. This, ironically, is where I work. Trefpunt means "meeting place" and the area around the cafe, which is dominated by Sint-Jacobs church, is the centre for most of the festival. (It is also about 3 minutes walk from our flat!) As well as music stages there is poetry, street theatre, debating sessions and a ten night dance party called "Ten Days off" which attracts the best DJs and dance acts from around the world. I have been a few times but this time I will be working. I have been told it will be a "Groot adventuur". I'm looking forward to it but with a little bit of anticipation. The line up is still a secret. They wont even tell me! I'll put links below, check it out it you are interested.....
Listen to Soulwax here: http://www.soulwax.com/potwnd/loop/
