Aalst, Belgium

Lore & Background

The first historical records on Aalst date from the 9th century, when it was described as the villa Alost, a dependency of the Abbey of Lobbes. During the Middle Ages, a town and port grew at this strategic point where the road from Bruges to Cologne crossed the Dender. In 1046, Aalst was transferred to the Countship of Imperial Flanders, and its frontier position on the border of the Holy Roman Empire allowed the town to keep a certain degree of independence. Construction of the town hall began in the middle of the 12th century, making it the oldest surviving town hall in Belgium. The town hall and the city itself were almost entirely destroyed by fire in 1360, but the town was soon rebuilt and a new belfry in Gothic style was built in the 15th century. This was a time of great prosperity dominated by the powerful weavers' guild, and Dirk Martens, a local citizen, became the Southern Netherlands’ first printer, founding a printing shop in 1473.

Reader's Guide

Aalst is significant for its long history as a strategic trading town and its role in the textile industry, which flourished under French occupation and remains vibrant today. The city's 15th-century belfry, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 as part of the Belfries of Belgium and France, contains the oldest 52-bell carillon in Belgium. Aalst is also known for its annual carnival festivities, which have been accused of antisemitism due to the repeated use of derogatory imagery against Jews. In December 2019, anticipating UNESCO's response, the mayor pre-emptively applied to have the carnival removed from the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the only time such a request has been made. The carnival has continued to generate controversy, with Belgium's prime minister describing the parade as an 'internal affair' and a report by UNIA stating no criminal offences were committed. The city has been the setting for several films and TV series, including the Belgian TV police drama 13 Geboden and the historical drama Thieves of the Wood.

Did You Know?

• Aalst's town hall, begun in the mid-12th century, is the oldest surviving town hall in Belgium.
• The 15th-century Belfry of Aalst contains a 52-bell carillon, the oldest in Belgium.
• Dirk Martens, a local citizen, became the Southern Netherlands’ first printer, founding a printing shop in 1473.
• Aalst has a long-standing folkloric feud with Dendermonde dating from the Middle Ages.