Aarschot

Aarschot (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈaːrsxɔt] ^ⓘ) is a city and municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, Belgium. The municipality comprises the city of Aarschot proper and the towns of Gelrode, Langdorp and Rillaar. On January 1, 2019, Aarschot had a total population of 30,106. The total area is 62.52 km² (24.14 sq mi) which gives a population density of 446 inhabitants per km².

Aarschot
Municipality
Begijnhof and the tower of the Church of Our Lady
Flag Coat of arms
Location of Aarschot
Aarschot Location in Belgium Location of Aarschot in Flemish Brabant
Coordinates: 50°59′N 04°50′E
Country	Belgium
Community	Flemish Community
Region	Flemish Region
Province	Flemish Brabant
Arrondissement	Leuven
Government
• Mayor	Gwendolyn Rutten (OpenVld)
• Governing party/ies	OpenVLD, Vooruit, N-VA
Area
• Total	63.04 km2 (24.34 sq mi)
Population  (2018-01-01)[1]
• Total	29,965
• Density	480/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Postal codes	3200, 3201, 3202
NIS code	24001
Area codes	013 - 016 - 014
Website	www.aarschot.be

It is located in the part of Flemish Brabant called Hageland, located to the east of Leuven. Aarschot is a very typical town with a long history, dating back to the era of the Roman emperors, according to myths. The church, which dominates the look of the city, is built with the typical brown stone quarried from the hills in the surrounding areas. These same hills were in the Middle Ages home to some of the most well-regarded vineyards of Europe. Today the chain hills, which originate in Bolderberg, Heusden-Zolder, and continue as far as Calais in France, are mainly covered with woods and fruit yards.

The title of Duke of Aarschot, created in 1533, is the oldest (not-Sovereign) Ducal title in Belgium (title created for the House of Croÿ, later inherited by the House of Arenberg that still holds it).

While the Church of Our Lady (Onze-Lieve-Vrouwekerk) definitely leaves its mark on the appearance of the city, nothing defines Aarschot better than the river that passes through it: the Demer. Aarschot is situated in the valley of this brown-colored river.

Aarschot was hit very hard in World War I. When German troops occupied the city on 19 August 1914, Colonel Stenger, commander of the 8th German Infantry Brigade, was shot dead on the balcony of the town hall. The German reprisal was extremely harsh. Many houses were set alight and 156 people were executed, including Mayor Tielemans and his 15-year-old son. The next day, the entire population was ordered to evacuate the city.

• 
  Hertogensmolens downstream side
• 
  Tower of the Church of Our Lady (from the south)