Mechelen

Most cities in Flanders have a mock name for their inhabitants. Since 1687, for their heroic attempt to fight the fire high up in the Saint-Rumbold's Tower, where the gothic windows had shown the flaring of only the moon between clouds, Mechlinians have been called Maneblussers (moon extinguishers).

Once every 25 years, a Parade, the Ommegang, commemorates both the arrival of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, father of Archduchess Margaret of Austria, and also other major events of the city's past. The Ommegang had an extra edition in 2000 for the 500th anniversary of the birth of Charles V. This cortege shows the city's six 15th–17th-century Giants and other serious and humoresque puppets and carts, all typically made on a huge scale, and has been UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity since 2005.

The city's 17th-century wooden mascot, which since 1775 has been called Opsinjoorke 'the doll', is pulled about on a sheet as part of the Ommegang. Nowadays, it is the replica that is so pulled around the city. A recent bronze statue depicting the Opsinjoorke stands in front of the Belfry.

The annual parade of carts decorated with flowers (comparable to that of Blankenberge for Mechlinian florists still prepare up to half of decorations), and with vegetables, – all of which are local to the area—has been indefinitely canceled since the beginning of the 21st century due to lack of financing by the City.[9]

In spring, a legendary holy statue of Our Lady is the main feature in the Procession of Hanswijk.

Mechelen used to have its own newspaper called de Krijgstrompet, which was the official newspaper of the army.

Informally, many Mechlinians (Dutch Mechelaars, locally pronounced Mecheleirs) speak Mechlinian (Mechels), a Dutch dialect which is distinct from other Brabantic dialects.

Since 1995, a subscribers' quarterly, De Mecheleir, shows old photographs of Mechelen and has stories on the local history, as well as a few columns written mimicking the dialect, for which there is no standard spelling.[10]

The brewery Het Anker, home of the Gouden Carolus beer

Historically famous Mechlinian trades include laken (woollen cloth), tapestries, cordwain, Mechlin lace (precious bobbin lace, already from the early 18th century), wood carving and sculpturing, and furniture.

Mechelen was at the heart of the revival of the carillon in the early 20th century, and hosts its principal school in the world to this day.[11][12]

The area around Mechelen is famous for the cultivation of vegetables, among which are Belgian endive (witloof), asparagus, and cauliflower. Founded in the city, the Mechelse Veilingen in neighbouring Sint-Katelijne-Waver is the largest co-operative vegetable auction in Europe.[13]

One of the four breeds of the Belgian Sheepdog is the local Malinois. The Mechelse koekoek is a local poultry breed, fleshy chickens with black and white feathers which extend on the birds' legs, with colours reminiscent of a cuckoo, hence the name.

Mechelsen Bruynen was allegedly the emperor Charles V's favourite beer. A version is still brewed in the city at Het Anker brewery, one of the oldest breweries in Belgium.[14]

Mechelen has an oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb). Mechelen has a narrow temperature range between seasons for its high latitude, despite its inland position. Summers are warm and occasionally hot, whereas winters usually remain above freezing. Similar to Belgium as a whole, the climate is relatively cloudy and receives frequent rainfall, often light.

Home of two old Belgian football clubs, founded in 1904: K.R.C. Mechelen and K.V. Mechelen. The latter contributed to the international glamour of the city by winning the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and the European Super Cup in 1988. The number of lesser local teams shows this sport's popularity: Rapid Leest, Sporting Mechelen, Leest Utd., VV Leest, Walem, SK.Heffen, Zennester Hombeek, FC Muizen. In 1985, the city hosted the Canoe Sprint World Championships.

St. Rumbold's Cathedral.

City gate: Brusselpoort.

't Groen Waterke.

There are several important cathedral and churches in Mechelen. Most famous is Sint-Romboutskathedraal (St. Rumbold's Cathedral) with its dominating tower, which was consecrated in 1312 and is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Belfries of Belgium and France site.[16] The domed, baroque Basiliek van Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-van-Hanswijk, a famous place of pilgrimage in Belgium, was designed by native architect Lucas Faydherbe, some of whose sculptures can also be found in the cathedral and completed in 1876. The Kerk van Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-over-de-Dijle (Church of Our Lady across the river Dijle) and the Sint-Janskerk exhibits work from Rubens, including 'The Adoration of the Magi' and 'The Miraculous Draught of Fishes', respectively. Other important churches in Mechelen include the baroque Begijnhofkerk (Church of the Beguines, dedicated to St. Alexis and St. Catherine); the former Jesuit church Sint-Pieter en Pauluskerk (Saints Peter and Paul); and the present Jesuit Church of Our Lady of Leliendaal.

Other religious buildings in Mechelen include the Palace of the Archbishop of the Archbishopric of Mechelen-Brussels, still in use for its original purpose by the current Archbishop De Kesel. These palaces may not be open to the public in general but do offer a good external view. The Klein Begijnhof and the Groot Begijnhof (Small and Large Beguinages), which house lay religious women, form part of the Flemish Béguinages World Heritage Site.[17] The grounds of the Theravada Buddhist place of worship Wat Dhammapateep (Temple of the Flame of Truth or Reality as taught by the Enlightened One) has since 2005 housed a green granite Buddha, sculptured in China, seated on a dark green granite socle – the tallest granite Buddha in Europe.

The Refuge of Grimbergen, the Refuge of Villers, the Refuge of Rozendaal, the Refuge of Sint-Truiden and the Refuge of Tongerlo, are retreat mansions for distant abbeys, the latter now housing the Manufacturer De Wit which restores the finest tapestries, for which Flanders was famous in the 16th century.

The Lakenhal (a cloth hall) and the 14th-century Belfry beside it are now incorporated with the modern City Hall complex on the main square. The hall and belfry are part of the Belfries of Belgium and France World Heritage Site for their civic importance and architecture.[16]

The Brusselpoort, the last remaining of the city's twelve gates was built in the 13th century. Along with the Schepenhuis, the oldest stone-built city hall in Flanders and the historical seat of the 'Grote Raad' (Great Council or Supreme Court), and the gothic-renaissance Hof van Busleyden where Hieronymus van Busleyden received Erasmus, Thomas More, and the later Pope Adrian VI, now house the City Museum. The Vismarkt (former fish market) is a 16th-century square located near the heart of the city along the river Dijle.

Many famous people resided in Mechelen in the 16th-19th centuries, and their houses still remain today. The Hof van Savoye was built for Margaret of Austria while as regent of the Netherlands still raising the later Charles Quint. It is one of the first Renaissance buildings north of the Alps and was converted to the meeting place of for courts of justice in 1609. In addition, Mechelen contains the "Hof van Nassau", a 15th-century building which served as temporary court of Margaret of York when she arrived in Mechelen after her marriage with Charles the Bold, as well as the palace she resided in after Charles's death.

Other notable houses from the time period include:

• The "Hof van Hoogstraten", 16th-century palace of Antoon I van Lalaing
• The "Hof van Cortenbach", 16th-century building
• The "Hof van Coloma", 18th-century palace of Jean Ernest Coloma, Baron of St-Pieters Leeuw and member of the Coloma family

Mechelen also contains many museums, parks, and zoos:

• The Jewish Museum of Deportation and Resistance[18] in a wing of the former Casern Dossin, built in the 18th century by Queen Maria Theresa of Austria, ruler of the Austrian Netherlands.
• Technopolis, center for hands-on Science and Technology.
• Mechelen Toy Museum at Nekkerspoel
• Planckendael Zoo in Muizen
• The Botanical Garden of Mechelen (Kruidtuin), a city park with marble statue of the 16th-century botanist Rembert Dodoens; Vrijbroek recreational park with around June its outstanding Rose Gardens and in summer its Dahlia Garden; the Tivoli Park with Children's Farm
• The Clock Museum, also known as the Watchmakers' Museum

Mechelen also contains the Royal Carillon School "Jef Denyn" where carillonneurs come from around the world to study the carillon and to play the instrument.

Other sites in Mechelen include:

• 't Groen Waterke, a picturesque small remnant of bygone canals – in particular of the Melaan, of which a longer stretch was after more than a century uncovered in 2007.
• A stone pillar De Mijlpaal, now prominent in front of the station, had marked the nearby destination point of the first passenger train ride on the continent. The name was adopted by the railway workers' club for miniature model trains, and by a small museum housed in one of the oldest railroad buildings commemorates the historical event and consequent local industry of national importance.[19]

There are over 300 protected monuments in Mechelen.[20]

The city council consists of 43 councillors, elected every six years. The mayor is Bart Somers (Open Vld) since 2001. In October 2019 Alexander Vandersmissen became acting mayor because Bart Somers became minister in the Flemish government, he retains the title of mayor. The Vld-Groen-M+ kartel got an absolute majority of seats in the October 2018 election.

The 2019-2024 city council, elected in October 2018, consists of:

• Vld-Groen-M+: 25 seats
• N-VA: 7 seats
• Vlaams Belang: 4 seats
• CD&V: 3 seats
• sp.a: 3 seats
• PVDA: 1 seat

The city of Mechelen uses ANPR cameras since September 2011 to check all inbound and outbound cars against a database of stolen, non-insured and cars listed for other reasons. In case of a positive match, an alarm is generated in the dispatching room, enabling the police to quickly intercept the car. Mechelen was one of the first cities in Belgium to use ANPR on this scale. As of early 2012, 1 million cars per week are checked in this way. Mechelen started this project with SAIT Zenitel.[21]

Mechelen and Willebroek form a unified local police zone since 1 January 2015.

• Margaret of York, Duchess of Burgundy (1446–1503). Note: several children who later became queens of European countries had received an education at her court.
• John Heywood, English poet (1497–c 1575)
• Margaret of Austria, regent of the Netherlands, daughter of Maximilian I and guardian of Charles V (1480–1530)
• Mary, Eleanor and Isabella of Austria, nieces of Margaret of Austria
• Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, brought up in Mechelen until age 17 (1500–1558)
• Anne Boleyn, future wife of English King Henry VIII (1504–1536)_{[n 2]}
• Rembert Dodoens, botanist, herbalist, and physician (1517–1585)
• Philippe de Monte, Renaissance composer (1521–1603)
• David Herregouts, painter (1603-?)
• Rik Wouters, Painter and sculptor (1882–1916)
• François René Mallarmé, French politician in exile (1755–1835)
• Lodewijk van Beethoven (1712–73), grandfather of Ludwig van Beethoven, and the origin of the van Beethoven family
• Jules Van Nuffel (1883–1953), choir conductor and composer
• Hans Ruckers (1540s–1598), Virginal and Organ Builder
• Adèle Colson (1905-1997), first woman in the world to earn a carillon certification
• Gaston Relens (1909-2011), painter
• Bart Somers (b. 1964), mayor who won the World Mayor Prize in 2016

• Sucre, Bolivia
• Dijon, France
• Yūki, Japan (1996)
• Helmond, Netherlands
• Sibiu, Romania
• Arvada, U.S.

• ISBN 90-5837-089-5, Michelin's "De Grote Gids België"

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mechelen.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Mechelen.

• Official website – links to versions in (in English, French, and German) that are partially constructed (July 2011)
• Official Virtual Tour of the City of Mechelen
• Mechelen Mapt – an online wiki encyclopedia about Mechelen. (in Dutch), some pages translated in .
• Studies in Western Tapestry – The passion tapestries of Margaret of Austria (Guy Delmarcel)
• 1775 Mechelen city plan (in French) engraving by Berlin with c.1777 (in Dutch) legend (map info)
• (in Dutch) Restauratie Integratie Mechelen a local heritage conservation organisation (summary page)