by Editor Wicher Bos 
Edited and published by Yvette Depaepe, the 29th of September 2023

Ghent is a vibrant city with beautiful old buildings, many churches, a cathedral, a castle and numerous old bridges that bear witness to a rich past. A city that every Flemish is proud of.

Editor Wicher Bos was here and is happy to share his appreciation through a concise but interesting summary of the history of Ghent. 

'Gent' by Orkidea W.

The history of Ghent begins in the year 630 when the site of the confluence (or ‘Ganda’) of the two rivers, the Lys and the Scheldt was chosen to construct an abbey. Nearly 1400 years of history are still visible in the city today: a medieval castle surrounded by a moat, a cathedral, a belfry, beautiful facades, …

From the year 1000 to around 1550, Ghent was one of the most important cities in Europe. It was bigger than London and second only to Paris in size. The 60,000 inhabitants it had in the 14th century clung forcefully to their rights: earls and princes soon discovered that the proud and rebellious people of Ghent would not relinquish their hard-won privileges and freedoms without a fight.

Until the Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302, the city was ruled by a number of rich merchant families. As the trades and guilds gained more political power in the 14th century, Ghent came to acquire a more democratic government.

In 1407 the seat of the Council of Flanders, the highest judicial body in the county, was moved from Bruges to the Castle of the Counts, Gravensteen Gent and Dutch became the official language.

Over the centuries the inhabitants of Ghent remained true to their reputation of being headstrong and awkward. They even rebelled against their own child prince, Charles V. But that was a bridge too far: the citizens of Ghent were publicly humiliated. The economic situation also gradually worsened. The city lost its passage to the sea and the population decreased by half. Only in the second half of the 18th century there was an economic revival. In 1816, Ghent acquired its own university, which today with approximately 70,000 students, makes Ghent a vibrant young place worth to visit…

So, why not check what is in our 1X-treasury-chest database… and indeed I found some really magnificent images… Enjoy!

'Sint-Michielsbrug Bridge' by Larry Deng

'Urban City' by Elke Braet

"Portrait of a Swiss Shepherd in the city streets of Ghent… “

'Ghent, southern style' by Robin Vandenabeele

'first day of spring' by margit lisa roeder

'Grand Soleil' by Adrian Popan

'Gent, like I feel it..' by Fernand Hick

'Gent' by Jacqueline van Bijnen

'Time Machine' by Juan Pablo de Miguel

He writes: "St. Nicholas' Church (Dutch: Sint-Niklaaskerk) is one of the oldest and most prominent landmarks in Ghent, Belgium. Begun in the early 13th century as a replacement for an earlier Romanesque church, construction continued through the rest of the century in the local Scheldt Gothic style (named after the nearby river). Typical of this style is the use of blue-gray stone from the Tournai area, the single large tower above the crossing, and the slender turrets at the building's corners. Built in the old trade center of Ghent next to the bustling Korenmarkt, St. Nicholas' Church was popular with the guilds whose members carried out their business nearby. The guilds had their own chapels which were added to the sides of the church in the 14th and 15th centuries. The central tower, which was funded in part by the city, served as an observation post and carried the town bells until the neighboring belfry of Ghent was built. …)."

'Gent on bike' by Cristian Lee

'Ghent Beauty' by Larry Deng

'These dark days' by Christophe Staelens

'Colores del mundo' by Mathias Laga
“Buildings to be demolished in Ghent"

Not to forget when visiting Ghent is the Saint Bavo's Cathedral also known as Sint Baafs Cathedral (Dutch: Sint Baafskathedraal.

Ghent Altarpiece

 

"Ghent" is the Flemish name. 
"Gand" is the French name derived from "Ganda".

(source: Ghent over the centuries | Visit Gent)