Zele

Zele (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈzeːlə]) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders, around 20 kilometers east of Ghent. The municipality only comprises the town of Zele proper. In 2023, Zele had a total population of 21,374. The total area is 33 km2 which gives a population density of 641.6 people per km2.[2]

Zele
Municipality
Sint-Ludgerus church
Sint-Ludgerus church
Flag of Zele
Flag
Coat of arms of Zele
Coat of arms
Location of Zele
Zele is located in Belgium
Zele
Zele
Location in Belgium
Location of Zele in East Flanders
Coordinates: 51°04′N 04°02′E
Country Belgium
CommunityFlemish Community
RegionFlemish Region
ProvinceEast Flanders
ArrondissementDendermonde
Government
 • MayorHans Knop (CD&V)
 • Governing party/iesCD&V, Leefbaarder Zele
Area
 • Total33.28 km2 (12.85 sq mi)
Population
 (2018-01-01)[1]
 • Total20,976
 • Density630/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
Postal codes
9240
NIS code
42028
Area codes052
Websitewww.zele.be

Toponym

The name of the municipality is derived from the Old Dutch or Old Saxon word "seli", which means "(main) building" or "settlement". Examples in the region with that toponym are Brussels, Herzele and Belsele.[3]

Notable inhabitants
  • Hans Christiaens, footballer (b. 1964)
  • Aloïs de Beule, sculptor (1861–1935)
  • Pierre de Decker, former Prime Minister of Belgium (1855–1857) (1812–1891)
  • Andreas De Leenheer, academic and biologist (1941-2022)
  • Basile De Loose, painter (1809–1885)
  • Filip De Wilde, professional football player (b. 1964)
  • Michel D'Hooghe, racing cyclist (1912-1940)
  • Dirk Heirweg, racing cyclist (b. 1955)
  • Christophe Impens, Belgian record holder 1500 m run, semi-finalist at Atlanta Olympics (b. 1969)
  • Caroline Maes, professional tennis player (b. 1982)
  • Lieven Maesschalck, physiotherapist (b. 1964)
  • Joseph Julian Oste, priest, missionary, and Bishop (1893-1971)
  • Désiré Piryns, painter (1889-1948)
  • William Tackaert, racing cyclist (b. 1956)
  • Vanessa Van Cartier, drag queen (b. 1979)
  • Miranda Van Eetvelde, politician (b. 1959)
  • Sven Verdonck, darts player (b. 1963)
  • Frederik De Waele, gymnast (1919-2001)

References
  1. "Wettelijke Bevolking per gemeente op 1 januari 2018". Statbel. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  2. "Statbel Zele". Statistics Belgium. Retrieved 2 October 2023.
  3. "Old dutch dictionary". gtb.ivdnt.org. Retrieved 2 November 2023.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.