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62-489: The Plantin Press at Antwerp was one of the focal centers of the fine printed book in the 16th century. Christophe Plantin (c. 1520–1589) of Touraine was trained as a bookbinder. He fled from Paris where at least one printer had recently been burned at the stake for heresy , and went to Antwerp. There he bound books, became a citizen, and by 1555 began to print books, at first for distribution by other publishers. The city

124-541: A long siege and as part of the terms of surrender its Protestant citizens were given two years to settle their affairs before quitting the city. Most went to the United Provinces in the north, starting the Dutch Golden Age . Antwerp's banking was controlled for a generation by Genoa , and Amsterdam became the new trading centre. The recognition of the independence of the United Provinces by

186-685: A sedimentation enhancing strategy , to offset land loss , enhance flood safety and create new land. One example is the Perkpolder project. In mid-March 2003, a 6.6-kilometre (4.1 mi) tunnel under the Western Scheldt opened, the Western Scheldt Tunnel, running from Ellewoutsdijk in the municipality of Borsele ( Zuid-Beveland ) to Terneuzen in Zeelandic Flanders . It is the longest road tunnel in

248-551: A Gallo-Roman vicus . Excavations carried out in the oldest section near the Scheldt in 1952–1961 (ref. Princeton), produced pottery shards and fragments of glass from mid-2nd century to the end of the 3rd century. In the 4th century, Antwerp was first named, having been settled by the Germanic Franks . The Merovingian Antwerp was evangelized by Saint Amand in the 7th century. Het Steen Castle has its origins in

310-529: A collection of printing tools and around 25,000 volumes related to the press. In 2001, the archives of Plantin Press were added to UNESCO 's Memory of the World Register . Like the printer Robert Estienne , Plantin exposed galley proofs of his works in front of his establishment and promised a reward to anyone who could find faults. Later Plantins were friends of the painter Peter Paul Rubens who did drawings for illustrations and also some portraits of

372-622: A cultural centre, has been built in Antwerp (Wilrijk). Ramesh Mehta, a Jain, is a member of the Belgian Council of Religious Leaders, put up on 17 December 2009. There are significant Armenian communities that reside in Antwerp, many of whom are descendants of traders who settled during the 19th century. Most Armenian Belgians are adherents of the Armenian Apostolic Church , while a smaller number are adherents of

434-664: A diverse range of parks and recreational areas for locals and tourists to explore. One of the most popular attractions is the Antwerp Zoo . It opened on 21 July 1843, making it one of the oldest and most famous zoos in the world. The zoo covers an area of 10 hectares and is home to more than 5,000 animals from over 950 species. The zoo is located right next to Antwerp Central Station on the Koningin Astridplein. Antwerp Zoo has played its role in preservation and breeding programmes for several endangered species, including

496-565: A few of them, the postal code has become a cultural reference. Encompassing the area between the river and the Spanish fortification walls, this is the historical heart of Antwerp. On the place of the Spanish walls is now an avenue called de Leien in Dutch or den Boulevard in the local dialect. Tourist sights such as the Cathedral are located here, but also more mundane places. Quarters in

558-460: A gallant defence, Chassé made an honourable surrender, ending the Siege of Antwerp (1832) . Later that century, a double ring of Brialmont Fortresses was constructed some 10 km (6 mi) from the city centre, as Antwerp was considered vital for the survival of the young Belgian state. And in 1894 Antwerp presented itself to the world via a World's Fair attended by 3 million. Antwerp

620-523: A parent that was not a Belgian citizen at birth. A notable community is the Jewish one , as Antwerp is one of the only two cities in Europe (together with London and its Stamford Hill neighbourhood) that is home to a considerable Haredi population in the 21st century. Early recorded versions of the name include Ando Verpia on Roman coins found in the city centre, Germanic Andhunerbo from around

682-408: A policy of toleration, which attracted a large crypto- Jewish community composed of migrants from Spain and Portugal. Antwerp experienced three booms during its golden age: the first based on the pepper market, a second launched by American silver coming from Seville (ending with the bankruptcy of Spain in 1557), and a third boom, after the stabilizing Treaty of Cateau-Cambresis in 1559, based on

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744-425: A set of canal docks. The broader aim was to facilitate the growth of the north-eastern Antwerp metropolitan region, which attracted new industry based on a flexible and strategic implementation of the project as a co-production between various authorities and private parties. The plan succeeded in extending the linear layout along the Scheldt river by connecting new satellite communities to the main strip. Starting in

806-506: A toll from passing boatmen. He severed the hand of anyone who did not pay, and threw it in the river. Eventually the giant was killed by a young hero named Silvius Brabo , who cut off the giant's own hand and flung that into the river. This is unlikely to be the true origin, but it is celebrated by a statue (illustrated further below) in the city's main market square, the Grote Markt . Historical Antwerp allegedly had its origins in

868-605: Is a city and a municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium . It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province , and the third largest city in Belgium by area at 204.51 km (78.96 sq mi) after Tournai and Couvin . With a population of 536,079, it is the most populous municipality in Belgium, and with a metropolitan population of over 1.2 million people, the country's second-largest metropolitan area after Brussels . Flowing through Antwerp

930-536: Is a blend of old and new, with a cultural heritage spanning from the Gothic and Renaissance periods to contemporary designs. In the 16th century, the city was noted for the wealth of its citizens ( Antwerpia nummis ). The houses of these wealthy merchants and manufacturers have been preserved throughout the city. However, fire has destroyed several old buildings, such as the house of the Hanseatic League on

992-502: Is estimated that the port of Antwerp was earning the Spanish crown seven times more revenues than the Spanish colonization of the Americas". Without a long-distance merchant fleet, and governed by an oligarchy of banker-aristocrats forbidden to engage in trade, the economy of Antwerp was foreign-controlled, which made the city very cosmopolitan, with merchants and traders from Venice , Genoa , Ragusa , Spain and Portugal. Antwerp had

1054-536: Is the river Scheldt . Antwerp is linked to the North Sea by the river's Westerschelde estuary. It is about 40 km (25 mi) north of Brussels, and about 15 km (9 mi) south of the Dutch border. The Port of Antwerp is one of the biggest in the world, ranking second in Europe after Rotterdam and within the top 20 globally . The city is also known as the hub of the world's diamond trade . In 2020,

1116-685: The 1920 Summer Olympics . During World War II , the city was an important strategic target because of its port. It was occupied by Germany on 18 May 1940 and liberated by the British 11th Armoured Division on 4 September 1944. After this, the Germans attempted to destroy the Port of Antwerp , which was used by the Allies to bring new material ashore. Thousands of Rheinbote , V-1 and V-2 missiles were fired (more V-2s than used on all other targets during

1178-720: The Armenian Catholic Church and Armenian Evangelical Church . One of the important sectors that Armenian communities in Antwerp excel at and are involved in is the diamond trade business, that based primarily in the diamond district . Some of the famous Armenian families involved in the diamond business in the city are the Artinians, Arslanians, Aslanians, Barsamians and the Osganians. Western Scheldt The Western Scheldt ( Dutch : Westerschelde [ˌʋɛs.tərˈsxɛl.də] ), in

1240-524: The Baltic . The city's skilled workers processed soap, fish, sugar, and especially cloth. Banks helped finance the trade, the merchants, and the manufacturers. The city was a cosmopolitan center; its bourse opened in 1531, "To the merchants of all nations." Antwerp became the sugar capital of Europe, importing the raw commodity from Portuguese and Spanish plantations on both sides of the Atlantic, where it

1302-625: The Carolingian period in the 9th century. The castle may have been built after the Viking incursions in the early Middle Ages; in 879 the Normans invaded Flanders. The surviving structure was built between 1200 and 1225 as a gateway to a larger castle of the Dukes of Brabant which was demolished in the 19th century. It is Antwerp's oldest building. At the end of the 10th century, the Scheldt became

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1364-467: The Duchy of Brabant , grew in importance, with the city doubling its population between 1500 and 1569. At the end of the 15th century, the foreign trading houses were transferred from Bruges to Antwerp, and the building assigned to the association of English merchants active in the city is specifically mentioned in 1510. During this time, the old Mediterranean trade routes were gradually losing importance and

1426-593: The Globalization and World Cities Research Network rated Antwerp as a Gamma + (third level/top tier) Global City . Both economically and culturally, Antwerp is and has long been an important city in the Low Countries , especially before and during the Spanish Fury (1576) and throughout and after the subsequent Dutch Revolt . The Bourse at Antwerp , originally built in 1531 and re-built in 1872,

1488-780: The Treaty of Münster in 1648 stipulated that the Scheldt should be closed to navigation, which destroyed Antwerp's trading activities. This impediment remained in force until 1863, although the provisions were relaxed during French rule from 1795 to 1814, and also during the time Belgium formed part of the Kingdom of the United Netherlands (1815 to 1830). Antwerp had reached the lowest point in its fortunes in 1800, and its population had sunk to under 40,000, when Napoleon , realizing its strategic importance, assigned funds to enlarge

1550-516: The papacy , for the printing of liturgical formularies, including in Spain. In 1562, suspected of heresy, Plantin fled to France for two years. At an auction of his press, friends bought up his equipment on his behalf. After 1564, when Plantin set up again in a new shop at the sign of De Gulden Passer ("The Golden Compasses"), the printers mark of the House of Plantin. It often appeared in a vignette on

1612-480: The 10-year development plan for the Port of Antwerp , the municipalities of Berendrecht-Zandvliet-Lillo were integrated into the city territory and lost their administrative independence. During the 1983 merger of municipalities, conducted by the Belgian government as an administrative simplification, the municipalities of Berchem , Borgerhout , Deurne , Ekeren , Hoboken , Merksem and Wilrijk were merged into

1674-415: The 1570s, the city's banking business declined: England ceased its borrowing in Antwerp in 1574. Fernand Braudel states that Antwerp became "the centre of the entire international economy, something Bruges had never been even at its height." Antwerp had the highest growth rate and was the richest city in Europe at the time. Antwerp's Golden Age is tightly linked to the " Age of Exploration ". During

1736-451: The 1990s, Antwerp rebranded itself as a world-class fashion centre. Emphasizing the avant-garde, it tried to compete with London , Milan , New York and Paris . It emerged from organized tourism and mega-cultural events. The municipality comprises the city of Antwerp proper and several towns. It is divided into nine entities (districts): (km ) in residential areas In 1958, in preparation of

1798-609: The Holy Sepulchre (1099–1100). In the 12th century, Norbert of Xanten established a community of his Premonstratensian canons at St. Michael's Abbey at Caloes. Antwerp was also the headquarters of Edward III during his early negotiations with Jacob van Artevelde , and his son Lionel , the Duke of Clarence , was born there in 1338. After the silting-up of the Zwin and the consequent decline of Bruges , Antwerp, then part of

1860-462: The Netherlands. The toll (2012) is €5 for cars and €2.50 for motorcycles . Prior to 2011, the charge for motorcycles was the same as for cars, but it was reduced following protests. The single toll station for both directions is on the north bank. Pedestrians, cyclists, and moped riders are not allowed in the tunnel and must travel through it by bus. The double-decker car ferries that serviced

1922-716: The Plantin-Moretus family. Plantin was also a member of the Family of Love . He was a close friend of cartographer Abraham Ortel (a.k.a. Ortelius ), genre painter Brueghel the Elder , and calligraphy master Clement Perret. Some outstanding books published by the Plantin Press, by year: Antwerp Antwerp ( / ˈ æ n t w ɜːr p / ; Dutch : Antwerpen [ˈɑntʋɛrpə(n)] ; French : Anvers [ɑ̃vɛʁs] )

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1984-567: The Portuguese Community Ben Moshe. Antwerp has an extensive network of synagogues, shops, schools and organizations. Significant Hasidic movements in Antwerp include Pshevorsk , based in Antwerp, as well as branches of Satmar , Belz , Bobov , Ger , Skver , Klausenburg , Vizhnitz and several others. Rabbi Chaim Kreiswirth , chief rabbi of the Machsike Hadas community, who died in 2001, was arguably one of

2046-555: The Spanish port of Bilbao collapsed and became impossible. On 4 November 1576, Spanish soldiers sacked the city during the so-called Spanish Fury : 8,000 citizens were massacred, several houses burnt down, and over £2 million sterling of damage was done. Subsequently, the city joined the Union of Utrecht in 1579 and became the capital of the Dutch Revolt . In 1585, Alessandro Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza , captured it after

2108-559: The better known personalities to have been based in Antwerp. An attempt to have a street named after him has received the support of the Town Hall and is in the process of being implemented. The Jains in Belgium are estimated to be around about 1,500 people. The majority live in Antwerp, mostly involved in the very lucrative diamond business. Belgian Indian Jains control two-thirds of the rough diamonds trade and supplied India with roughly 36% of their rough diamonds. A major temple, with

2170-653: The boundary of the Holy Roman Empire . Antwerp became a margraviate in 980, by the German emperor Otto II , a border province facing the County of Flanders . In the 11th century, the best-known leader of the First Crusade (1096–1099), Godfrey of Bouillon , was originally Margrave of Antwerp , from 1076 until his death in 1100, though he was later also Duke of Lower Lorraine (1087–1100) and Defender of

2232-496: The city was captured by the Belgian insurgents, but the citadel continued to be held by a Dutch garrison under General David Hendrik Chassé . For a time, Chassé subjected the town to periodic bombardment which inflicted much damage, and at the end of 1832, the citadel itself was besieged by the French Northern Army commanded by Marechal Gerard . During this attack, the town was further damaged. In December 1832, after

2294-404: The city. At that time the city was also divided into the districts mentioned above. Simultaneously, districts received an appointed district council; later district councils became elected bodies. The neighboring municipality of Borsbeek has declared the intention to become the tenth district of the city of Antwerp. However, the final decision has not been made and a non-binding citizens vote on

2356-468: The corner of Bloedberg and Burchtgracht. Steen castle on the Scheldt-quai is the gate wing of the demolished castle of the Dukes of Brabant. It was partly reconstructed in the 19th century. Antwerp's development as a fortified city is documented between the 10th and the 20th century. The fortifications were developed in different phases: This is the population of the city of Antwerp only, not of

2418-562: The discovery of new sea routes via Africa to Asia and via the Atlantic to America helped push Antwerp to a position of prominence. By 1504, the Portuguese had established Antwerp as one of their main shipping bases, bringing in spices from Asia and trading them for textiles and metal goods. The city's trade expanded to include cloth from England, Italy and Germany, wines from Germany, France and Spain, salt from France, and wheat from

2480-441: The entire war combined), causing severe damage to the city but failed to destroy the port due to poor accuracy. After the war, Antwerp, which had already had a sizeable Jewish population before the war, once again became a major European centre of Haredi (and particularly Hasidic ) Orthodox Judaism . A Ten-Year Plan for the port of Antwerp (1956–1965) expanded and modernized the port's infrastructure with national funding to build

2542-528: The first half of the 16th century, Antwerp grew to become the second-largest European city north of the Alps. Many foreign merchants were resident in the city. Francesco Guicciardini , the Florentine envoy, stated that hundreds of ships would pass in a day, and 2,000 carts entered the city each week. Portuguese ships laden with pepper and cinnamon would unload their cargo. According to Luc-Normand Tellier "It

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2604-582: The harbour by constructing a new dock (still named the Bonaparte Dock), an access-lock and mole , and deepening the Scheldt to allow larger ships to approach Antwerp. Napoleon hoped that by making Antwerp's harbour the finest in Europe he would be able to counter the Port of London and hamper British growth. However, he was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo before he could see the plan through. In 1830,

2666-524: The inner city are: Antwerpen-Noord or synonymously 2060 is a densely populated part of the city, and the most diverse one as well. This is not a neighborhood by itself, but is the postal code for the remaining quarters of the district that lie between de Leien and the ringway. United with the city in 1923, Linkeroever ("Left bank") consists of the former polders of Zwijndrecht and Burcht . Antwerp-Berchem : Vibrant district, rich history, lively streets, major transportation hub. Antwerp's architecture

2728-699: The larger current municipality of the same name. In 2010, 36% to 39% of the inhabitants of Antwerp had foreign origins. A study projected that in 2020, 55% of the population would be of immigrant background, either first, second, or third generation. After the Holocaust and the murder of its many Jews, Antwerp became a major centre for Orthodox Jews. At present, about 15,000 Haredi Jews, many of them Hasidic , live in Antwerp. The city has three official Jewish Congregations: Shomrei Hadass, headed by Rabbi Dovid Moishe Lieberman, Machsike Hadass, headed by Rabbi Aron Schiff (formerly by Chief Rabbi Chaim Kreiswirth ) and

2790-523: The major trading center for the region. The religious revolution of the Reformation erupted in violent riots in August 1566, as in other parts of the Low Countries . The regent Margaret, Duchess of Parma , was swept aside when Philip II sent the Duke of Alba at the head of an army the following summer. When the Dutch revolt against Spain broke out in 1568, commercial trading between Antwerp and

2852-413: The matter is scheduled for September 2023. With the exception of Ekeren and Berendrecht-Zandvliet-Lillo, all the districts form together one contiguous inhabited area. The former town halls have been converted into district halls and the former town centers are now local main streets within the larger urban agglomeration. The historical city of Antwerp consists nowadays of the following neighborhoods. For

2914-686: The northern quays, in 1891. During World War II , the city also suffered considerable damage from V-bombs . Here are some of the most notable examples of Antwerp's diverse architecture: Antwerp is also home to a wealth of historic Gothic, Baroque and Renaissance-style buildings, such as the Antwerp City Hall , the Cathedral of Our Lady , the St. James' Church , the Vleeshuis Museum and the St. Charles Borromeo Church . Antwerp offers

2976-774: The okapi, the Przewalski horse, the Congo peafowl, the bonobo, the golden-headed lion tamarin, the European otter, and the Knysna seahorse. They take part in the European Endangered Species Programme . On 1 January 1983 the entire park (architecture and garden) was listed as a monument. Other well-known parks include: Antwerp has an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ), with cool winters, warm summers and frequent, though light, precipitation throughout

3038-542: The province of Zeeland in the southwestern Netherlands , is the estuary of the Scheldt river. This river once had several estuaries, but the others are now disconnected from the Scheldt, leaving the Westerschelde as its only direct route to the sea. The Western Scheldt is an important shipping route to the Port of Antwerp , Belgium . Unlike the Eastern Scheldt estuary, it could not be closed off from

3100-417: The riverbank; an alluvial deposit ; a mound (like a terp ) thrown up (as a defence) against (something or someone); or a wharf. If Andoverpis is Celtic in origin, it could mean "those who live on both banks". There is a folklore tradition that the name Antwerpen is from Dutch handwerpen ("hand-throwing"). A giant called Antigoon is said to have lived near the Scheldt river and extracted

3162-504: The sea by a dam as part of the Delta Works . Instead, the dykes around it have been heightened and reinforced. Over the years, many ships have sunk in the Western Scheldt. Following an agreement between the Dutch and Belgian governments in 1995, many of the wrecks have been removed to improve shipping access to Antwerp. It was expected that the last 38 wrecks in the shipping channel would be removed during 2003. The largest wreck, which

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3224-500: The textiles industry. At the beginning of the 16th century, Antwerp accounted for 40% of world trade. The boom-and-bust cycles and inflationary cost-of-living squeezed less-skilled workers. In the century after 1541, the city's economy and population declined dramatically. The Portuguese merchants left in 1549, and there was much less trade in English cloth. Numerous financial bankruptcies began around 1557. Amsterdam replaced Antwerp as

3286-470: The time Austrasia became a separate kingdom (that is, about 567 CE), and (possibly originally Celtic) Andoverpis in Dado 's Life of St. Eligius (Vita Eligii) from about 700 CE. The form Antverpia is Neo-Latin . A Germanic ( Frankish or Frisian ) origin could contain prefix anda ("against") and a noun derived from the verb werpen ("to throw") and denote, for example: land thrown up at

3348-491: The title page of books from the press, depicting a compass, angels, and the motto Labore et Constancia ("By Labor and Constancy") which epitomizes the life of the publisher. From about 1570 Plantin employed the engravers Jan Wierix and his brother Hieronymus. Plantin's successors continued the print at Antwerp until 1867. The building that housed the press is now the Plantin-Moretus Museum . It maintains

3410-533: The two Western Scheldt crossings until 2003 were sold to Italian companies. The Queen Beatrix (renamed Tremestieri ) and Prince Johan Friso (renamed Acciarello ) were adapted for the crossing between Messina and Villa San Giovanni on the Italian mainland. With the opening of the road tunnel, the Breskens - Vlissingen ferry was restricted to pedestrians and cyclists. It is operated by Westerschelde Ferry BV,

3472-525: The year. Due to the influence of the Gulf Stream , Antwerp has a relatively mild climate throughout the year, with the average temperature fluctuating between 4 °C (39 °F) and 19 °C (66 °F) throughout the year. Although Antwerp was formerly a fortified city, hardly anything remains of the former enceinte , only some remains of the city wall can be seen near the Vleeshuis museum at

3534-401: Was already an established center of printing woodcuts, engravings and books. Plantin took on an assistant, Jan Moretus (Moerentorf), who read Latin and Greek and could write correspondence in several modern languages. He became Plantin's business manager, son-in-law and eventually his successor in the Plantin printing press. For over two hundred years the Plantin press had a monopoly, granted by

3596-404: Was grown by a mixture of free and forced labour, increasingly with enslaved Africans as the century progressed. The city attracted Italian and German sugar refiners by 1550, and shipped their refined product to Germany, especially Cologne . Antwerp also had an unusually high number of painters, around 360 in 1560, in a city with a population of roughly 89,000 in 1569 (250 people per painter), it

3658-438: Was removed in June 2003, was that of the 131-metre (430 ft) long Alan-A-Dale , sunk in December 1944 during the Second World War by a German Biber midget submarine . The Western Scheldt was freed from German occupation in October and November 1944 by the First Canadian Army during the Battle of the Scheldt . Recently, the Western Scheldt has been exploring the concept of "wisselpolders" or "exchange polders",

3720-437: Was the first city to host the World Gymnastics Championships , in 1903. During World War I , the city became the fallback point of the Belgian Army after the defeat at Liège . The Siege of Antwerp lasted for 11 days, but the city was taken after heavy fighting by the German Army, and the Belgians were forced to retreat westwards. Antwerp remained under German occupation until the Armistice. A few years later, Antwerp hosted

3782-402: Was the most important artistic centre north of the Alps , serving notable painters such as Pieter Bruegel . Moneylenders and financiers developed a large business lending money all over Europe including the English government in 1544–1574. London bankers were too small to operate on that scale, and Antwerp had a highly efficient bourse that itself attracted rich bankers from around Europe. After

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3844-476: Was the world's first purpose-built commodity exchange . In 1920, the city hosted the Summer Olympics . The inhabitants of Antwerp are nicknamed Sinjoren ( Dutch pronunciation: [sɪˈɲoːrə(n)] ), after the Spanish honorific señor or French seigneur , "lord", referring to the Spanish noblemen who ruled the city in the 17th century. The city's population is very diverse, including about 180 nationalities; as of 2019, more than 50% of its population had

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