Baarle-Hertog

Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Infobox Belgium municipality {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}; Template:Langx, {{#invoke:IPA|main}}) is a Flemish municipality of Belgium, much of which consists of a number of small Belgian enclaves fully surrounded by the Netherlands.

Parts of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} are surrounded by the Dutch province of North Brabant, but it is part of the Belgian province of Antwerp. Template:As of, it had a population of 2,935. The total area is Template:Convert.<ref name="stat">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

GeographyEdit

Border with Baarle-NassauEdit

File:Baarle-Nassau - Baarle-Hertog-en.svg

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{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} is noted for its complicated borders with {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, Netherlands.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The border's complexity results from a number of medieval treaties, agreements, land-swaps and sales between the Lords of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} and the Dukes of Brabant. Generally speaking, predominantly agricultural or built environments became constituents of Brabant and other parts devolved to {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}. These distributions were ratified and clarified as a part of the border settlements agreed under the Treaty of Maastricht in 1843. The tight integration of the European Union and in particular the Schengen Agreement have made many of the practicalities of the situation substantially simpler since the 1990s.

In total, the municipality of Baarle-Hertog consists of 26 separate parcels of land. Four are linked to other Belgian municipalities, from west to east: the Baalbrugse Bemden, a strip of land along the Merkske, Zondereigen-Ginhoven and an area near Weelde-Station. The largest single section, Zondereigen (named after its main hamlet), is located within mainland Belgium on the contiguous Dutch-Belgian border (north of the town of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}). In addition to this, there are 22 Belgian exclaves fully within the Netherlands. There are also seven Dutch enclaves within the Belgian exclaves (i.e., counter-exclaves) that are part of the territory of the Netherlands. Six of these Dutch enclaves are located within the largest Belgian exclave, and a seventh in the second-largest Belgian exclave. An eighth Dutch exclave is located near Template:Ill.

During the First World War, this situation meant that the Imperial German Army could not occupy these parts of Belgium without crossing the Netherlands, which the Dutch government did not allow. Thus, these pieces of Belgium became a place where refugees could safely stay.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A clandestine radio transmitter was smuggled in and from there worked with the Belgian resistance. The Dutch government fenced off these areas and controlled access in or out of them, building a church and school for the Belgian people who were effectively stranded within the enclaves.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>Template:Circular reference This situation did not exist in the Second World War, as both countries were occupied by Nazi Germany.

Some houses in the town of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}/{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} are divided between the two countries. At one time, differences between laws meant restaurants in the Netherlands had to close earlier than those in Belgium. For some restaurants directly on the border, this simply meant that customers had to move to a table on the Belgian side.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2020, restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic differed between the two countries; for instance, preventing a Belgian citizen living metres away from an open Dutch bar from patronising it.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Many fireworks shops are found in {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, as Belgian laws controlling the sale of fireworks are more lenient than those of the Netherlands. Many Dutch tourists come to {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} to buy fireworks to celebrate the New Year.

Two villages in the municipality, Zondereigen and Ginhoven, are located in the main territory of Belgium.

Baarle-Nassau frontière café.jpg

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P1020708Sint-Remigiuskerk.JPG

Church of Saint Remigius

List of enclavesEdit

Netherlands enclavesEdit

These are all part of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} municipality.

Serial no. and local name<ref name=Whyte2>Template:Cite book</ref>	Area (ha)	area acre	Notes
Template:Flagicon N1, {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	5.3667	13.2615	lang}}; contains a mix of dwellings and farmland; boundary of N1 and H1 runs through one building.
Template:Flagicon N2, {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	1.3751	3.3981	lang}}; contains 8 dwellings.
Template:Flagicon N3, {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	0.2863	0.7075	lang}}; boundary of N3 and H1 bisects the loading dock of a liquor store.
Template:Flagicon N4, {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	1.2324	3.0454	lang}}; boundary of N4 and H1 runs through a warehouse, with vacant Dutch land to the rear of the warehouse.
Template:Flagicon N5, {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	1.9212	4.7475	lang}}; boundary of N5 and H1 runs through a furniture showroom, a shed and a barn.
Template:Flagicon N6, {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	1.4527	3.5898	lang}}; consists of farmland with two buildings.
Template:Flagicon N7, {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	0.5812	1.4363	lang}}; occupies part of a field.
Template:Flagicon N8, Vossenberg	2.8528	7.0496	Farmland enclave situated within Zondereigen, Belgium, less than 50 meters south of the Dutch border.

Belgian enclavesEdit

These are all part of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} municipality, and are surrounded by {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} municipality (Netherlands).

Serial no. and local name<ref name="Whyte2"/>	Area (ha)	area acre	Notes
Template:Flagicon H1, Aen het Klooster Straetje - Hoofdbraek - Loveren - De Boschcovensche Akkers - De Loversche Akkers - De Tommelsche Akkers - De Tommel - De Gierle Straat - De Reth - De Rethsche Akkers - Het Dorp - De Kapel Akkers - De Kastelein	153.6448	379.6717	Forms a quadripoint with enclave H2; largest Belgian exclave; encompasses six Dutch enclaves; consists of dwellings for the most part, with outlying farmland and an industrial area; boundary runs through numerous buildings; contains a portion of the former Turnhout-Tilburg rail line, now a cycle path.
Template:Flagicon H2, {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	2.4116	5.9594	Consists of farmland with a single point of connection (quadripoint) between enclaves H1 and H2 in the middle of a corn field.
Template:Flagicon H3, {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	0.3428	0.8471	Occupies part of a field; boundary runs through a shed in one instance.
Template:Flagicon H4, {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	1.476	3.6474	Consists of farmland; boundary runs through a house and three sheds.
Template:Flagicon H5, De Kapel Akkers	0.9245	2.2846	Consists of farmland with a dwelling.
Template:Flagicon H6, Hoofdbraek	1.7461	4.3148	Mixed land usage; boundary runs through a warehouse/factory.
Template:Flagicon H7, De Loversche Akkers	0.2469	0.6102	lang}} / Loveren 19, {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}).
Template:Flagicon H8, Boschcoven - De Kastelein - De Oordelsche Straat	41.8781	103.485	Second-largest Belgian exclave, contains a mix of dwellings and farmland; boundary runs through a barn, a dwelling and two businesses.
Template:Flagicon H9, De Kapel Akkers	0.4005	0.9897	Boundary runs through a printing factory/warehouse in an industrial area.
Template:Flagicon H10, De Oordelsche Straat	0.65	1.6063	Consists of farmland.
Template:Flagicon H11, De Oordelsche Straat	0.93	2.2982	Consists of farmland.
Template:Flagicon H12, Boschcoven	0.2822	0.6974	Consists of farmland.
Template:Flagicon H13, Boschcoven	1.5346	3.7922	Boundary runs through about 20 dwellings.
Template:Flagicon H14, Boschcoven	0.7193	1.7774	Boundary runs through about 13 dwellings.
Template:Flagicon H15, Boschcoven	1.7211	4.2531	Boundary runs through about 16 dwellings.
Template:Flagicon H16, Keizershoek - Oordelsche Straat	4.4252	10.9352	Boundary runs through a house and three sheds; inside one of the sheds, the linear boundary changes direction three times
Template:Flagicon H17, Moleriet Heide	14.9248	36.8807	Rural area containing a portion of the former Turnhout-Tilburg rail line, now a cycle path.
Template:Flagicon H18, De Manke Gooren	2.9247	7.2273	Consists of farmland.
Template:Flagicon H19, De Peruiters	0.6851	1.693	Consists of several ponds and a field.
Template:Flagicon H20, Wurstenbosch - Vossenberg	1.1681	2.8865	Consists of farmland.
Template:Flagicon H21, Baelbrugsche Beemden	1.1845	2.9271	Consists of farmland.
Template:Flagicon H22, De Wit Hagen	0.2632	0.6504	South of the village of Ulicoten; occupies part of a field; nationality was contested from the 1830s until 1995 (remained unallocated to either country in boundary treaty of 26 April 1974)

ClimateEdit

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EducationEdit

{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} has two elementary schools: De Vlinder and De Horizon.<ref>"scholen Template:Webarchive." Baarle-Hertog. Retrieved on January 6, 2017.</ref>

It shares, with Baarle-Nassau, a joint library with Belgian and Dutch staff.<ref>"bibliotheek." Baarle-Hertog. Retrieved on January 6, 2017.</ref>

Notable inhabitantsEdit

Petrus Christus, 15th-century painter

ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

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Template:Geographic location Template:Antwerpen Belgium Template:Authority control