Aalst, Belgium

**Aalst** (; Wast Flemish: *Oalst*; , ; local byleid: *Oilsjt*) is a city an municipality on the Dender River, 19 mile northwast frae Brussels. It is locatit in the Flemish province o East Flanders in the Denderstreek. The municipality haes the city o Aalst itsel an the touns o Baardegem, Erembodegem, Gijzegem, Herdersem, Hofstade, Meldert, Moorsel, an Nieuwerkerken.

## History

The first historical records on Aalst date frae the 9t yeirhunner, whan it wis descrieved as the *villa Alost*, a dependency o the Aibbey o Lobbes. Durin the Middle Ages, a toun an port grew at this strategic pynt, whaur the road frae Bruges til Cologne crossed the Dender. In the 11t yeirhunner, Aalst wis transfert frae the pagus o Brabant til the Coonty o Flanders. Its frontier poseition on the mairch o the Holy Roman Empire alloued the toun tae keep a certaint degree o unthirldom. Its relation wi Brabant haes been preservit in the city's white an reid coat o airms, the colours o Lotharingie.

Construction o the toun haw stairtit in the middle o the 12t yeirhunner, makin it the auldest survivin toun haw in Belgium. Seevral manuscripts frae this period aye survive in the toun archives. The toun haw, an the city itsel, wur amaist entirely wrackit bi fire in 1360. The toun wis suin rebiggit an a new belfry in gothic style wis biggit in the 15t yeirhunner. This wis a time o muckle prosperity fur the city, dominatit bi the pouerful weavers' guild. It is forbye at that time that Dirk Martens, a local citizen, became the Soothren Netherlands’ first prenter, foondin a prentin shop in 1473 that furthset beuks bi sindry authors siclik Christopher Columbus; Martens wad later become a professor at the Catholic University o Louvain.

Aalst suffert heichly unner the Echty Years' War (1568–1648). It wis later taen bi the French Marshal Turenne in the War o Unthirldom in 1667, then occupied bi Fraunce til 1706 alang wi Soothren Flanders in general. The textile-based economy flourished unner the French. The 19t yeirhunner wis markit bi social crises engendert bi the Industrial Revolution, wi Faither Adolf Daens an Christene Volkspartij emergin as the local defender of wirkers' richts. The 20t yeirhunner wis markit bi occupation bi the Germans durin baith warld wars. the cities citizenry are kent as the ingans, the oreegin o the name gangs back tae medieval times.

## Industry
The textile industry is aye vibrant in Aalst, in pairt acause o the French occupation. Aalst produces no anely the textiles thaimsels, but manufacturs mony o the needit machines. The mair rural regions are notit fur thir production o hops, that are selt tae the auld breweries thare.

## Events

Aalst is kenspeckle fur its carnival festivities, celebratit ivery yeir in Februar. A *Prince Carnaval* is eleckit, that is alloued tae "rule" the city fur three day. A big parade crosses the city on Sunday, wi aboot 70 groups o costumed volunteers an parade caurs. Carnaval Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday (bi tradition, the day afore Ash Wednesday), is kent as the day o the 'Voil Jeannetten' (literally: "the Dirty Jennies"), i.e. men dressed as weemen. The festivities traditionally end wi the "Burnin o the Doll", happenin on Tuesday fore-nicht.

## Steids o interest
* The kenspeckle St. Martin's Collegiate Kirk, in Gothic style, gangs back tae 1480. It conteens a pentin bi Rubens, "Saunt Roch beseechin Christ tae terminate the Plague at Aalst", an it haes a tabernacle (datit 1605), that features sculpturs makit bi Hieronymus Duquesnoy the Elder an aa.
* The belfry, nixt tae the toun haw, ane o the auldest o Flanders, conteens a 52-bell carillon. Thegither wi the adjacent Aldermen’s House, it wis classified bi UNESCO as a Warld Heritage Steid in 1999.
* The statue o Dirk Martens (1446–1534), first printer in the Netherlands.

## Twin city
* : Gabrovo

## See an aa

* Battle o Alost (1128)
* Battle o Alost (1914)

## Freemit airtins

* Offeecial wabsteid  - Anerlie available in Dutch

## References

* "Aalst." *Encyclopædia Britannica*
* "Aalst." *Columbia Encyclopedia*, 6t ed.