City status in Belgium

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City status in Belgium is granted by a royal decree to a select group of municipalities.

[edit] History

During Middle Ages, towns had defined privileges on surrounding villages. With the strengthening of the communal power by local lords, they could for example organize annual fairs, levy toll taxes or build walls. Under the French occupation of Belgian provinces, privilieges were abolied and replaced by an honorific title of city (Dutch stad, French ville). This was imposed by an order of the Convention Nationale on the Brumaire 2 in the year II (23 October 1793). A certain amount number of towns lost their title of city.

At the time of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, some towns recover their title. On the 30th May 1825, a royal decree was published and included the list of the towns that was granted by the title. This list didn't see any change during 150 years. After the merging of municipalities of 1977, some towns had the opportunity to ask the title, request based on historical facts (Towns that had the title before French occupation or were important during Middle Ages) or based on the urban importance they have. A great amount took advantage of this opportunity between 1982 and 2000 that honorific title.

[edit] List of cities in Belgium

A - B - C - D - E - F - G - H - I - J - K - L - M - N - O - P - Q - R - S - T - U - V - W - X - Y - Z
City Arrondissement Province Population Year of the Royal Order Communal Charter
Aalst (Alost) Aalst Flag of East Flanders East Flanders 77360 1825 1174
Aarschot (fr: Aerschot) Leuven Flag of Flemish Brabant Flemish Brabant 27864 1825 1194
Andenne Namur Flag of Namur (province) Namur 24407 1825
Antoing Tournai Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 7549 1825 1817 (titre)
Antwerp (nl: Antwerpen; fr: Anvers) Antwerp Flag of Antwerp (province) Antwerp 461496 1825 1221
Arlon (nl:Aarlen; de: Arel) Arlon Flag of Luxembourg (Belgium) Luxembourg 26367 1825
Ath (nl: Aat) Ath Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 26799 1825 1166
Bastogne Bastogne Flag of Luxembourg (Belgium) Luxembourg 14144 1825 1332
Beaumont Thuin Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 6698 1825
Beauraing Dinant Flag of Namur (province) Namur 8344 1985
Beringen Hasselt Flag of Limburg (Belgium) Limburg 41072 1985 1239
Bilzen Tongeren Flag of Limburg (Belgium) Limburg 30057 1985 1386
Binche Thuin Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 32409 1825
Blankenberge Bruges Flag of West Flanders West Flanders 18175 1985
Borgloon (fr: Looz) Tongeren Flag of Limburg (Belgium) Limburg 10152 1985 ± 1200
Bouillon Neufchâteau Flag of Luxembourg (Belgium) Luxembourg 5455 1825
Braine-le-Comte (nl: 's-Gravenbrakel) Soignies Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 20305 1825
Bree Maaseik Flag of Limburg (Belgium) Limburg 14503 1985 1386
Bruges (nl: Brugge) Bruges Flag of West Flanders West Flanders 117224 1825 1128
Brussels
(fr: Bruxelles; nl: Brussel; de: Brüssel)
Brussels-Capital 144784 1825 1229
Charleroi Charleroi Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 201300 1825
Châtelet Charleroi Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 35621 1825
Chièvres Ath Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 6198 1825
Chimay Thuin Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 9774 1825
Chiny Virton Flag of Luxembourg (Belgium) Luxembourg 5013 1825
Ciney Dinant Flag of Namur (province) Namur 14958 1985
Comines-Warneton (nl: Komen-Waasten) Mouscron Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 17562 1825 (Warneton)
Couvin Philippeville Flag of Namur (province) Namur 13476 1985
Damme Bruges Flag of West Flanders West Flanders 10899 1985 1180
Deinze Ghent Flag of East Flanders East Flanders 28320 1825 1241
Dendermonde (fr: Termonde) Dendermonde Flag of East Flanders East Flanders 43347 1825 1233
Diest Leuven Flag of Flemish Brabant Flemish Brabant 22740 1825 1229
Diksmuide (Dixmude) Diksmuide Flag of West Flanders West Flanders 15733 1825 12th
Dilsen-Stokkem Maaseik Flag of Limburg (Belgium) Limburg 19106 1987 1244 (Stokkem)
Dinant Dinant Flag of Namur (province) Namur 13012 1825
Durbuy Marche-en-Famenne Flag of Luxembourg (Belgium) Luxembourg 10531 1825 1331
Eeklo Eeklo Flag of East Flanders East Flanders 19535 1825 1240
Enghien (nl: Edingen) Soignies Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 11980 1825
Eupen Verviers Flag of Liège (province) Liège 18248 1808 1808 (title)
Fleurus Charleroi Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 22221 1982
Florenville Virton Flag of Luxembourg (Belgium) Luxembourg 5449 1997
Fontaine-l'Evêque Charleroi Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 16687 1825
Fosses-la-Ville Namur Flag of Namur (province) Namur 9311 1825
Geel Turnhout Flag of Antwerp (province) Antwerp 35189 1985
Gembloux (nl: Gembloers) Namur Flag of Namur (province) Namur 21964 1985
Genappe (nl: Genepiën) Nivelles Flag of Walloon Brabant Walloon Brabant 14136 1985
Genk Hasselt Flag of Limburg (Belgium) Limburg 63787 1999
Geraardsbergen (fr: Grammont) Aalst Flag of East Flanders East Flanders 31380 1825 1068
Ghent (nl: Gent, fr: Gand) Ghent Flag of East Flanders East Flanders 233120 1825 1178
Gistel Ostend Flag of West Flanders West Flanders 11125 1985 13th
Halen Hasselt Flag of Limburg (Belgium) Limburg 8624 1985 1206
Halle (fr: Hal) Halle-Vilvoorde Flag of Flemish Brabant Flemish Brabant 34882 1825 1225
Hamont-Achel Maaseik Flag of Limburg (Belgium) Limburg 13770 1985 14th (Hamont)
Hannut (nl: Hannuit) Waremme Flag of Liège (province) Liège 14291 1985
Harelbeke Kortrijk Flag of West Flanders West Flanders 26172 1985 1153
Hasselt Hasselt Flag of Limburg (Belgium) Limburg 70035 1825 1236
Herk-de-Stad (fr: Herck-la-Ville) Hasselt Flag of Limburg (Belgium) Limburg 11795 1985 1386
Herentals Turnhout Flag of Antwerp (province) Antwerp 26071 1985 1209
Herve Verviers Flag of Liège (province) Liège 16772 1825
Hoogstraten Turnhout Flag of Antwerp (province) Antwerp 18582 1985 1210
Houffalize Bastogne Flag of Luxembourg (Belgium) Luxembourg 4749 1825
Huy (nl: Hoei) Huy Flag of Liège (province) Liège 20071 1825 1066
Izegem Roeselare Flag of West Flanders West Flanders 26544 1825 1817 (title)
Kortrijk (fr: Courtrai) Kortrijk Flag of West Flanders West Flanders 73657 1825 1127
Jodoigne (nl: Geldenaken) Nivelles Flag of Walloon Brabant Walloon Brabant 12440 1985
La Louvière Soignies Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 77210 1985
La Roche-en-Ardenne Marche-en-Famenne Flag of Luxembourg (Belgium) Luxembourg 4267 1825
Landen Leuven Flag of Flemish Brabant Flemish Brabant 14682 1985 1211
Le Rœulx Soignies Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 7977 1825
Lessines Soignies Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 17848 1825
Leuven (fr: Louvain, de: Löwen) Leuven Flag of Flemish Brabant Flemish Brabant 90706 1825 1211
Leuze-en-Hainaut Tournai Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 13223 1825
Liège Liège Flag of Liège (province) Liège 186805 1825
Lier (fr: Lierre) Mechelen Flag of Antwerp (province) Antwerp 33272 1825 1212
Limbourg (nl, de: Limburg) Verviers Flag of Liège (province) Liège 5616 1825
Lokeren Sint-Niklaas Flag of East Flanders East Flanders 37850 1825 1804 (title)
Lommel Maaseik Flag of Limburg (Belgium) Limburg 31898 1990
Lo-Reninge Diksmuide Flag of West Flanders West Flanders 3306 1985
Maaseik Maaseik Flag of Limburg (Belgium) Limburg 23631 1825 1244
Malmedy (de: Malmünde ) Verviers Flag of Liège (province) Liège 11829 historical
Marche-en-Famenne Marche-en-Famenne Flag of Luxembourg (Belgium) Luxembourg 16994 1825
Mechelen (fr: Malines; de: Mecheln) Mechelen Flag of Antwerp (province) Antwerp 78268 1825 1301
Menen (fr: Menin) Kortrijk Flag of West Flanders West Flanders 32413 1825
Mesen (fr : Messines) Ypres Flag of West Flanders West Flanders 988 1985
Mons (nl, de: Bergen) Mons Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 91221 1825
Mortsel Antwerp Flag of Antwerp (province) Antwerp 24427 1999
Mouscron (nl:Moeskroen) Mouscron Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 52825 1986
Namur (nl: Namen) Namur Flag of Namur (province) Namur 107178 1825
Neufchâteau Neufchâteau Flag of Luxembourg (Belgium) Luxembourg 6539 1825
Nieuwpoort (fr : Nieuport) Veurne Flag of West Flanders West Flanders 10855 1825
Ninove Aalst Flag of East Flanders East Flanders 35651 1825 12th
Nivelles (nl: Nijvel) Nivelles Flag of Walloon Brabant Walloon Brabant 24290 1825
Ostend (nl: Oostende; fr, de Ostende) Ostend Flag of West Flanders West Flanders 68931 1825 1267
Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve Nivelles Flag of Walloon Brabant Walloon Brabant 29521 1982
Oudenaarde (fr: Audenarde) Oudenaarde Flag of East Flanders East Flanders 28517 1825 1189
Oudenburg Ostend Flag of West Flanders West Flanders 8929 1985
Peer Maaseik Flag of Limburg (Belgium) Limburg 15810 1985
Péruwelz Tournai Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 16843 1825
Philippeville Philippeville Flag of Namur (province) Namur 8320 1825
Poperinge Ypres Flag of West Flanders West Flanders 19623 1825 1147
Rochefort Dinant Flag of Namur (province) Namur 12038 1985
Roeselare (fr: Roulers) Roeselare Flag of West Flanders West Flanders 55775 1825 1250
Ronse (fr: Renaix) Oudenaarde Flag of East Flanders East Flanders 24158 1825
Saint-Ghislain Mons Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 22466 1825
Saint-Hubert Neufchâteau Flag of Luxembourg (Belgium) Luxembourg 5718 1825
Sankt Vith (fr: Saint Vith) Verviers Flag of Liège (province) Liège 9169 historical
Scherpenheuvel-Zichem (fr: Montaigu-Zichem) Leuven Flag of Flemish Brabant Flemish Brabant 22064 1985 1605
Seraing Liège Flag of Liège (province) Liège 60740 1999
Sint-Niklaas (fr: Saint-Nicolas) Sint-Niklaas Flag of East Flanders East Flanders 69725 1825
Sint-Truiden (fr: Saint-Trond) Hasselt Flag of Limburg (Belgium) Limburg 38247 1825 8th
Soignies (nl: Zinnik) Soignies Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 25420 1825
Spa Verviers Flag of Liège (province) Liège 10543 1825 1594
Stavelot Verviers Flag of Liège (province) Liège 6671 1825
Thuin Thuin Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 14625 1825
Tielt Tielt Flag of West Flanders West Flanders 19269 1825
Tienen (fr: Tirlemont) Leuven Flag of Flemish Brabant Flemish Brabant 31835 1825
Tongeren (fr: Tongres) Tongeren Flag of Limburg (Belgium) Limburg 29687 1825
Torhout Bruges Flag of West Flanders West Flanders 19453 1825
Tournai (nl : Doornik) Tournai Flag of Hainaut (province) Hainaut 67534 1825 1188
Turnhout Turnhout Flag of Antwerp (province) Antwerp 39791 1825 1212
Verviers Verviers Flag of Liège (province) Liège 53597 1825
Veurne (Furnes) Veurne Flag of West Flanders West Flanders 11843 1825
Vilvoorde (fr: Vilvorde) Halle-Vilvoorde Flag of Flemish Brabant Flemish Brabant 37324 1985 1192
Virton Virton Flag of Luxembourg (Belgium) Luxembourg 11165 1825
Visé (nl: Wezet ) Liège Flag of Liège (province) Liège 16817 1825
Walcourt Philippeville Flag of Namur (province) Namur 17516 1985
Waregem Kortrijk Flag of West Flanders West Flanders 35852 1999
Waremme (nl: Borgworm) Waremme Flag of Liège (province) Liège 14050 1985
Wavre (nl: Waver) Nivelles Flag of Walloon Brabant Walloon Brabant 32201 1825
Wervik (fr: Wervicq) Ypres Flag of West Flanders West Flanders 17607 1825
Ypres (nl: Ieper) Ypres Flag of West Flanders West Flanders 34897 1825 1174
Zottegem (fr: Sottegem) Aalst Flag of East Flanders East Flanders 24548 1985
Zoutleeuw (fr: Léau) Leuven Flag of Flemish Brabant Flemish Brabant 7947 1985 1107

[edit] See also