Les Moëres

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Les Moëres (known in Dutch as De Moeren) are a marshy region in the area of Dunkirk in France, located not far from the Belgian border. At one time the area was inhabited by the Gallic people known as the Morini; they are believed to have lent their name to the territory.

For many centuries, beginning around 800, the marshes were completely submerged due to a slight elevation of the nearby sea; beginning in 1617 the area was drained by Wenceslas Cobergher on the orders of Albert VII, Archduke of Austria and his wife, Isabella. The project was finished in 1627, leaving the marshes around 2.5 meters above sea level.

With the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, the Moëres were divided between France and the Netherlands. Today, two communes share the territory and its name:

• Les Moëres, Nord, which contains a museum of water pumps
• De Moeren, Veurne, in Belgium

[edit] Reference

This article is a translation of the article in the French Wikipedia.