Waremme

Waremme Borgworm (Dutch)
Municipality
Coat of arms
Country	Belgium
Community	French Community
Region	Wallonia
Province	Liège
Arrondissement	Waremme
Government
• Mayor	Jacques Chabot
• Governing party/ies	PS
Area
• Total	31.04 km2 (11.98 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2013)
• Total	14,769
• Density	480/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Postal codes	4300
Area codes	019
Website	www.waremme.be

Waremme (Dutch: Borgworm) is a Walloon municipality located in the province of Liège, in Belgium. The city is located on the River Geer (Dutch: Jeker), in the loessic Hesbaye region. The economy is based on the cultivation of cereals and sugar beet, and on the food industry.

The municipality of Waremme includes the following villages: Bettincourt (Dutch: Bettenhoven), Bleret, Bovenistier, Grand-Axhe, Lantermange, and Oleye (Dutch: Liek).

History

Several findings were unearthed near Waremme containing remnants of Neolithic and Bronze Age settlements. The main Roman road linking Bavai to Cologne passed right through the territory. Tumuli and Roman villas were found nearby. Romans have also left a horse burial.

The medieval hamlet of Woromia was cited for the first time in 965. On February 5, 1078, Woromia was ceded to the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, together with its castle, five mills, and six breweries.

Waremme City Hall

By 1215, with its 815 inhabitants, it had grown to town size. Its frontier position near the Duchy of Brabant, however, attracted several raids from the duke, causing it to be burnt to the ground and rebuilt at least a couple of times. In the 14th century, the town built a market place and a hospital, slowly becoming an important regional center, where coins were issued and important meetings held.

During his conquest of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, Charles the Bold burnt the city once more in 1468. In the 16th century, the town became one of the 21 bonnes villes (main cities) of the prince-bishopric. In 1748, a quarter of the city was again destroyed by fire, this time accidentally. In 1792, the French Revolutionary troops entered the city and closed the convents. Three years later, the Prince-Bishopric of Liège was dissolved and the city became French.

The 19th century was prosperous, thanks to the advent of the railways linking Mechelen to Ans, and the construction of two sugar refineries and several schools. World War I did not bring any destruction to the city, except for that of the old surrounding walls. World War II, however, was a lot worse as half of the city was destroyed by air raids, only days before Liberation Day. The city then counted about 5,000 inhabitants.

Attractions

See also: List of protected heritage sites in Waremme

• The City Hall dates from 1900.
• The town’s main church dates from 1881 and houses 14th-century baptismal fonts.
• A natural reserve can also be found on the territory of Waremme.

People born in Waremme

• Edmond Leburton, prime minister of Belgium in the 1970s (1915–1997)

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Belgium

Twin towns — Sister cities

Waremme is twinned with:

• Skopje, Macedonia
• Gérardmer, France
• Gallinaro, Italy

External links

• Official web site (in French)