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Ostend

Coordinates: 51°13′33″N 02°55′10″E / 51.22583°N 2.91944°E / 51.22583; 2.91944
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For other uses, see Ostend (disambiguation).

Ostend
Ostende (French)
City and municipality
Promenade at Ostend seaside
Promenade at Ostend seaside
Flag of Ostend
Flag
Coat of arms of Ostend
Coat of arms
Location of Ostend
Map
Ostend is located in Belgium
Ostend
Ostend
Location in Belgium
Location of Ostend in West Flanders
Coordinates: 51°13′33″N 02°55′10″E / 51.22583°N 2.91944°E / 51.22583; 2.91944
CountryBelgium
CommunityFlemish Community
RegionFlemish Region
Province West Flanders
ArrondissementOstend
Government
 • MayorJohn Crombez (Vooruit)
 • Governing party/iesOpen VLD, N-VA, Groen, CD&V
Area
 • Total
40.95 km2 (15.81 sq mi)
Population
 (2022-01-01)[1]
 • Total
71,557
 • Density1,700/km2 (4,500/sq mi)
Postal codes
8400
NIS code
35013
Area codes059
Websitewww.oostende.be

Ostend (/ɒˈstɛnd/ ost-END; Dutch: Oostende [oːstˈɛndə] ⓘ West Flemish: Ostende; French: Ostende [ɔstɑ̃d] ⓘ; lit. 'East End')[2] is a coastal city and municipality in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Raversijde, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast.

History

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Middle Ages

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In the Early Middle Ages, Ostend was a small village built on the east-end (oost-einde) of an island (originally called Testerep) between the North Sea and a beach lake. Although small, the village rose to the status of "town" around 1265, when the inhabitants were allowed to hold a market and to build a market hall.

The major source of income for the inhabitants was fishing. The North Sea coastline has always been rather unstable due to the power of the water. In 1395 the inhabitants decided to build a new Ostend behind large dikes and further away from the always-threatening sea.

15th–18th centuries

[edit]
Ostend on the Ferraris map (around 1775)
St Petrus and St Paulus Church

The strategic position on the North Sea coast had major advantages for Ostend as a harbour but also proved to be a source of trouble. The town was frequently taken, ravaged, ransacked and destroyed by conquering armies. The Dutch rebels, the Gueuzen, took control of the town. The Siege of Ostend, 1601 to 1604, of which it was said that "the Spanish assailed the unassailable and the Dutch defended the indefensible", cost a combined total of more than 80,000 dead or wounded, making it the single bloodiest battle of the Eighty Years' War. This shocking event set in motion negotiations that led to a truce several years later. When the truce broke down, it became a Dunkirker base.

After this era, Ostend was turned into a harbour of some importance. In 1722, the Dutch again closed off the entrance to the world's biggest harbour of Antwerp, the Westerschelde. Therefore, Ostend rose in importance because the town provided an alternative exit to the sea. The Belgium Austriacum had become part of the Austrian Empire. The Austrian Emperor Charles VI granted the town the trade monopoly with Africa and the Far-East. The Oostendse Compagnie (Ostend trade company) was allowed to found colonies overseas. However, in 1727 the Oostendse Compagnie was forced to stop its activities because of Dutch and British pressure. The Netherlands and Britain would not allow competitors on the international trade level. Both nations regarded international trade as "their" privilege.

There was a Jewish community in Ostend, which was first noted in the 16th century.[3]

19th century

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On 19 September 1826, the local artillery magazine exploded. At least 20 people were killed and a further 200 injured. The affluent quarter of d'Hargras was levelled and scarcely a building in the city escaped damage. Disease followed the devastation leading to further deaths.[4]

The harbour of Ostend continued to expand because the harbour dock, as well as the traffic connections with the hinterland, were improved. In 1838, a railway connection with Brussels was constructed. [citation needed] Ostend became a transit harbour to England in 1846 when the first ferry sailed to Dover. [citation needed] An October 1854 meeting of American envoys led to the Ostend Manifesto.[5] Important for the image of the town was the attention it started to receive from the Belgian kings Leopold I and Leopold II. Both monarchs liked to spend their holidays in Ostend. Important monuments and villas were built to please the Royal Family, including the Hippodrome Wellington horse racing track and the Royal Galleries. The rest of aristocratic Belgium followed and soon Ostend became known as "the queen of the Belgian sea-side resorts".[citation needed]

In 1866, Ostend was the venue for a crucial meeting of exiled Spanish Liberals and Republicans which laid the framework, the Pact of Ostend, for a major uprising in their country, [citation needed] culminating in Spain's Glorious Revolution two years later.

20th century

[edit]

The two world wars proved to be disastrous for Ostend. The Belle Époque-era ended for the city in 1914 at the start of World War I when the Germans placed anti-aircraft batteries along Fort Napoleon and in the dunes along the Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-ter-Duinenkerk. During the German invasion of Belgium, Ostend along with Zeebrugge fell to the Germans without fighting, after which they stationed German submarines and other light naval forces in the city for much of the duration of WWI. Near the end of the war, the British Royal Navy tried to block Ostend twice with a naval blockade: the first raid took place on 23 April 1918, the second raid on 9 May 1918.

Between the wars, the town hosted all of the sailing events for the 1920 Summer Olympics for Antwerp.[6] Only the finals of the 12 foot dinghy took place in Amsterdam. Ostend also hosted the polo events.[7]

Ostend was once again a target at the start of World War II by both the Axis and Allied powers. The city would face repeated bombing raids by the Luftwaffe during the German invasion of Belgium on 10 May 1940, destroying significant parts of the historic coastline in the process. As early as 13 and 15 May, German bombs fell in the evening and night around Fort Napoleon and the water tower in the Vuurtorenwijk. On the 17th of May more bombs were dropped, with the freight station on the Istanbul quay being hit as a result.[8][9] Around this time, the fear that Ostend would be bombed heavily by the Luftwaffe started to form, prompting many to flee the city by boat to England or France.[10] The 21st of May was the scene of another air raid on Ostend, causing big fires as a result. One of such fires was at Hotel Splendid on the corner of the Kemmelbergstraat.[11] The beach hotel of Ostend was hit by three German bombs on the 24th of May. The hotel was used as a hospital and killed over 50 Belgian soldiers after a massive fire broke out.[12] The next day, the 25th of May, another German bombing raid was carried out. At around 08:00 in the morning, incindiary and bisance bombs were dropped on the city, causing around 3 to 4 fires and killing 12 civilians as a result.[13] The last bombing raid on the 27th of May ended up completely destroying the city hall of Ostend at the Wapenplein as well as the city archive and paintings created by James Ensor and Léon Spilliaert.[14][15][16] In total, the bombing raids between the 21st until the 27th of May caused over 75 deaths of civilians and soldiers in the city.[17] After the German bombings stopped in May 1940, Allied bombings started in June of that year. The Royal Air Force repeatedly targeted the city due to British fears that Germany would use the strategic coastal city for a German invasion of England. As a result, more civilians died and even more of the coastline and inner city, as well as the harbour, ended up being damaged or destroyed.[18]

German machine gunner firing at Allied planes in front of the Kursaal in June 1940

After the successful invasion of Belgium and the occupation, the Germans decided to demolish the remnants of the Kursaal and build a bunker underneath its remains. They also decided to enact the massive Atlantic Wall in the city and heavily reinforced and defended it due to its strategic location.[19][20][21] The city was liberated by Canadian troops on 8 September 1944.[22][23][24][25] Ultimately, the many German and British raids on Ostend ended up destroying many historic houses as well as iconic buildings along the coast as well as in the inner city like the city hall, Kursaal, post office and Hippodrome Wellington.[26] No other Belgian city was bombed as often and faced as much destruction as Ostend: a whopping 407 Allied bombs were dropped on the city, making Ostend the most bombed city in Belgium.[27] Because of this, many of the damaged houses and public buildings were left standing in the city for years.[28] It was ultimately decided that the remnants of said buildings, such as civilian houses and luxury hotels, would be torn down instead of restored after the war and reconstructed with modernist apartment blocs due to an increasing demand in these type of buildings from the tourist sector.[29][30]

21st century

[edit]

Ostend's Winter in the Park festival draws more than 600,000 people to the seaside city. During December, Ostend's Christmas market, one of the largest in Europe, features vendors and food sellers along with ice skating, music and other events. A light-show tunnel on one of the major shopping streets attracts and amuses visitors from all over Belgium, Europe and beyond.[31]

Sights

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Ostend is known for its sea-side esplanade, including the Royal Galleries of Ostend, pier, and fine-sand beaches. Ostend is visited by many day-trippers heading to the beaches, especially during July and August. Tourists from inland Belgium and from abroad mostly arrive by train (day trips) and head for the closest beach area, the Klein Strand, located next to the pier. The locals and other residents in Belgium usually occupy the larger beach (het Groot Strand).

Near the beach is a well-preserved section of the fortified Atlantic Wall, open to the public as the Atlantic Wall Open Air Museum located in Raversijde. One can walk through the streets around Het Vissersplein. At certain times, there are markets in the neighbourhood streets and in the summer the Vissersplein has music festivals. The Vissersplein (Bonenstraat/Kadzandstraat) is a car free zone with many brasseries where patrons can sit outside and have a drink. Towards the port side there are many little fish outlets, and beyond that the ferries can be observed docking.

Notable sites include:

Ostend beach and the promenade pier – panoramic view

Museums

[edit]

The James Ensor museum can be visited in the house where the artist lived from 1917 until 1949.

The Mu.Zee (merged from the Provinciaal Museum voor de Moderne Kunst and the Museum voor Schone Kunsten) is the museum of modern art (from the 1830s to the present) and displays works of noted local painters such as James Ensor, Leon Spilliaert, Constant Permeke and the revolutionary post-war Belgian COBRA movement amongst others.

Climate

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Ostend has a maritime temperate climate, influenced by winds from the North Sea, making summers cooler than inland Europe. 24-hour average temperatures below the freezing point is a rare occurrence. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Ostend has a marine west coast climate, abbreviated "Cfb" on climate maps.[32]

Climate data for Ostend (1991–2020 normals, extremes since 1973)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 14.0
(57.2) 		17.8
(64.0) 		23.7
(74.7) 		25.6
(78.1) 		31.8
(89.2) 		32.9
(91.2) 		37.8
(100.0) 		35.6
(96.1) 		32.1
(89.8) 		26.9
(80.4) 		19.2
(66.6) 		15.0
(59.0) 		37.8
(100.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 6.8
(44.2) 		7.5
(45.5) 		10.2
(50.4) 		13.5
(56.3) 		16.6
(61.9) 		19.3
(66.7) 		21.5
(70.7) 		21.9
(71.4) 		19.3
(66.7) 		15.1
(59.2) 		10.5
(50.9) 		7.3
(45.1) 		14.1
(57.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) 4.1
(39.4) 		4.4
(39.9) 		6.5
(43.7) 		9.2
(48.6) 		12.6
(54.7) 		15.4
(59.7) 		17.4
(63.3) 		17.6
(63.7) 		15.0
(59.0) 		11.4
(52.5) 		7.6
(45.7) 		4.8
(40.6) 		10.5
(50.9)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) 1.4
(34.5) 		1.3
(34.3) 		2.9
(37.2) 		4.8
(40.6) 		8.6
(47.5) 		11.5
(52.7) 		13.4
(56.1) 		13.2
(55.8) 		10.7
(51.3) 		7.8
(46.0) 		4.7
(40.5) 		2.2
(36.0) 		6.9
(44.4)
Record low °C (°F) −15.0
(5.0) 		−12.3
(9.9) 		−11.3
(11.7) 		−4.9
(23.2) 		−1.0
(30.2) 		2.6
(36.7) 		3.3
(37.9) 		5.0
(41.0) 		0.6
(33.1) 		−5.4
(22.3) 		−7.4
(18.7) 		−11.0
(12.2) 		−15.0
(5.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 62.1
(2.44) 		56.2
(2.21) 		47.3
(1.86) 		40.6
(1.60) 		53.9
(2.12) 		62.5
(2.46) 		67.6
(2.66) 		83.6
(3.29) 		74.0
(2.91) 		79.7
(3.14) 		87.6
(3.45) 		85.8
(3.38) 		800.9
(31.52)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) 11.9 10.5 9.5 8.3 9.0 9.0 9.3 9.7 9.8 12.1 13.5 13.7 126.3
Mean monthly sunshine hours 66 86 144 206 230 232 238 223 171 121 68 54 1,839
Source 1: Royal Meteorological Institute[33]
Source 2: Infoclimat[34]

Transport

[edit]

Ostend–Bruges International Airport located 5 km (3 miles) from Ostend is primarily a freight airport but offers passenger flights to leisure destinations in Southern Europe and Turkey. TUI fly Belgium has its headquarters in Ostend.[35] TAAG Angola Airlines's Ostend offices are on the grounds of Ostend Airport.[36]

The Ostend railway station is a major hub on the National Railway Company of Belgium network with frequent InterCity trains serving Brugge railway station, Gent-Sint-Pieters, Brussels South and Liège-Guillemins on Belgian railway line 50A. The Coast Tram connects Ostend with De Panne to the south and Knokke-Heist in the north.

Ostend formerly had busy ferry routes to Dover and Ramsgate, but the last of these services ended with the failure of TransEuropa Ferries in 2013.[37]

[edit]

Twin towns – sister cities

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Ostend is twinned with:[38]

Notable residents

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References to these notable citizens of Ostend can be found on the oostende.be website.[39]

Sport clubs

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[edit]

Ostend has been used as a film location by numerous directors. The movies Place Vendôme with Catherine Deneuve; Daughters of Darkness[41] with Delphine Seyrig as Countess Bathory; Armaguedon[42] with Alain Delon; Camping Cosmos with Lolo Ferrari; and Ex Drummer, based on the novel by Herman Brusselmans; were partially shot in Ostend.

The comic Le Bal du rat mort [fr], about a dreadful invasion of rats, is set in Ostend.

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Bevolking per gemeente op 1 januari 2022". Statbel.
  2. ^ Mangold, Max (2005), Das Aussprachewörterbuch, Duden, pp. 598 and 603, ISBN 9783411040667
  3. ^ "Ostend". JGuide Europe. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  4. ^ The Explosion at Ostend, The Manchester Guardian and British Volunteer, 30 September 1826
  5. ^ Potter, David M. and Fehrenbacher, Don M. (1976), The Impending Crisis, 1848-1861, reprint, n.d., New York: Harper Torchbooks, Ch.8, "The Ebb Tide of Manifest Destiny," p. 190. ISBN 0-06-131929-5 .
  6. ^ "1920 Summer Olympics sailing". Sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  7. ^ "1920 Summer Olympics polo". Sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 22 April 2011.
  8. ^ "De oorlog 1940-45 door Pierre Logghe, Kapitein Argentijnse diepzeevisserij: Deel 01. De vlucht".
  9. ^ "Oostende 1944-45, Britse oorlogshaven" (PDF). 1985. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 25 (help)
  10. ^ "Georges Claeys over zijn lotgevallen als Oostends vluchteling in Engeland: Deel 01. Dagboek".
  11. ^ "verslag van Lt. Paul Berquin van het optreden der Brandweer van Nieuwpoort te Oostende gedurende de maand mei 1940".
  12. ^ "Bombardementen in België tijdens WOII". 11 October 2010.
  13. ^ "Verslag van Lt. Paul Berquin van het optreden der Brandweer van Nieuwpoort te Oostende gedurende de maand mei 1940".
  14. ^ "How Ostend rose from the ashes of the Second World War". 6 June 2019.
  15. ^ "Vernieling en wederopbouw – Oostende 1944-1958". 20 January 2020.
  16. ^ "Het portret van Auguste Wieland (1756-1833) door kunstschilder Emile Bulcke (1875-1963)". 2 January 2023.
  17. ^ "Duitse bombardementen op België tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog". 21 May 2015.
  18. ^ "Oostende 1944-45, Britse oorlogshaven" (PDF). 1985. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 25 (help)
  19. ^ "How Ostend rose from the ashes of the Second World War". 6 June 2019.
  20. ^ "Atlantikwall - Museum".
  21. ^ "Verborgen geschiedenis: Twee Oostendse leraren worden spionnen en veranderen de geschiedenis in nieuw boek". 12 July 2024.
  22. ^ "'De oorlog heeft Oostende destijds zwaar getroffen'". 3 May 2011.
  23. ^ "Oostende 1944-45, Britse oorlogshaven" (PDF). 1985. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |title= at position 25 (help)
  24. ^ "Oostende new communal cemetery".
  25. ^ "80 jaar na het einde van de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Bezoek deze erfgoedlocaties in Oostende". 19 April 2025.
  26. ^ "'De oorlog heeft Oostende destijds zwaar getroffen'". 3 May 2011.
  27. ^ "Verborgen geschiedenis: Twee Oostendse leraren worden spionnen en veranderen de geschiedenis in nieuw boek". 12 July 2024.
  28. ^ "80 jaar na het einde van de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Bezoek deze erfgoedlocaties in Oostende". 19 April 2025.
  29. ^ "How Ostend rose from the ashes of the Second World War". 6 June 2019.
  30. ^ "Vernieling en wederopbouw – Oostende 1944-1958". 20 January 2020.
  31. ^ "Kerstvakantie trok 600.000 mensen naar de kust". 6 January 2020.
  32. ^ "Climate Summary for Ostend, Belgium". Weatherbase.com. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  33. ^ "Klimaatstatistiek van de Belgische gemeenten" (PDF) (in Dutch). Royal Meteorological Institute. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  34. ^ "Normales et records climatologiques 1991-2020 à Oostende" (in French). Infoclimat. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  35. ^ "TUIfly Academy Brussels Archived 17 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine." Jetairfly. Retrieved 23 October 2009.
  36. ^ "TAAG Offices Archived 29 January 2010 at the Wayback Machine." TAAG Angola Airlines. Retrieved 23 January 2010.
  37. ^ "[1][permanent dead link].". Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  38. ^ "Internationaal". oostende.be (in Dutch). Ostend. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
  39. ^ "Oostendse biografieën". Archief.oostende.be. Archived from the original on 7 March 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2014.
  40. ^ Kranenborg, J.B. "Ancestors of Cornelis Leendert de Groot". Ninth Generation. Archived from the original on 3 May 2005. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  41. ^ Daughters of Darkness at IMDb Edit this at Wikidata
  42. ^ "Armaguedon". French.imdb.com. 1 May 2009. Archived from the original on 12 March 2007. Retrieved 22 April 2011.

Further reading

[edit]
  • Hendy, John (1991). The Dover–Ostend Line. Staplehurst, Kent: Ferry Publications. ISBN 095135065X.
  • Pattheeuws, Stephen (2015). The Ostend Ferry: From Start to Finish. Ramsey, Isle of Man: Ferry Publications. ISBN 9781906608804.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ostend.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Ostend.
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