Coordinates: 50°58′09″N 2°26′06″E / 50.969167, 2.435

Commune of Bergues Remains of Saint Winoc Abbey in Bergues
Location
Administration
Country	France
Region	Nord-Pas-de-Calais
Department	Nord
Arrondissement	Dunkerque
Canton	Bergues (chief town)
Intercommunality	Communauté de Communes du Canton de Bergues
Mayor	André Declercq (2001-2008)
Statistics
Elevation	1 m–22 m
Land area¹	1. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. France is divided into 26 regions or régions (in French of which 21 are in continental Metropolitan France, one is the island of Corsica, Nord-Pas de Calais (French Nord-Pas de Calais; Dutch Noord-Nauw van Kales) is one of the 26 regions of France. In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division Nord (North is a department in the far north of France. It is the country's most populated department The 100 French departments are divided into 342 arrondissements, which may be translated into English as districts. The arrondissement of Dunkirk is an arrondissement of France located in the Nord department, in the Nord-Pas de Calais region The cantons of France are territorial subdivisions of the French Republic's 341 arrondissements and 100 departments. The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning "greater" is a modern title used in many countries for the highest ranking officer in a municipal government The elevation of a Geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point often the mean sea level. 32 km²
Population² (1999)	4,207
- Density	3,187/km² (1999)
Miscellaneous
INSEE/Postal code	59067/ 59380
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km² (0. As of January 1, 2008, 64473140 people live in the French Republic. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume The INSEE code is a numerical indexing code used by the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE to identify various entities including communes Postal codes were introduced in France in 1972, when La Poste introduced automated sorting. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of 386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. An estuary is a semi-enclosed Coastal body of Water with one or more Rivers or Streams flowing into it and with a free connection to the open
2 Population sans doubles comptes: residents of multiple communes (e.g. students and military personnel) only counted once. C D E

Bergues (Dutch: Sint-Winoksbergen) is a commune of the Nord département, in France. The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. Nord (North is a department in the far north of France. It is the country's most populated department In the context of the political and geographic organization of France and many of its former colonies a department (département depaʁtǝmɑ̃ is an Administrative division This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. It is situated 9 kilometres (5. 6 mi) to the south of Dunkirk and 15 kilometres (9. Dunkirk ( French: Dunkerque, dœ̃kɛʀk or; Dutch:; is a harbour city and a commune in the northernmost part of France, in the 3 mi) from the Belgian border. The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Locally it is referred to as "the other Bruges in Flanders". Bruges (Brugge is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. Flanders (Vlaanderen Flandre Flandern is a geographical region located in parts of present day Belgium, France, and the Netherlands.

History

The town's name derives from the Flemish groene berg, which means "green hill". According to legend, St. Winoc, son of the Breton king, retired to Groenberg, a hill on the edge of the coastal marshes. Saint Winnoc (c 640-c 716/717 AD was an abbot or prior of Wormhout. His establishment soon developed into a small monastery.

In 882, when the Normans began their incursions, the Flanders count Baudouin II built primitive fortifications. Events By Place Europe Carloman King of the West Franks, becomes sole king upon the death of his brother The Normans were the people who gave their names to Normandy, a region in northern France. Baldwin II (c 865 &ndash September 10 918) nicknamed Calvus ( the Bald) was the second Count of Flanders. Later, about 1022, count Baudouin IV built Saint-Winoc church and interred the relics of Winoc there. Baldwin IV of Flanders (980– May 30, 1035) known as the Bearded, was Count of Flanders from 988 until his death This church formed the basis of an abbey. An abbey (from Latin abbatia derived from Syriac abba "father" is a Christian Monastery or

Trade was aided by proximity to the sea, which had not yet receded to Dunkirk, and the abbey. Bergues was chartered in 1240, and its independence was later expressed in the construction of a belfry. A Tower which contains one or more bells or which is obviously designed to hold bells (even if it has none is a bell tower. It became a port and textile center of regional importance, and part of the Hanseatic League. The Hanseatic League (also known as the Hansa) was an alliance of trading cities and their Guilds that established and maintained trade Its wool market began in 1276 and over the following centuries it was fortified and maintained its independence from France. In 1583, Bergues was besieged and conquered by Alexander Farnese, but king Philip II of Spain allowed it to be rebuilt, establishing the present appearance of the town. Alexander Farnese ( Italian: Alessandro Farnese, Spanish: Alejandro Farnesio, ( August 27 1545 &ndash Philip II (Felipe II de España Filipe I ( May 21, 1527 &ndash September 13 1598) was King of Spain from 1556 until 1598 Bergues became a major port city and was eventually was attached to France by the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in 1668. The Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle or Treaty of Aachen was signed on May 2, 1668 in Aachen. Louis XIV later developed Dunkirk, and Bergues was eclipsed as a major port. Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent After the French Revolution, its decline continued. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an

Bergues was devastated by bombardment in World War I, and again in 1940 during the Battle of Dunkirk. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The Battle of Dunkirk was the defense and evacuation of the British and Allied forces that had been separated from the main body of the French defenses by the German advance The city was entered on June 2 of that year, and 80% of it was ruined during World War II. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

Near industrialized Dunkirk, its many monuments are reminders of a rich past, and tourism has been developed in recent years.

Bergues was the setting for the 2008 French film Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis. Bienvenue chez les Ch'tis ( English: Welcome to the Land of Shtis As of 1 July 2008, the film had been seen by over The film, which broke French box office records, is credited with triggering a tourism boom in Bergues. ^[1]

The belfry in Bergues (2004)

Sights

• The belfry is the city's most celebrated attraction. Started in the 13th century it was rebuilt after the French invasion in 1383 and again in the 16th century, and restored during the 19th century. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar Damaged by fire in 1940 and destroyed by dyamiting in 1944, it was again rebuilt in 1961. It was classified as a historic building in 2004 and, as one of the Belfries of Belgium and France, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on July 16, 2005. An unequalled ensemble of fifty-six Belfries of Belgium and France is designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Site, in recognition A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex A carillon of 50 bells sounds for the Monday market and other festivities. A carillon (/kaʁijɔ̃/ /ˈkærɪljɒn/ or /kəˈrɪljən/ is a Musical instrument consisting of at least 23 cast bronze cup-shaped bells which are played
• The ramparts, 5,300 metres (17,000 ft) long, are partly medieval and partly constructed by Vauban. Sébastien Le Prestre Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban ( May 15, 1633 – March 30, 1707) commonly referred to
• The abbey of St. Winoc was destroyed in 1789, and only parts remain: the marble door and two towers.

Gallery

The belfry has a carillon of 50 bells.	The Gate of Cassel, on a triangular pediment, incorporating the radiating sun of Louis XIV. Early years Birth and ancestry Louis XIV was born in the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye on September 5 1638 and bore the Heir apparent	The mairie was rebuilt in 1871. A city hall or town hall is the chief administrative building of a City or Town 's administration and usually houses the city or Its façade carries the arms of Philip IV of Spain. Philip IV (es ''Felipe IV'' pt ''Filipe III'' ( 8 April, 1605 &ndash 17 September, 1665) was King of Spain between 1621 and
The church of St Martin.	The spire of Saint Winoc abbey. Saint Winnoc (c 640-c 716/717 AD was an abbot or prior of Wormhout.	The ramparts, 5300 meters long, have surrounded almost the entire town for five centuries.

References

• This article is partly based on the corresponding article in the French Wikipedia, retrieved on March 1, 2008. Bergues ( Dutch: Sint-Winoksbergen) is a commune of the Nord département, in France.
• The Official website
• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone

External links

• Official website (English)
• Webpage about the fortifications

Location of Bergues in the arrondissement of Dunkirk