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  Ypres
Ieper (Dutch)
 
Location on map of Belgium
Coat of arms Location of Ypres in West Flanders
Geography
Country Belgium
Region Flag of Flanders Flemish Region
Community Flag of Flanders Flemish Community
Province Flag of West Flanders West Flanders
Arrondissement Ypres
Coordinates 50°51′N 02°53′E / 50.85, 2.883Coordinates: 50°51′N 02°53′E / 50.85, 2.883
Area 130. Wikipedia talkFeatured lists for an explanation of this and other inclusion tags below -->This list of countries, arranged alphabetically 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 Belgium is a federal state comprising three communities, three regions, and four language areas. The Flemish Region ( Dutch: Vlaams Gewest) is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium alongside the Walloon Region Belgium is a federal state comprising three communities, three regions, and four language areas. The term Flemish Community has two distinct though related meanings Culturally and sociologically it refers to Flemish organizations media social and cultural Belgium is divided into three regions two of them are subdivided into five Provinces each West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region also named Flanders, in Belgium. The federalized country Belgium geographically consists of 3 regions of which only Flemish Region and Walloon Region are subdivided into 5 provinces The Arrondissement of Ypres (Arrondissement Ieper Arrondissement d'Ypres is one of the eight administrative arrondissements in the Province of West Flanders A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. A geographic coordinate system enables every location on the Earth to be specified in three coordinates using mainly a spherical coordinate system. Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. 61 km²
Population (Source: NIS)
Population
– Males
– Females
- Density		 34,897 (January 1, 2006)
48. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Statistics Belgium is the main official statistical institution in Belgium offering a large choice of figures In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. 86%
51. 14%
267 inhab. /km²
Age distribution
0–19 years
20–64 years
65+ years		 (January 1, 2006)
22. Square Kilometre ( US spelling square kilometer) symbol km2, is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of A population pyramid, also called age-sex pyramid and age structure diagram, is a graphical illustration that shows the distribution of various age groups in a New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. 52%
58. 08%
19. 40%
Foreigners 1. Immigration refers to the movement of people among countries While the movement of people has existed throughout human history at various levels modern immigration implies long-term 89% (July 1, 2005)
Economy
Unemployment rate 8. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Unemployment occurs when a person is available to work and currently seeking work but the person is without work. 01% (January 1, 2006)
Mean annual income 11,833 €/pers. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. (2003)
Government
Mayor Luc Dehaene (CD&V)
Governing parties CD&V
Other information
Postal codes 8900, 8902, 8904, 8906, 8908
Area codes 057
Web address www.ieper.be

Ypres (French, generally used in English, French IPA: [ipʁ], English IPA: /ˈiːprə/), Ieper (official name in Dutch, pronounced /ˈiːpər/), or Ypern (German) is a Belgian municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. 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 Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V (Christian Democratic and Flemish is a Flemish Community of Belgium Political party, formerly called Christian A coalition is an alliance among individuals during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own Self-interest. Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams (CD&V (Christian Democratic and Flemish is a Flemish Community of Belgium Political party, formerly called Christian Belgian postal codes are numeric and consist of 4 numbers although the last one is often zero A telephone numbering plan is a plan for allocating Telephone number ranges to countries regions areas and exchanges and to non-fixed telephone networks A website (alternatively web site or Web site, a back-construction from the Proper noun World Wide Web) is a collection of Web pages French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname 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 Belgium comprises 589 municipalities ( Dutch: gemeenten, French: communes, German: Gemeinde) grouped into five The Flemish Region ( Dutch: Vlaams Gewest) is one of the three official regions of the Kingdom of Belgium alongside the Walloon Region Belgium is divided into three regions two of them are subdivided into five Provinces each West Flanders (West-Vlaanderen is the westernmost province of the Flemish Region also named Flanders, in Belgium. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres and the villages of Boezinge, Brielen, Dikkebus, Elverdinge, Hollebeke, Sint-Jan, Vlamertinge, Voormezele, Zillebeke, and Zuidschote. Boezinge is a village north of the town of Ieper in Belgium, on the N369 road in the direction of Diksmuide. Hollebeke is a Flemish village in the Belgian province of West Vlaanderen, now part of Ypres city Zillebeke is a village in the Flemish province of West-Vlaanderen in Belgium

During World War I, Ypres was the centre of intense and sustained battles between the German and the Allied forces. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The German Army (Deutsches Heer heɐ) is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Contents

History

Origins to World War I

Ypres is an ancient town, and is known to have been raided by the Romans in the first century BC. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC [1] During the Middle Ages, Ypres was a prosperous city with a population of 40,000, [2] renowned for its linen trade with England, which was mentioned in the Canterbury Tales. Linen is a Textile made from the Fibers of the Flax plant Linum usitatissimum. The Canterbury Tales is a collection of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century (two of them in Prose, the rest in verse) It was the hometown of William of Ypres, a commander of Flemish mercenaries in England who was reckoned among the more able of the military commanders fighting for King Stephen in his prolonged civil war with the Empress Matilda. William of Ypres styled count of Flanders (c 1090 &ndash 24 January 1164 /1165 was King Stephen of England's chief lieutenant during the English civil Stephen often referred to in history as Stephen of Blois (c 1096 &ndash 25 October, 1154) was the last Norman King of England Matilda of England (sometimes Maud or Maude; 7 February 1102 &ndash 10 September 1167 was the daughter and dispossessed Heir of Henry I of England

In order to prosper and maintain its wealth, Ypres had to be fortified to keep out invaders. Parts of the early ramparts, dating from 1385, still survive near the Rijselpoort (Lille Gate). The famous Cloth Hall was built in the thirteenth century. Cloth Hall (Dutch Lakenhal or Lakenhalle) of Ypres, Belgium, was one of the largest commercial Buildings of the Middle Ages During this time also, cats, then the symbol of the devil and witchcraft, were thrown off the cloth hall, possibly due to the belief that this would get rid of evil demons. Today, this act is commemorated with a triennial Cat Parade through town. The Kattenstoet is a parade in Ypres, Belgium, devoted to the Cat. Over time, the earthworks were replaced by sturdier masonry and earthen structures and a partial moat. A moat is deep broad Trench, usually filled with Water, that surrounds a structure installation or town normally to provide it with a preliminary line of Ypres was further fortified in 17th and 18th centuries while under the occupation of the Hapsburgs and the French. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Major works were completed at the end of the 17th century by the French military engineer Sebastien Le Prestre, Seigneur de Vauban. Sébastien Le Prestre Seigneur de Vauban and later Marquis de Vauban ( May 15, 1633 – March 30, 1707) commonly referred to

World War I

Ypres On Fire
Ypres On Fire

Ypres was a strategic position during World War I because it stood in the path of Germany's planned sweep across the rest of Belgium and into France from the North (the Schlieffen Plan). World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All For the French counter-plan see Plan XVII The Schlieffen Plan was the German General Staff 's early 20th century overall strategic Moreover, the neutrality of Belgium was guaranteed by Britain: Germany's invasion of Belgium brought the British Empire into the war. The German army surrounded the city on three sides, bombarding it throughout much of the war. To counterattack, British, French and allied forces made costly advances from the Ypres salient into the German lines on the surrounding hills.

In the First Battle of Ypres (31 October to 22 November 1914) the Allies captured the town from the Germans. The First Battle of Ypres, also called the Battle of Flanders, was the last major battle of the first year of World War I (1914 Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Year 1914 ( MCMXIV) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year In the Second Battle of Ypres (22 April to 25 May 1915) the Germans used poison gas for the first time on the Western Front (they had used it earlier at the Battle of Bolimow on 3 January 1915) and captured high ground east of the town. The Second Battle of Ypres was the first time Germany used poison gas on a large scale on the Western Front in World War I and the first time Events 1500 - Portuguese Navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral becomes the first European to sight Brazil. Events 1085 - Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo Spain back from the Moors. Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of Chemical substances to kill injure or incapacitate an enemy. See Western Front (disambiguation for other meanings Western Front was a term used during the First and Second World Events 1431 - Joan of Arc is handed over to the Bishop Pierre Cauchon. Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The first gas attack occurred against Canadian, British, and French soldiers; including both metropolitan French soldiers as well as Senegalese and Algerian tirailleurs (light infantry) from French Africa. Senegal (le Sénégal officially the Republic of Senegal, is a country south of the Sénégal River in western Africa. Algeria ( ar [[Arabic]] الجزائر, Al Jaza'ir ælʤæˈzæːʔir Amazigh: ⴷⵥⴰⵢⴻⵔ Dzayer) officially the People's Tirailleur literally means a Sharpshooter in French from tir - target The gas used was chlorine gas. Chlorine (ˈklɔriːn from the Greek word 'χλωρóς' ( khlôros, meaning 'pale green' is the Chemical element with Atomic number 17 and Mustard gas, also called Yperite from the name of this city, was also used for the first time near Ypres in the autumn of 1917. The sulfur mustards, of which mustard gas ( Bis (2-chloroethyl sulfide is a member are a class of related Cytotoxic, Vesicant Chemical

Ruins of Ypres – 1919
Ruins of Ypres – 1919

Of the battles, the largest, best-known, and most costly in human suffering was the Third Battle of Ypres (21 July to 6 November 1917, also known as the Battle of Passchendaele) in which the British, Canadians, ANZAC and French forces recaptured the Passchendaele ridge east of the city at a terrible cost of lives. "Passchendaele" redirects here For the 2008 film by that name see Passchendaele (film The 1917 Battle of Passchendaele, also known as Events 356 BC - Herostratus sets fire to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, one of the Seven Wonders of the World Events 355 - Roman Emperor Constantius II promotes his cousin Julian to the rank of Caesar, entrusting him with Year 1917 ( MCMXVII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year "Passchendaele" redirects here For the 2008 film by that name see Passchendaele (film The 1917 Battle of Passchendaele, also known as "Passchendaele" redirects here For the 2008 film by that name see Passchendaele (film The 1917 Battle of Passchendaele, also known as After months of fighting, this battle resulted in nearly half a million casualties to all sides, and only several miles of ground won by Allied forces. The town was all but obliterated by the artillery fire.

English-speaking soldiers in that war often referred to Ypres by the (perhaps humorous) mispronunciation "Wipers". British soldiers even self-published a wartime newspaper called the "Wipers Times". The Wipers Times is the most well-known of the trench magazines that were published by soldiers fighting on the front lines of the First World War.

Ypres today

Cloth Hall at night
Cloth Hall at night

After the war the town was rebuilt using money paid by Germany in reparations, with the main square, including the Cloth Hall and town hall, being rebuilt as close to the original designs as possible. (The rest of the rebuilt town is more modern in appearance. ) The Cloth Hall today is home to In Flanders Fields Museum, dedicated to Ypres's role in the First World War. The In Flanders' Fields museum is devoted to study of World War I and occupies the second floor of the Cloth Hall Ypres in Belgium

Ypres these days has the title of "city of peace" and maintains a close friendship with another town on which war had a profound impact: Hiroshima. The Japanese city of ( is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshū, the largest of Japan 's The association may be regarded as somewhat gruesome due to the fact that both towns witnessed warfare at its worst: Ypres was one of the first places where chemical warfare was employed, while Hiroshima suffered the debut of nuclear warfare. Chemical warfare involves using the toxic properties of Chemical substances to kill injure or incapacitate an enemy. The Second Battle of Ypres was the first time Germany used poison gas on a large scale on the Western Front in World War I and the first time

War graves, both of the Allied side and the Central Powers, cover the landscape around Ypres. The largest are Langemark German war cemetery and Tyne Cot Commonwealth war cemetery. The German war cemetery of Langemark (also spelt 'Langemarck' is near the village of Langemark, part of the Municipality of Langemark-Poelkapelle, Tyne Cot Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery and Memorial to the Missing is a Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC burial ground for the dead of World War I in the The countryside around Ypres (Flanders Fields) is featured in the famous poem by John McCrae, In Flanders Fields. For the article about the war poem see In Flanders Fields. For the book by Leon Wolff, see In Flanders Fields Lieutenant Colonel John Alexander McCrae ( November 30, 1872 &ndash January 28, 1918) was a Canadian Poet " In Flanders Fields " is one of the most famous Poems written during the First World War, and has been called "the most popular poem" produced during

Saint George's Memorial Church commemorates the British and Commonwealth soldiers, who died in the three battles fought for Ypres during World War I. Saint George's Memorial Church, Ypres, Belgium, was built to commemorate over 500000 British and Commonwealth troops who had died in the three battles fought for

Sights

Town centre

Saint Martin's Cathedral
Saint Martin's Cathedral

The imposing Cloth Hall was built in the 13th century and was one of the largest commercial buildings of the Middle Ages. Cloth Hall (Dutch Lakenhal or Lakenhalle) of Ypres, Belgium, was one of the largest commercial Buildings of the Middle Ages The structure we see today is the exact copy of the original medieval building, rebuilt after the war. The belfry that surmounts the hall houses a 49-bell carillon. An unequalled ensemble of fifty-six Belfries of Belgium and France is designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Site, in recognition A carillon (/kaʁijɔ̃/ /ˈkærɪljɒn/ or /kəˈrɪljən/ is a Musical instrument consisting of at least 23 cast bronze cup-shaped bells which are played The whole complex was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a site (such as a Forest, Mountain, Lake, Desert, Monument, Building, complex United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization ( UNESCO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established on November 16

The Gothic-style Saint Martin's Cathedral, originally built in 1221, was also completely reconstructed after the war. See also Gothic art Gothic architecture is a style of Architecture which flourished during the high and late medieval period. It houses the tombs of Jansenius, bishop of Ypres and father of the religious movement known as Jansenism, and of Robert of Bethune, nicknamed "The Lion of Flanders", who was Count of Nevers (1273-1322) and Count of Flanders (1305–1322). Corneille Janssens, commonly known by the Latinized version of his name Cornelius Jansen or Jansenius, or most commonly in English simply as Jansen The former Catholic diocese of Ypres, in present-day Belgium, existed from 1559 to 1801 Jansenism was a branch of Catholic Gallican thought which arose in the frame of the Counter-Reformation and the aftermath of the Council of Trent Robert III of Flanders (1249 &ndash September 17, 1322) also called Robert of Bethune and nicknamed The Lion of Flanders was Count is a list of the counts of Nevers, who were the rulers of County of Nevers. counts of Flanders were the Rulers over the county of Flanders from the 9th century until the abolition of the Countship by the French revolutionaries

Menin Gate

The ceremony at the Menin Gate
The ceremony at the Menin Gate

The Menin Gate Memorial2 in Ypres commemorates those soldiers of the British Commonwealth - with the exception of New Zealand and Newfoundland - who fell in the Ypres Salient during the First World War before 16 August 1917, who have no known grave. The Menin Gate Memorial at the Eastern exit of the Town of Ypres (known as "Ieper" in Dutch) in Flanders, Belgium The Menin Gate Memorial at the Eastern exit of the Town of Ypres (known as "Ieper" in Dutch) in Flanders, Belgium The Ypres Salient is the area around Ypres in Belgium which was the scene of some of the biggest battles in World War I. Those who died from that date - and all from New Zealand and Newfoundland - are commemorated elsewhere. [3] [4] The memorial's location is especially poignant as it lies on the eastward route from the town which allied soldiers would have taken towards the fighting - many never to return. Every evening since 1928, traffic around the imposing arches of the Menin Gate Memorial has been stopped while the Last Post is sounded beneath the Gate by the local fire brigade. The Last Post redirects here For an album by Carbon/Silicon see The Last Post (album. This tribute is given in honour of the memory of British Empire soldiers who fought and died there. The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power.

The Menin Gate
The Menin Gate

The ceremony was prohibited by occupying German forces during the Second World War, but it was resumed on the very evening of liberation — 6 September 1944 — notwithstanding the heavy fighting that still went on in other parts of the town. The Menin Gate Memorial at the Eastern exit of the Town of Ypres (known as "Ieper" in Dutch) in Flanders, Belgium Events 3114 BC - According to the Proleptic Julian calendar the current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar started Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The lions that marked the original gate were given to Australia by the people of Belgium and can be found at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra.

"Who will remember, passing through this Gate,
The unheroic Dead who fed the guns?"
-- Siegfried Sassoon, On Passing the Menin Gate

Events

Famous inhabitants

The fountain in the Grote Markt, Ieper, opposite the Cloth Hall.
The fountain in the Grote Markt, Ieper, opposite the Cloth Hall.

Twin cities

See also

External links

Notes

  1. ^ Ypres/Ieper: historical background
  2. ^ See chapter 5.6.2 (in Dutch)
  3. ^ [1] "It commemorates those of all Commonwealth nations (except New Zealand) who died in the Salient, in the case of United Kingdom casualties before 16 August 1917. The Picanol Group is an international group specialized in development production and sales of weaving machines and technology for the textile industry and others Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Those United Kingdom and New Zealand servicemen who died after that date are named on the memorial at Tyne Cot, a site which marks the furthest point reached by Commonwealth forces in Belgium until nearly the end of the war. Other New Zealand casualties are commemorated on memorials at Buttes New British Cemetery and Messines Ridge British Cemetery. "
  4. ^ http://www.cwgc.org/admin/files/cwgc_ypressalient.pdf

Footnote

1 The Dutch language was restricted by the French-speaking Belgian ruling class at the time of the First World War so that as a result the French name was used by British soldiers fighting there—they however, pronounced it "Wipers", probably as a result of poor education in pronunciation of the French language rather than any deliberate humour. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All

2 The gate is called "Menin Gate" because it is situated on the road to another Flemish city, Menin in French or a (depricated) variant name in English, Menen in Dutch or English. Menen is also a variation of the nauruan district's name Meneng Menen (Menin is a Municipality located in the Belgian province French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Menen is also a variation of the nauruan district's name Meneng Menen (Menin is a Municipality located in the Belgian province Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States

Dictionary

Ypres

-proper noun

  1. A municipality in Flanders, Belgium
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