- Beringen, Belgium
Infobox Belgium Municipality
name=Beringen
picture=
picture-width=250px
picture-
map-Beringen in Limburg
arms=Beringen.jpg
region=BE-REG-FLE
community=BE-NL
province=BE-PROV-LI
arrondissement=Hasselt
nis=71004
pyramid-date=01/01/2006
0-19=23.94
20-64=61.60
65=14.46
foreigners=4.86
foreigners-date=01/07/2005
mayor=Marcel Mondelaers (CD&V )
majority=CD&V ,SP.A
postal-codes=3580, 3581, 3582, 3583
telephone-area=011
web= [http://www.beringen.be/ www.beringen.be]
lat_deg=51
lat_min=02
lon_deg=05
lon_min=13Beringen is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. The Beringen
municipality includes the town of Beringen proper and the old communes ofBeverlo ,Koersel , andPaal .History
Origins
Beringen was already inhabited in
Celt ic times, as proven by the 1995 archeological finds of gold coins and artifacts on its territory. These date from around 90 BC and are the most northerly late-Iron-Age gold objects found in Europe. The land of "Beringe", as it came to be known in the 12th century, had been given to the abbey ofCorbie by Saint Adelard in the 8th century. For most of themedieval period, it was part of theCounty of Loon , from which it received its citycharter in 1239. The city was then surrounded with impressivemoat s and gated walls. The county of Loon as a whole was annexed to theBishopric of Liège in 1366. Beringen became one of the bishopric’s 23 "bonnes villes" (principal cities) and shared its history until its dissolution in 1795.Mining past
Under
André Dumont ’s guidance, the first coal-bearing drill cores were obtained inCampine in 1901, leading to several coalmines being established in the region. The first production in Koersel dates from 1919. The golden age of coal production started right afterWorld War II and lasted until the late 1950s, when cheaper energy sources were made available elsewhere. The last coal mine in Beringen closed its doors onOctober 28 ,1989 . The remaining slag heaps and mining buildings are still very obvious around the city.ights
*The mining museum (an Anchor Point of ERIH, The
European Route of Industrial Heritage ) is one of Beringen’s main attractions, retracing the industrial history of the region.
*With its good network of biking trails, Beringen is also one of the best places in Campine for bikers.Events
*Yearly
Kermesse s take place both in Beringen Paal and in Koersel.
*At the beginning of August, Paal also organizes a whole-day musical event: "Paal op Stelten"
*The two-day-long "Koersel Terrast" takes place in late spring: music, dance, and fireworks are enjoyed by adults and children alike.Famous Inhabitants
*
Jo Vandeurzen ,politician (b. 1958)
*Ingrid Berghmans ,judo ka (b. 1961)
*Mauro Pawlowski , musician (b. 1971)External links
* [http://www.beringen.be Official website ] - Available only in Dutch
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.