Mortsel
Mortsel
| |
|---|---|
City and municipality | |
Aerial view of Mortsel | |
|
Flag Coat of arms | |
Location of Mortsel in the province of Antwerp | |
Interactive map of Mortsel | |
Mortsel Location in Belgium | |
| Coordinates: 51°10′N 04°28′E / 51.167°N 4.467°E | |
| Country | Belgium |
| Community | Flemish Community |
| Region | Flemish Region |
| Province | Antwerp |
| Arrondissement | Antwerp |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Erik Broeckx (N-VA) |
| • Governing parties | N-VA, Vooruit-I love Mortsel, CD&V |
| Area | |
• Total | 7.78 km2 (3.00 sq mi) |
| Population (2022-01-01)[1] | |
• Total | 26,181 |
| • Density | 3,370/km2 (8,720/sq mi) |
| Postal codes | 2640 |
| NIS code | 11029 |
| Area codes | 03 |
| Website | www.mortsel.be |
Mortsel (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɔrtsəl]) is a municipality and city[2] close to the city of Antwerp located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the city of Mortsel proper. In 2024, Mortsel had a total population of 26,588 people which makes most densely populated municipality in Flanders with 3416 inhabitants per km².[3] The total area is 7.78 km².[4]
Geography
The city consists of the areas Mortsel-Dorp, Oude-God and Luithagen.[5] Mortsel is bordered by Antwerp (districts Wilrijk, Berchem and Deurne), Borsbeek, Boechout, Hove, and Edegem.[6]
History
Mortsel was the scene for one of the major collateral damage tragedies of World War II. On 5 April 1943, the Minerva car factory, then used to repair Luftwaffe planes, was the target of a bombing raid by the USAAF. Most bombs missed the target and hit a residential area instead, resulting in the deaths of 936 civilians, including 209 children, exceeding the civilian death toll of the Guernica raid which modern estimates put at 400.[7]
The last V2 launched against Antwerp also fell in Mortsel, killing 27 people, on 27 March 1945.[8]
Economy
The headquarters of Agfa-Gevaert are situated in Mortsel.[9]
Notable people
- Alex Agnew, stand-up comedian
- Luc Brewaeys, (born in Mortsel in 1959), composer, conductor, pianist and recording producer
- Daniel Dardha, chess player
- Bart De Wever, politician
- Timo Descamps, actor
- Koen Lenaerts, President of the European Court of Justice
- Clem Schouwenaars (b. Mortsel, 1932–1993), writer
- Tamino, musician
- Luc Tuymans, painter
- Johan Van Overtveldt (born in Mortsel in 1955), Belgian journalist and politician of the New Flemish Alliance
- Jos Vandeloo, writer
See also the Category:People from Mortsel.
References
- ^ https://www.ibz.rrn.fgov.be/fileadmin/user_upload/fr/pop/statistiques/population-bevolking-20220101.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^ "Wet tot toekenning van de titel van stad aan de gemeenten Genk, Mortsel, Seraing en Waregem". www.ejustice.just.fgov.be (in Dutch). Belgian Official Gazette. 23 June 1999. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
- ^ "Population density | Statbel".
- ^ "Bevolking per statistische sector - Sector 11029". Statistics Belgium. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
- ^ "WELKOM IN MORTSEL". woneninmortsel. 9 January 2026.
- ^ "Buurt Hertogstraat: overzicht van de 27 deelgemeenten, wijken en buurten". allecijfers. 10 December 2025.
- ^ "Bombing of Mortsel". pieterserrien.be. 3 September 2015. (in English)
- ^ "De laatste V-bom na 175 dagen terreur". antwerpenherdenkt. 9 January 2026.
- ^ "AGFA | Contact". agfa.com. 22 September 2025.
External links
Media related to Mortsel at Wikimedia Commons
- (in Dutch) Official website