Menen

Geschiedenis

Menen is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Menen proper and the towns of Lauwe and Rekkem. The city is situated on the French/Belgian border. On January 1, 2006, Menen had a total population of 32,413. The total area is 33.07 km² which gives a population density of 980 inhabitants per km².The city of Menen gives its name to the Menin Gate in Ypres which is a monument to those killed in World War I. The gate is so called as the road from that gate is the road to Menen.HistoryMenen's position near the French border led to many sieges in the history of the city. There were as many as 22 sieges between 1579 and 1830.The city was part of France between 1668 and 1713. Vauban turned Menen into a model-fortification (1679–1689).The city was besieged and taken by the Duke of Marlborough's allied Army in August 1706. During the Flanders Campaign of the Wars of the French Revolution the city changed hands several times. There has been a very big fire in 1750 that almost completely destroyed the city. It was also the scene of a battle in September 1793.