Renaix

Renaix (in Dutch Ronse ) is a city and common Dutch-speaking to facilities of Belgium located in Flemish Région in the Province of Flanders-Eastern.

It is located in the middle of the the Flemish Ardennes and it counts 24000 inhabitants. There is a splendid church devoted to St-Hermes. Its visit is worth particularly the turning for its splendid Crypte resembling an underground cathedral. There is also the museum of the Textile and the folklore.

Folklore

The festival of Insane the " bommelsfesten" with the giants Staff Tisserand, Manse the Ropemaking machine, Angelki the Dressmaker and Ephrem the bell ringer, reuzen van Ronse (Giants of Renaix), with place the weekend of the Epiphany. Renaix is thus the first city to celebrate its carnival. A procession is organized until the large one places and towards 21:00, one can contemplate a splendid fire of artifices there.

- > Since about fifty years, the museum of the folklore is installed in a dwelling of canon of the XVIIIe century, arranged very well. Jacques Vandewattyne had the first the idea, during his exposure of painting, in 1970, to make there revive the artisanal workshops and the pub (small popular coffee) “With the Old Dragon” by inviting the last craftsmen of the area: the blacksmith, the sabot-maker…

History

Sanderus " Flandria it; Renaix about 1641-1644 the first scientifically valid study of the history of Renaix was published, in French, 1856 per Gustave and Léonard Battaille. Then, the history of the town of Renaix was written especially by Doctor Oscar Delghust, which was burgomaster of Renaix. Its principal work, written in French, " Renaix through the âges" (part 1: " Origins until the end of Old Régime" and part 2: " The French conquest, Consulate and Empire, the Kingdom of the Countries-Bas") was published in 1936 and 1948. A republication of the work was carried out in 1975. An extremely interesting study of Guy Gadeyne, in French, treats a very important aspect of the history of the city “Seen of the history of textile industry with Renaix until 1900”. This study was published in Annals of Renaix (C.H.A.R.T.I.), volume XXV, 1976. The hills surrounding Renaix preserve the trace of human activities at the Paleolithic one. With the Neolithic era, the area was populated farmers and stockbreeders in a permanent way. Various fragments of construction also testify to an occupation of the area of Renaix during the Roman period. The true urban core of Renaix can be dated from the medium of VIIe century, when Saint Amand - or one of its successors - there builds a church and a monastery in the honor of the Saints Pierre and Paul. Renaix and its monastery were given by Louis Débonnaire to the abbey of India (Cornelismünster, close to Aachen). This one will sell its possessions renaisiennes during XIIIe century. The relics of Hermes Saint arrived at Renaix during IXe century. At that time disturbed by the raids Vikings, the monks had to flee several times of Renaix. The monastery was burned into 880 by the Norman ones. The relics of Hermes Saint were recovered into 940 and were placed in a Romance crypt in 1089. The church Saint Hermes which was then built was devoted in 1129. The pilgrimage in the honor of Hermes Saint, called upon for the cure of the mental diseases, supported the local economy. " yet today is not said; Saint Hermes cures insane surroundings and leaves the inhabitants of Renaix such as they are… " ?

Renaix obtained from its lord, Gerard de Waudripont, solicitor of the abbey of India, the privileges of a city in 1240. Until the end of the Old Mode, the seigniory of Renaix - then baronnie in 1549 - will include/understand an enclave, the Frankness from Renaix, which was managed by the Chapter of Hermes Saint, with a total legal and tax independence, and which had its own justice. Renaix was a very flourishing city as of the medium of XIIIe century and particularly with XVe century and XVIe century. Its economy was founded on the manufacture and the preparation of cloths. The city was burned and plundered on March 26th, 1478 by the French troops. About the middle of XVIe century, Renaix became an important hearth calvinist in the Spanish Netherlands. The religious disorders of XVIe century, with the terrible repression of the Pile cluster, obliged number of tisserands and fullers renaisiens definitively to leave the city for Holland, Germany and England. The fire of July 21st, 1559 finishes ruining the city. Renaix benefitted then from the period of peace under the Archdukes Albert and Isabelle to be raised (beginning of the XVIIe century). It is at that time that was built there one of the most beautiful castles (destroyed in 1823) of the southernmost Netherlands for the Count Jean of Nassau-Siegen, baron de Renaix since 1629. The plague of 1635-1636 made the city almost deserted. In spite of the dispute of King d' Espagne, Renaix was annexed in France of 1680 to 1700. During the Austrian period, on March 31st, 1719, a terrible fire reduces the city in ashes again. Thanks to the tenacity of its inhabitants, Renaix could take again his row among the cities, industry and the trade, always founded on the textile. The victory of Fleurus on June 26th, 1794 made it possible France to occupy the country, then to annex it. Renaix had to face important requisitions, Finances of the city were plundered. In 1796, the old administration of Renaix was removed and one created a “municipality”. The French legislation will apply henceforth to Renaix to the amalgam of Belgium with the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815. In 1798, the “War of the Peasants”, reaction to the military conscription imposed by the French, will cost the life several Renaisiens. In 1799, Renaix counted approximately 10.000 inhabitants, but misery was extreme: a third of the population lived in poverty. In 1840, in the new, more than 55% Kingdom of Belgium of the population of Renaix lived of an linked activity to the textile. Mechanization generated an economic serious attack with Renaix during the years 1845 to 1855. Much Renaisiens left Renaix for the textile factories of the North of France (Lille-Roubaix-Tourcoing) or for agricultural work in France (Somme, Oise,…). From approximately 1870, textile industry renaisienne was on the way of a great prosperity, certainly stopped by the First World War, and which started to decline after the second world war. This decline was very appreciably felt in the years 1960. Renaix is today a shopping mall which has tourist assets, the such crypt and collegial Saint-Hermes, and its superb landscapes. The " Monday of the fous" , carnival going back to the Middle Ages, is held at the beginning of January, first Monday after the Epiphany (but the large carnavalesque procession of the " Bommels" place has saturdays preceding this Monday for reasons related to the " modernité" …) The " Large Turn of Hermès" Saint; - or " Fiertel" - curious procession of 32 km, also dating from the Middle Ages, proceeds Sunday of the Trinity: the relics of Hermes Saint, in a silver mounting, are carried along the limits of the city, are followed or preceded by several hundreds of walkers.

In addition, Renaix, Flemish city located on the linguistic border, always were largely opened with the Picardy influences and a special character of bilingualism acquired some. Administratively, since 1963, the city is Dutch-speaking with facilities for the French-speaking people.

Lastly, let us mention that one of the characters deeply anchored in the heart renaisienne, it is " Tavi" , that the writer Valère Depauw marvelously returned in its works, written in Dutch. The French-speaking reader will be able however to appreciate, in spite of a certain disenchantment due to the translation, the book " Tavi" translated by Willie Verspeyen in 1939.

For a chart of Renaix at the XVIIIe century, see the " Chart of Cabinet of the Austrian Netherlands 1771-1778" said " Chart of Ferraris" , republished in 1965, and for a chart of the urban core of Renaix in 1719, see the work on the fire of Renaix of 1719 in the section hereafter.

Let us announce also the birth to Renaix in 1871 of Doctor Ovide Decroly, celebrates doctor and psychologist.

War 40-45: V1:

http://users.skynet.be/pierre.bachy/joye-lheureux.html

To know for your genealogical research

The files of the town of Renaix were deposited into 1964 with the Files of the State with Renaix, street Van Hove 45,9600 Renaix; telephone and telecopier: (+32) 055/21.19.83, email: Rijksarchief.Ronse@arch.be

Can in particular be consulted with the Files of the State with Renaix:

them acts of civil statue of 1795 until the end of the XIXe century with decennial tables, in the shape of microfilms. These acts are written in French or Dutch following the times considered. them parochial registers former to 1796 with an alphabetical index (nonfiliatif) cumulative modern, in the form of photocopies. These registers are written in Latin. The parochial registers of Renaix begin in:

Saint-Pierre: baptisms: 1595 (gap of 1619 to 1623), marriages: 1610 (idem), burials: 1631 (gap of 1633 to 1651) Saint Martin's day: baptisms: 1587, marriages: 1587, burials: 1632 Saint-Hermes: baptisms: 1670-1718, marriages: 1673-1704, burials: 1669-1769. The registers of Saint-Hermes, include to the maximum a few tens of acts per annum, were not the subject of an indexing.

With the support and in complement of the parochial registers, one will firstly consult the acts of successional devolution and supervision (“states of goods”, “staten van goed” in Dutch) last in front of the aldermen of Renaix until 1795. These acts are consultable in the form of microfilms (for oldest) or in originals. The genealogical information contained in these acts was analyzed in 1878-1879 by the captain van den Bemden who transcribed them in the form of small diagrams (Files of the State with Renaix, inventory n° 110, n° 2027). This document was typed by Georges H. Hooreman in 1937. This work is consultable in free-access in the room of reading of the Files of the State to Renaix and was diffused near principal association genealogical Belgian. An onomastic index - beginning again in more some “states of goods” since then found - was carried out by the Files in 1988 (AER, inventory n° 110bis).

To also know: Renaix did not give the right of middle-class. This one, for the inhabitants of Renaix, was caught normally in Alost (Aalst in Dutch) or in Grammont (Dutch Geraardsbergen). The list of the open middle-class men of Alost residing at Renaix, transcribed by Georges Hooreman, was published in the review “the Intermediary of Généalogistes” in 1963 and 1964.

The files of Old Mode were the subject of detailed inventories, including/understanding an onomastic index, by Hermann van Isterdael (“Stad in Baronie Ronse”, AER, inventory n° 110) and Guy Gadeyne (“Kapittelkerk in parochiekerken van Ronse”).

Certain interesting genealogical sources were published in the review of the “Historical and Archaeological Circle of Renaix and of the Holding of India”. The articles are in French or Dutch. The Files of the State with Renaix have a collection supplements these " Annales". One will read with interest:

annals 1956,1973 and 1974 on the “manual signs” of the inhabitants of Renaix to XVIe century and the XVIIe century, by Yvo Brouwers and Paul van Butsele, annals 1961 on the fire of Renaix of 1719, with the list of the disaster victims and the exact site of their dwelling, by Henri Bockstal, annals 1967 and 1968 on the conscripts renaisiens under the imperial Eagles, and reformed, by Laurent Wasseuil, annals 1964,1968 and 1975 on Renaisiens at the University of Louvain, by Jacques Deconinck and Marc Described, annals 1975 on the census of the hearths of Renaix about 1600, by Paul van Butsele, annals 1981 and 1983 (and other deliveries later) on the famous Flemish type-setter (the madrigaux one in particular) Cyprien de Rore (Cipriano de Rore, Cyprianus de Rore, Ciprianus Rorus…), born in Renaix in 1515/1516 (and not in Malines or elsewhere…) and died in Parma in 1565. The article gives an exhaustive genealogy of the renaisienne family of Ro (of) Re and indications on the allies, by Albert Cambier, Annals 1985 on the inhabitants of Renaix in 1567 and on the victims of the Spanish enquiry, by colonel Albert de Lannoy and Jacques Deconinck, annals 1991 on the many inhabitants of Renaix mentioned in the charter of 1637 granted to Renaix, by Paul van Butsele, annals 1994 on the genealogy of the Fostier family, supplemented and decorated blazons, by Eric Devos, and goods of other articles still: an index of all the articles published figure in annals 2001. Lastly, other very interesting sources are consultable with the Files of Renaix, the such land register of 1684, with the detail of the goods and their localization, the “erfenissen” (sale contracts of buildings mainly) in the form of microfilms, in free-access, etc

To also note some interesting works:

- the work of Jacob Henri Bekouw, “Bannelingen in vluchtelingen uit Ronse (Renaix)” (Banished and fugitive of Renaix at the time of the religious disorders of XVIe century), - the “Armorial de Renaix, extract of the genealogical manuscript Fostier” in the review “the Parchment” of 1965, - the study of Colonel Albert de Lannoy, “the origins tournaisiennes of the family Cambier de Renaix”, in “the Parchment” of 1982, like several later deliveries on the Cambier family (in particular in 1999 and 2000). - the work of Doctor Oscar Delghust " on the communal Magistrates of the town of Renaix of 1300 with 1951" , appeared in 1951. them " Historical research on the Saint Eloi Hospital in Renaix" by Doctor Oscar Delghust, published in 1920. - " Sandou, the brigand of Collines" by Michel Provost, published in 1995, on a tape of brigands in the area of Renaix, at the extreme end of the XVIIIe century.

Personalities resulting from the commune

Rudy Demotte, politician, was born

there

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