Town of Belgium

In Belgium, a city is a common carrying an honorary title decreed by royal Arrêté.

History

With the the Middle Ages, the cities had Privilège S defined on the surrounding villages. With the reinforcement of the communal right by the local lord, they could for example organize annual fairs, raise rights of tolls or build fortifications. Under the French occupation of Belgium, the privileges were withdrawn and replaced by an honorary title of city. That was imposed by the decree of the national Convention of the 2 Brumaire of year II (October 23rd, 1793). A certain number of cities also lost their title of city.

During the Dutch period, certain cities recovered their title of city. May 30th, 1825, a royal decree appeared and included the list of the cities which carried at this time the title of city. This list did not know change during more than 150 years. After the fusion of the communes of 1977, certain communes on the occasion to ask for the title of city on database histories (the cities which had this title before the French occupation or those which had a big role with the Middle Ages) or on the basis of function of urban center which they fill today. A big number of city benefitted from this occasion between 1982 and 2000 and accepted the title of city by royal decree.

List towns of Belgium

This list of the Belgian cities includes/understands the common having legally the statute of city. For a list of the communes, to see the article List of the communes of Belgium.

See too

List of Belgian cities (according to population)
List of the towns of Flanders
List of the cities of the Walloon region
List of the communes of Belgium

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