Mesen
title: "Mesen" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["municipalities-of-west-flanders"] topic_path: "general/municipalities-of-west-flanders" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesen" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox Belgium municipality"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Mesen |
| type | city |
| picture | Mesen skyline.jpg |
| map | Messen West-Flanders Belgium Map.svg |
| map-legend | Location of Mesen in West Flanders |
| arms | Blason ville be Mesen.svg |
| flag | Mesen vlag.svg |
| province | West Flanders |
| arrondissement | Ypres |
| nis | 33016 |
| mayor | Sandy Evrard (MLM) |
| majority | Mesense Liberalen/Libéraux Messinois (MLM) |
| postal-codes | 8957 |
| telephone-area | 057 |
| web | www.mesen.be |
| coordinates | |
| :: |
|name = Mesen |type = city |picture = Mesen skyline.jpg |picture-legend = |map = Messen West-Flanders Belgium Map.svg |map-legend = Location of Mesen in West Flanders |arms = Blason ville be Mesen.svg |flag = Mesen vlag.svg |province = West Flanders |arrondissement = Ypres |nis = 33016 |mayor = Sandy Evrard (MLM) |majority = Mesense Liberalen/Libéraux Messinois (MLM) |postal-codes = 8957 |telephone-area = 057 |web = www.mesen.be |coordinates =
Mesen (; , historically used in English) is a municipality and city located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. On 1 January 2006, Mesen had a total population of 988. The total area is 3.58 km2 which gives a population density of 276 inhabitants per km2.
The municipality comprises only one main settlement, the town of Mesen proper. An exclave to the west of the main territory is surrounded by the municipalities of Heuvelland and Comines-Warneton.
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/MapMesen.svg" caption="The territory of Mesen (marked 'I') and its immediate neighbours. Built-up areas are shown in yellow."] ::
Villages neighbouring the municipality:
- a. Wijtschate (in the municipality of Heuvelland)
- b. Warneton (in the municipality of Comines-Warneton)
- c. Ploegsteert (in the municipality of Comines-Warneton)
Mesen is the smallest city in Belgium. It is a municipality with language facilities.
Mesen is twinned with Featherston in New Zealand in part due to the location of the New Zealand World War I Memorial, which has annual Anzac Day commemorations on 25 April.
History
In 1062, Adela, wife of Baldwin the Pius, count of Flanders, translated the bones of Saint Sidronius from Rome to Messines.{{citation |url=https://archive.org/details/TheLivesOfTheSaintsV07/page/n307/mode/2up |accessdate=2021-08-04 |page=277 |last=Baring-Gould |first=Sabine |title=The Lives of the Saints |volume=7, July Pt. 1 |year=1897 |location=London |publisher=J. C. Nimmo}}
Three battles were fought over the town during World War I (1914–1918):
- Battle of Messines (1914)
- Battle of Messines (1917) and Mines in the Battle of Messines
- Battle of the Lys (1918)
Image:Kerktoren Mesen.JPG|Church tower from Mesen Image:Sint-Niklaaskerk.JPG|Sint-Niklaaskerk Image:MESSINES RIDGE BRITISH CEMETERY.JPG|Messines Ridge British Cemetery Image:Tower, Irish Peace Park, Mesen, Belgium.jpg|Tower, Irish Peace Park in Mesen Image:IR Lübeck 029 – Meesen-Befehl.jpg|German Order for Mesen 7 April 1918
References
References
- (19 July 1985). "Wet tot toekenning van de titel van stad aan de gemeenten Beringen, Bilzen, Blankenberge, Borgloon, Ciney, Couvin, Damme, Geel, Genepiën, Gistel, Halen, Hamont-Achel, Hannuit, Harelbeke, Herk-de-Stad, Lo-Reninge, Mesen, Oudenburg, Peer, Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, Vilvoorde en Walcourt". [[Belgian Official Gazette]].
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