History

Archaeological research has proved that there was human settlement in the area of Ghent during prehistoric times. However, it was during the Roman period that a community of note began to grow near the confluence of the two rivers Scheldt and Leie. In the Middle Ages, the Abbey of Saint Peter (later the Abbey of Saint Bavo) was founded and a 'portus' created for commercial activity. (It is thought that the Flemish name 'Ghent' derives from the Celtic 'Ganda', meaning confluence).

In the 11th and 12th centuries, Ghent became an important trade centre thanks to the local production of cloth, made from imported English wool. It was at this time that the city's impressive stone Castle of the Counts (or Gravensteen) was built.

In 1500, it was in Ghent that Charles V, destined to become one of Europe's great rulers, was born. But although a native of the city, Charles V was not popular in his home town because he punished the city severely when its citizens refused to pay more war taxes in 1540. Under the rule of Philip II of Spain (Charles V's son), Ghent suffered like most other cities in the low countries under the continuous religious troubles between Protestants and Catholics.

It was not until the late 18th/early 19th century, when the city became a part of the French Empire, that peace and prosperity were restored to Ghent. From 1800, new factories such as sugar refineries and cotton mills were constructed, the plans for a cotton mill having been smuggled out of England by Lieven Bauwens to Ghent and the city became the Manchester of the Continent. 

The city continued to grow as an industrial centre throughout the 19th century and the number of inhabitants tripled.  The miserable working and housing conditions of the working-class resulted in the creation of the first Belgian trade union in Ghent. Today, Ghent, which is the capital of the province of East-Flanders, has a population of about 250,000 inhabitants.

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