Roeselare Churchs

Neo-gothic Saint Michael’s Church the original tower was 91m high || Neo-romanesque Saint-Amand’s church || Town hall and belfry

FOLKLORE OF ROESELARE GIANT’S PROCESSION Procession of the giants in Roeselare LINK: Giants CIAG

Giant Rolarius and family round the church tower, taking their annual walk around the streets of Roeselare. (photo Town Archives)

LEGEND: Rolarius, the oldest inhabitant of Roeselare, ruled over the shipping on the Mandel. He was immortal as long as he stayed in the area of Roeselare. His wife was Carlotta Vulgo the lawless daughter of a family of giants, born on the waterfront.

Rolarius x Carlotta Vulgo had a son Opsinjoorke and a giant child Zonnekind.

They lived on the Mote in a castle on the banks of the Mandel. Rolarius sated his terrible hunger with the flesh of children. Twelfth Night (6 January) was the only day on which he went with his family to the town centre. The wood dwellers tempted them with tankards of beer until they fell into a deep sleep...this was what the wood dwellers had been waiting for! Putting their might together they put the sleeping giants onto the timber wagons, so that they could dump them into the Mandel, far from Roeselare. They drifted along the Leie towards the Scheldt and died in Antwerp, where Brabo had fought with the related family of Giant Druon Antigoon. The castle and a large area of the woodland on the Mote were burnt to the ground by the locals, and ever since the people of Roeselare have always built on the fertile ground. In the meantime the small children of the area around the waterfront in Roeselare were safe once more.

The young were always told – when walking along the waterfront with your beloved, never go further than the garter, otherwise the bloodthirsty giant children will come for you!

THE STOET (procession) is a triumphant procession to celebrate the victory of good over evil, this is why the procession of the Rolarius family of giants starts by going round the great church tower, even before the festivities begin.

Distant cousins, nieces and nephews all take part in the big procession: Roobaart (the fishmonger giant) x Batavia. Tante Babiele with daughter Koba from the Fortress, and the smaller popular favourite Markske. etc. 'FESTIVITIES in ROESELARE' 'DE BATJES' (to make a bargain) of Roeselare of great renown! (in the weekend closest to 1 July)

Poet Albrecht Rodenbach

 

		The poet Albrecht Rodenbach Is probably Roeselare's best known citizen. In addition to many songs and poems he authored plays and articles for literary magazines. Rodenbach attended the school 'Klein Seminari' (Lower Seminary) and participated In the popular revolt known as 'Groote Stooringen (The Great Disturbance) against the Frenchification of education in 1875. Rodenbach founded the 'Blauwvoeterie', a militant Flemish students' association. His battle hymn 'Vliegt de blauwvoet Storm op zee' would give the initial impetus to the Flemish Movement. Rodenbach was only 24 years old when he died In 1880.
Vlaams dichter Albrecht Rodenbach

The city park along the great pond

The city park along the great pond ('Grote Bassin') yields a 7.5-acre (3 ha) green oasis In the centre of Roeselare.  Recreation in a green environment is also possible in the Provincial Domain 'Sterrebos' featuring a fine castle in the formerly independent municipality of Rumbeke. The nature reserve 'De Kleiputten', has many different biotopes including open water, an accretion zone, a reed border, small woods in the alluvial plain and other types of wood, grasslands and seepage areas.
'The clay pits' green oasis of Roeselare
Link: Bossennetwerk Reserve Following the purchase by the town of Roeselare, the management of the 9ha 02a 40ca of land was passed to the Bosbeheer (Forestry Commission). This land was then managed as a domain wood, with the Bosbeheer being responsible for all the costs, surveillance and maintenance. Together with the Sterrebos, the Kleiputten nature reserve and the recently rewooded private lands on the old clay pits, this domain forms a green recreational area of 50ha right next to the centre of Roeselare. Flora and Fauna The oldest wooded areas date from 1992 and 1994. The most recent planting was carried out in 2000, and in 2001 a play wood was laid out. It was decided that different varieties of trees should be planted in groups – black alder, sweet chestnut, hornbeam, birch and ash. Different types of berry-bearing bushes were planted around the outer borders. In the play wood area children can run around freely between the trees and bushes. In the rest of the wood the paths must be used.  ___________________ Mathis De Brabandere with grandfather Jean-Marie exploring the clay pits.  (09.2006)
EXPO Roeselare and  National Cycle Collection
		National Cycle Collection * Since 1 August 2001 World champion Freddy Maertens has been working at the National Cycling Museum. He answers visitors’ questions and is responsible along with the curator for the running of the museum. * young cyclists in Roeselare News archive 'Het belang van Limburg' Het belang van Limburg' 03/02/2002: Exhibition on Freddy Martens the cyclist in Roeselare. Algemene Info: Dienst Toerisme Roeselare Infocentrum, Ooststraat 35 8800 Roeselare, Tel.: 051 26 96 00 infocentrum@roeselare.be
'Roslar Expo' in de Expo Hallen Roeselare  Diksmuidsesteenweg 400 te 8800 Roeselare. Contact: Stad Roeselare Tel: 051262223 Fax: 051262229 e-mail: secretarie@roeselare.be	Nationaal Wielermuseum

THE PORT OF ROESELARE 

The port of Roeselare at the end of the Roeselare-Leie canal is one of the most important Inland harbours In Belgium. 

The canal, dug between 1862 and 1870, and in particular the installation of jetties and gangplanks along Its banks attracted new Industries and provided more opportunities for employment which in turn led to a steady rise in population. Various dock Industries offered jobs to local labourers. 

Because the canal was originally only 15 metres wide and the draught was not sufficient, only inland craft could call in at Roeselare. In 1880 a quay-wall was built along the present Kaaistraat and a towpath was constructed on the other side enabling horses to draw the ships to the mole. 

In the 1920s the first towers arose for processing vegetable waste and field produce waste into fodder. These new fodder businesses alleviated unemployment in the Roeselare area to some degree. In 1938 the canal was further widened to 24 metres and the channel was deepened to about 3 metres. A railroad connected the dock Industries with the goods station and shunting yard. 

In the period from 1968 to 1980 the fairway and the inner harbour were widened and deepened to render Roeselare harbour accessible for ships of a European tonnage up to 1.350 tonnes. The existing bridges too were adapted. 

Now mainly fodder producing, cement processing and food producing companies are found on the banks of the old Inner harbour. The Inner harbour can accommodate ships up to 600 tonnes. Establishments for potting compost, cement stone working and distribution have chosen the most recent industrial zone known as 'Haven'. This zone Is accessible for ships up to about 2.000 tonnes and Is directly connected to the European road network by the highway and nearby slip roads.

*Δ* family Peter De Brabandere fs (Jean-Marie De Brabandere) - Veronique Verbeke fa (Landry Verbeke) children Mathis JML (2002) and Tanguy LJM (2004) De Brabandere