, Aalst (around 1775) The first historical records on Aalst date from the 9th century, when it was described as the
villa Alost, a dependency of the Abbey of
Lobbes. During the Middle Ages, a town and port grew at this strategic point, where the road from
Bruges to
Cologne crossed the
Dender. While it was within the
Holy Roman Empire it was considered the capital of the province of
Flanders. In 1046, Aalst was transferred to the
Countship of Imperial Flanders, and absorbed a portion of
Brabant, and in 1173 it was united with the remainder of the Flanders province. Several manuscripts from this period still survive in the town archives. The town hall, and the city itself, were almost entirely destroyed by fire in 1360. The town was soon rebuilt and a new belfry in
gothic style was built in the 15th century. This was a time of great prosperity for the city, dominated by the powerful
weavers' guild. It is also at that time that
Dirk Martens, a local citizen, became the
Southern Netherlands’ first printer, founding a printing shop in 1473 that published books by various authors including
Christopher Columbus; Martens would later become a professor at the
Old University of Leuven, Aalst suffered considerably under the
Eighty Years' War (1568–1648). It was later taken by the French
Marshal Turenne in the
War of Devolution of 1667, then occupied by France until 1706, when it became independent once more following the
Battle of Ramillies, 1830 saw Belgium gain independence and Aalst became part of the country, this ended a long period, starting in 1056, of foreign control, by such as the
Spanish,
German, French, and the
Dutch. In the Pre-
World War II years, the fascist movement in the
Low Countries gained momentum, with the collaborationist
Vlaamsch Nationaal Verbond (
Flemish National Union) putting down roots in the region. Aalst, along with
Brussels and
Antwerp were the strongest subscribers to this line of thought. The 20th century was marked by bombardment and occupation by the Germans during both world wars. ==Economy==