History
– Lier was given oppidum status in 1194 and granted municipal rights in 1212.
– The Lier beguinage was founded in 1258 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.
– In the 14th century, Duke Jan II offered Lier the choice of hosting a university or a livestock market, and the city chose the livestock market option.
– Lier was the scene of the marriage between Philip the Handsome and Joanna of Castile in 1496, which was pivotal to the history of Europe.
– A headstone on the market square marks the spot where Lier’s last witchcraft-related execution is believed to have taken place.
Geography
– Lier is divided into five main districts: Leuvensepoort, Mechelpoort, Lisp, the city centre, and Koningshooikt.
– Koningshooikt is a historic village that was administratively joined to Lier in 1977.
– Lier has a surface area of 49.7 km and a population of 34,244 in the city centre and 30,042 in Koningshooikt.
Demographics
– Historical population of Lier, Belgium:
– 1806: 9,816
– 1816: 11,397
– 1830: 13,153
– 1846: 13,849
– 1856: 14,608
– 1866: 15,128
– 1876: 16,103
– 1880: 17,133
– 1890: 20,135
– 1900: 22,656
– 1910: 25,869
– 1920: 25,380
– 1930: 27,350
– 1947: 28,982
– 1961: 28,755
– 1970: 28,416
– 1976: 27,834
– 1995: 31,704
– 2005: 32,947
– 2015: 34,652
– 2020: 36,918
Landmarks
– The Beguinage and St. Margarita church are part of the UNESCO World Heritage site.
– The St. Gummarus Church is a Gothic architecture from the 14th century.
– The Timmermans-Opsomerhuis museum.
– The Stedelijk Museum Wuyts-Van Campen en Baron Caroly, a fine arts museum.
– The Town hall is an 18th-century rococo architecture, and the adjoining belfry is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
In popular culture
– Lier was the host for the third episode of Fata Morgana in 2004, a TV show.Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lier,_Belgium
