Steenwerck

Steenwerck ( Steenwerk in Dutch) is a common French, located in French Flanders (in the department of the Northern and the area Nord-Pas-de-Calais).

Its inhabitants is called the Steenwerckois .

Situation

To 25 km in the North-West of Lille and 55 km in the south-east of Dunkirk, in Flandres.

Communications

Steenwerck is connected to Lille and Dunkirk by the French Autoroute A25. Connections Ferroviaire S in FOR THE THIRD TIME are ensured at the beginning of the Gare of Steenwerck bound for Lille and Dunkirk, like at the close cities located on this line, like Bailleul, Armentières and Hazebrouck.

History

One finds a first mention of this locality in 1160 when this one is called " Steinwerc" , drawing its name from the Flemish word " steen ", which means " pierre" and of " werk ", which wants to say " work, construction". This name would be also explained by the stone steps which made it possible to join the borough and the church of Steenwerck, historically built on the site of a Roman Temple.

The invasion of Steenwerck was done by the Becque (of Saint-Jans-Cappel to the Lys), one reached it by Bateau X flat bottom, Martscheps. The tisserands delivered their cloth parts by the port of Steenwerck, in the center of the borough and set out again towards Armentières, quoted of the Fabric. Entirely destroyed during the First World War, the village knew the German occupation at the time of the Second world war, before being released by the British troops of Major Clayton Lee Bannister, on September 6th 1944.

Since, the municipality and the population always fought to avoid becoming a sad village dormitory. This passes by the equipment and the fixing of the population by programs of housing, and the encouragement of all the voluntary initiatives in term of animation.

Administration

Demography

2006: provisional population of INSEE

Economy

Two artisanal zones: with Ets Wlaemynck (specific weaving), Ets Flauw (advance of the agricultural produce like the potato), Ets Bossaert (descriptive road), Ets Lebleu (public works of point, Assainissement, Curage, Lagunage), Ets Turbé (agricultural machinery of which lifting for potatoes), and Norsol (ground in special Concrete S). With the hamlet of the Cross of the Vat: Aplitec Flandres (électricté and all special work of metals).

Places and monuments

  • Flemish House of the end of the 19th century. Of Gothic Style Flemish, it is registered with the repertory of the historic buildings since 1980.
  • Museum of the rural life: old farm transformed into museum and gathering the activities and the trades of a Flemish village of the beginning of the 20th century.
  • the church Holy Jean-Baptiste of Style romano-Byzantine. Drawn by the Architect inhabitant of Lille A. Lemay, and built by Mr. Lys, Steenwerckois of origin, the current building replaces since 1928 the old church entirely destroyed at the time of the First World War. One finds there Vitraux recalling the life of Saint Jean-Baptiste, and which are the work of the Maître glassmaker Turpin.
  • Circuit of the 24 rural votive vaults, which were the subject of a collection in 1993 by JL. Decherf.

Military cemetery

  • In April 2007, at the time of the ANZAC Day, a delegation of New Zealand went to the military Cimetière of Steenwerck to return forgiveness of the Néo-zélandais government to John King 22 years volunteer and shot by the British army for Désertion on August 19th, 1916 like four from its compatriots. New Zealand is the first country in the world has to have voted a law of forgiveness to return the honors to shot for the example. Great Britain followed it to the autumn 2006

Personalities related to the commune

Culture

  • Museum of the rural life: with more than 1500 m ² of exposures and more than 3000 objects presented, the museum makes it possible to discover or redécouvrir the daily newspaper among 1850 and 1950: activities of a farm, life of a village, its trade, its school and trades at the beginning of the XXéme century. Several days with topics are organized over the year, just like a night visit where one finds the environment of time spent, decorated sometimes by the account of storytellers. The Musée became with the wire of time a cultural place impossible to circumvent of the village, where are held from now on regularly many eclectic spectacles and of great quality, artistic demonstrations sets of themes and exposures (paintings, photographs, works of local artists).

  • the Totor giant: extremely a 5,70 m height and of a weight approaching 100 kg, Totor belongs to the family of the giant carried North of France. It takes part in many processions, Carnaval S, festivals of giants and other festivals local in all the area, like with many gatherings of giants, in France and in our European neighbors. He claims five carriers to move it and make it dance.

  • Literature: the village is the theater of a scene of the novel " the Holy Week " , one of most known of the great writer Louis Aragon.

  • Biennial of the Ceramic : Steenwerck has accommodated for several years of the Potiers and ceramists who expose their creations, and carry out a single part on a topic suggested by association Terretous.

  • the rural household supported the initiative of the Festival Conteurs in Shift, and certain Steenwerckois became excellent storytellers. The festival proceeds September at October in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais, and Steenwerck forms part of the stages impossible to circumvent regularly. The tariff of entry is not calculated in euros nor even in francs, but in " scrounchs " : each one brings a tart, waffles, or a bottle, and the " recette" evening is shared in manner conviale as of the end of the representation and until the end of the night!

Sports

  • 100 km with foot: initially a sporting event but a demonstration open to all and for all, and of which the currency is “Each one its race, each one its rate/rhythm “. Created in 1976, the test takes place each year the day of the Rise in May. Extremely of an organizing team gathering today more than 400 voluntary, the test acquired a national notoriety, and gathers each year more than 1000 participants.

  • Tennis shoe Steenwerckois Club (BCS): club of tennis shoe created in 1978, which counts more than 200 regular players and who rises regularly in the top of the classification of the departmental and regional championships.

Twinnings

See too

External bonds

  • Sports association of the 100 km to foot

  • Association Terretous
  • Tennis shoe Club Steenwerckois
  • Museum of the rural life
  • Tourist office of the Mounts of Flanders
  • Steenwerck on the site of the national geographical Institute
  • Steenwerck on the site of INSEE
  • Steenwerck on the site of Quid
  • Localization of Steenwerck on a chart of France and communes bordering
  • Plane on Steenwerck on Mapquest

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