2324 BELGIUM (Limburg) - Bocholt

2324 Bocholt

Located 25 km north-west of Maaseik, on the border with the Netherlands, the municipality of Bocholt is best known for Martens brewery, the second highest production capacity in Belgium at 360 million liters per year, established in 1758. The settlement was mentioned for the first time in 1162, and its name was probably derived from Bucolt, which means "beech forest". The lords of Bocholt lived in the Damburg, a fortified manor located in the center of the village.

The hamlet of Lozen, located in a former moor and marsh area, was founded by clay diggers (leemstekkers). The hamlet developed with the building of canals, the South Willem's Canal (1821-1826) and the Bocholt-Herentals (c. 1860) canal. South Willem's Canal had 20 slots, the slots #17 and #18 forming the stop van Lozen. The area between the two canals was transformed in to a watering (a polder irrigated with water from the canals).

In 1758, Adriaan Geerkens was allowed to found a brewery in Bocholt. This was the origin of the famous Martens brewery, the oldest family-owned, independent brewery in Belgium, producing the Karlsquell, the Rembrandt and the Sezoenw. In 1979, Jean Martens founded the biggest brewery museum in Europe (4,000 sq. m) in the old brewery building.

References
Bocholt (Municipality, Province of Limburg, Belgium) - CRW Flags

Sender: Shana / SGoffinghs (postcrossing) BE-425420
Sent from Bocholt (Limburg / Belgium), on 17.02.2016