The story
Prehistory
Archaeological evidence suggests that the area around Essen has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Finds from four different sites indicate that around 8,500 years ago, nomadic tribes roamed the region, making tools like flint arrowheads. However, the limited number of sites makes it difficult to draw broader conclusions.
Abbey of Tongerlo
In 1159, Berner van Rijsbergen granted Essen as an allod to Tongerlo Abbey. However, the abbey had to share her lordship rights with the Dukes of Brabant. Essen, along with Kalmthout and Huijbergen, formed one seigniory under the abbey's rule until the French Revolution.
Lootings
Essen was sacked twice, first by Maarten van Rossum's troops in 1542 and then by forces of Marshal Armand de Gontaut, Baron of Biron, in 1583.
Border community and coat of arms
After gaining independence in 1795, Essen adopted the coat of arms of Prelate Hermans, the last abbot of Tongerlo. The symbols on the coat of arms—two ox heads and a lamb—reflect both the town's agricultural heritage and its virtues of steadfastness and patience. In 1802, Essen became an independent parish, having previously been part of the parish of Nispen.
Belgian Revolution
After the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Essen became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, under the rule of William I of Orange-Nassau. However, when the Southern Netherlands seceded to form present-day Belgium in 1830, Essen's geopolitical status shifted, turning it into a border town. This transition was marked by significant military conflict, most notably the Battle of Essen on 21 November 1830, during the Belgian War of Independence.
In the years following the secession, Walloon soldiers were stationed to guard the newly established border. Tensions escalated further on 20 November 1831, when these soldiers moved to Roosendaal, inciting a strong Dutch military response the following day. During a high mass, 4,000 Dutch soldiers entered and searched Essen, resulting in the death of five soldiers and two villagers. This event is known as the Battle of the Hill.
Economy
In an agreement signed on 9 July 1852, Belgium and the Netherlands paved the way for a new railroad connecting Antwerp and Rotterdam. Constructed between 1852 and 1854, the Antwerp-Lage Zwaluwe rail line included a key border station in Essen. Interestingly, the line bypassed the city of Breda, a decision influenced by one of the founding members of the Société Anonyme des chemins de fer d'Anvers à Rotterdam, who owned land in Essen. This new transit route attracted affluent residents from Antwerp seeking tranquility, while also facilitating easier access to educational and employment opportunities in Antwerp for the local populace.
Essen Railway Station has historically been the final Belgian stop before the Dutch border, serving as a significant border checkpoint between the two countries. The station's multiple adjustment tracks are vestiges of its role in border control. The introduction of the railway accelerated Essen's development, creating numerous job opportunities and establishing the station as a mandatory stop for international trains. In the contemporary setting, the station offers an Intercity (IC) connection to Antwerp and Brussels-Midi, along with a local train service to Roosendaal.
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Further adding to its historical significance, the border station has housed quarantine stables since 1896. These were primarily used to isolate cattle and assess them for contagious diseases, a practice that continued until the 1970s. Recognizing their historical value, the Quarantine Stables received legal protection as a monument in 1994.
World War I
During the First World War, Essen found itself isolated from the outside world. German forces, opting not to encircle the town's geographically protruding "hump" with barbed wire, instead installed what came to be known as the "Wire of Death." This deadly barrier is commemorated in numerous artworks displayed in both Essen and neighboring Kalmthout. Meanwhile, the Netherlands, maintaining its neutrality, erected similar barriers on the remaining border stretches. Despite this isolation, smuggling activities thrived in the area.
World War II
The end of the Second World War saw German forces leaving a swath of destruction in their wake. Notably, several churches and their towers, such as O.-L.-V. Geboortekerk in Essen-Centre, Sint-Jan-Baptistkerk in Wildert, and Sint-Vincentius-à-Paulokerk in Horendonk, were demolished. These had been considered strategic vantage points. Only a few places of worship, including the Eucharistic Heart Church at College, St. Anthony of Padua Church at Essen-Statie, and St. Peter's Church at Hoek, were spared. Moreover, the town suffered from misplaced V1 and V2 rocket attacks, originally aimed at the port of Antwerp.
Post-war history
In 1959, a new customs office rose on Nieuwstraat, the very site where the O.-L.-V. Geboortekerk (Church of the Nativity) once stood before its destruction in World War II. Essen claimed the title of second-busiest road office on the Belgian-Dutch border, right behind Wuustwezel, until it closed on 1 January 1993.
Since 1976, Essen has maintained civic ties with Essen in Oldenburg, Germany.
The landscape of local governance saw a shake-up in 1977. Municipal borders and territories were rationalized, culminating in the formation of Essen-Hoek. Although Hoek had been around for centuries, it was fragmented into Kalmthoutsehoek and Essen-Hoek (also known as Moerkant). Given that the parish of Hoek had already existed for 150 years, this administrative unification served more as a formality than a revolution.
From Wikipedia’s article on Essen, Belgium, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4