Sint-Truiden

Origins and Golden Age

The municipality developed around an abbey founded in the 7th century by St. Trudo, a Frankish nobleman. Legend has it that as a boy, Trudo was playing, building a small church with some rocks. When a woman scornfully kicked over the rocks, she was struck by sudden blindness. Trudo cured her from this blindness after she asked for his forgiveness. He also allegedly was able to find spring water and cure other illnesses.

After Trudo's death, the abbey (the later Sint-Truiden Abbey) became the centre of a pilgrimage. This brought pilgrims and wealth to the neighbouring town. The 11th century was a particularly prosperous period for the town, where the population grew markedly.

This was the time when abbot Adelardus, reporting to the prince-bishop of Metz, built the abbey's main church and two additional churches in town: Our Lady (Lievenvrouwenkerk) and Sint-Gangulfus. Under the abbot's direction, Sint-Truiden also received an earth wall surmounted by a wooden fence and fortified gates. A proper defensive stone wall, gates and towers, were built in 1129. The economy of this new oppidum city was based on the linen industry. In addition, it traded successfully with such foreign lands as England, Champagne, and Germany.

In the 13th century, the fortified town became one of the 23 bonnes villes (main cities) belonging to the Bishopric of Liège. A market hall was built at the site where the current city hall stands, the social life of the city was organized by the various guilds, and a perron was erected on the central square, symbolizing the local government's authority in political affairs.

15th century until now

Charles the Bold captured the town in 1467, marking the beginning of a slow decline that lasted until the 19th century. The city's fortifications were dismantled in 1675, and many of the religious congregations were disbanded under the French regime at the end of the 18th century. After 1830, these empty buildings were turned into educational and medical facilities. The city was also the centre of a prosperous agricultural region, which from the end of the 19th century became well known for its fruit production.

It occupied an important strategical position with regard to the N.E. frontier of Belgium, and General Henri Alexis Brialmont recommended its fortification. On 9 August 1914, at the outset of Germany's invasion of Belgium, 20 civilians were executed and a number of houses destroyed. The reconstruction and building of brand new neighbourhoods accelerated well into the 20th century.

During World War II, its airfield was the base of one of the most famous Luftwaffe Night Fighter squadron, NJG1, with units II/NJG1 and IV/NJG1 operating Junkers Ju 88 and Heinkel He 219 aircraft from here in 1944. The highest scoring German night fighter pilot, Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer (121 air victories, most of them at night) was referred to as "The spook of St. Trond" by British Bomber crews that flew over Germany on night raids.

The airport EBST is still in use.