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Genk past and present: a short historical sketch
Genk is a young city, it has a modern look.
Those who visit Genk for the first time are often surprised by its vastness and the presence of various hamlets. There is no true historical centre.
Looking back in history, it becomes immediately clear why Genk happens to look like it does.
1. Genk in earliest times
In Genk a number of artefacts were discovered that point to the fact that this region was visited by nomadic ...Read more ...
2. Genk and its name
The name Genk is difficult to explain unambiguously and etymologically. Various people believe it is a reference to ...Read more ...
3. Feudal Genk
During the 6th and 7th centuries, christianisation began and foundations were laid via an all-important ...Read more ...
4. Genk's aragricultural-economic life
The entire agricultural-economical life in Genk was centred around mills and breweries. Each Genk family had access ...Read more ...
5. Genk: village of artists
During the 19th century the beauty and desolation of the Kempen heaths attracted numerous artists to Genk and its ...Read more ...
.jpg "6. The rise of the coalmines")
6. The rise of the coalmines
In comparison to the surrounding mine deposits, Kempen coal was discovered relatively late. During the night ...Read more ...
7. Migration
Because of its mining history, Genk experienced several waves of immigration. First from Poland and the Ukraine, ...Read more ...
.jpg "8. Genk - economic reconversion")
8. Genk - economic reconversion
The closure of Zwartberg in 1966, as the first mine in Limburg, heralded the end of the mining industry, although ...Read more ...
9. Genk today
Genk is the the product of a recent past and is Flanders' youngest central city. The exponential ...Read more ...
