Oudsbergen (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈʌudzˌbɛrɣə(n)]; Limburgish: Audsberge [ˈaudzbæʀ(ə)ʝə]) is a municipality in the Belgian province of Limburg that arose on 1 January 2019 from the merging of the municipalities of Opglabbeek and Meeuwen-Gruitrode.
Oudsbergen | |
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Municipality | |
![]() Commandery of Gruitrode | |
![]() ![]() Oudsbergen Location in Belgium | |
Coordinates: 51.0866°N 5.5885°E / 51.0866; 5.5885 | |
Country | Belgium |
Community | Flemish Community |
Region | Flemish Region |
Province | Limburg |
Arrondissement | Maaseik |
Government | |
• Mayor | Marco Goossens (from 1/9/‘21) |
• Governing party/ies | CD&V |
Area | |
• Total | 116.24 km2 (44.88 sq mi) |
Website | oudsbergen.be |
The merged municipality has an area of 116.24 km2 and a population of 23,520 people in 2021.[1]
The Flemish Government provides incentives for municipalities to voluntarily merge. The municipal councils of Opglabbeek and Meeuwen-Gruitrode approved a merge in principle in November 2016. Definitive approval occurred on 26 June 2017, which was ratified by Flemish decree of 4 May 2018 alongside several other merges, all to be effective per 1 January 2019.
As of 1 January 2018, the municipality of Opglabbeek had a population of 10,332 and Meeuwen-Gruitrode a population of 13,091.
The first elections for the new municipality were held during the regular local elections of 14 October 2018, electing a municipal council for the legislative period of 2019–2024. CD&V obtained a majority of seats in the municipal council (17 out of 27). Lode Ceyssens, who was mayor of Meeuwen-Gruitrode until then, became mayor of Oudsbergen.
Media related to Oudsbergen at Wikimedia Commons
Municipalities in the province of Limburg, Flanders, Belgium | ||
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Hasselt | ![]() | |
Maaseik | ||
Tongeren |
Authority control ![]() |
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