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During the Ancien régime Deurne is nothing more but part of the Eastern hinterland of Antwerp. Like many dwellings it settled on the crossroads of a river (the Schijn ) and a connection route (the 'Turnhoutse baan': the road of Antwerp to Turnhout). There are indications that Deurne existed in prehistoric and Roman times but the first tangible proof of Deurne only dates back to 1185.
Deurne consisted mainly of sparsely populated farmland. However, as a direct result of the increasing wealth of the Antwerp population, many aristocratic estates were erected (the so-called " Hof van Plaisantie " was a specific rural estate, a bourgeois version of a château or country house). Typically, merchants, diplomats, wealthy artists (like Peter Paul Rubens f.i.) would escape to their Hof van Plaisantie. Some country houses in Deurne were : Sterckxhof , Papenhof , Lakbors , Bisschoppenhof , Gallifort , Inkborsch , Bosuil , Ertbrugge & Venneborg . Although most country houses were distroyed over the centuries (especially in 1542), some like Sterckxhof or Bisschoppenhof survived. Further surviving evidence of this aristocratic history of Deurne is the St-Fredegandchurch and the adjacent cemetery (the St-Fredegandusbegraafpark ).
After the battle of Waterloo William of Orange started to connect the Antwerp port with its hinterland through the construction of a series of canals between Antwerp and LiègeThe city of Liege ( Dutch: Luik German: Luttich on the Meuse River is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Liege, of which it is the capital. On January 1, 2004, Liege had a total population of 185,488 (90,431 males and 95,057 females) and ab, connecting the ScheldtThe Scheldt (Dutch: Schelde French l'Escaut is a 350 km (217 miles) long river that finds its origin in the north of France, enters Belgium and near Antwerp flows west into the Netherlands towards the North Sea. It is the main river through the Belgian ci with the MaasThe Meuse ( Dutch Maas is a large European river rising in France, and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands, draining in the North Sea. Its length is 900 km (560 miles). The river rises in the Langres Plateau, France and flowing north past Sedan (t. Although work started under his reign in 1823Events July 15 San Paolo fuori le Mura church in Rome almost completely destroyed by fire September 10 Simon Bolivar named President of Peru December 2 US President James Monroe delivers a speech to the United States Congress, announcing a new policy of f, work wasn't completed until 1874Events January 1 New York City annexes The Bronx January 23 Marriage of the Duke of Edinburgh, second son of Queen Victoria, to Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia, only daughter of Emperor Alexander III of Russia. January Signing of the Pangkor Tr.
The effect of this canal was to establish a permanent barrier north of Deurne (where the Kleine Schijn used to flow), separating it from Merksem . In the south the Grote Schijn would form the south barrier of Deurne. The effect of both barriers was to enhance an 'island feeling' for Deurne. This was further promoted by the establishment of the Brialmont-fortifications around Antwerp. Deurne was split apart and the western part of Deurne ( BorgerhoutBorgerhout is a district in Antwerp, Belgium with 40. 453 habitants (30th of November 2003). It is sometimes called 'Borgerokko' because of the high number of foreign people, especially from Marocco. External links .) was to become a separate municipality. The rest of Deurne now lay outside the enceinte and became physically and mentally more separated of Antwerp.