Oedelem

Oedelem is a village in the Belgian province of West Flanders and a part of the municipality of Beernem. It was an independent municipality until the municipal reorganization of 1977. To the east of Oedelem lies the hamlet of Oostveld. Oedelem has been documented in written sources since 906. The spelling at that time was Udelhem. The name comes from "odila" and "haima," meaning "dwelling of the heritage or of the estate," a name that raises no surprise considering that the lords of Praet established a lordship in Oedelem as early as the 900s. However, the history of Oedelem goes back much further in time. In a burial mound at Wulfsberge, traces of prehistoric habitation have been found. There are also traces of Roman presence. In the clay pit of the former brick factory, even a water well from Roman times has been discovered. Back then, Oedelem, Maldegem, and Aardenburg were the northernmost inhabited places in the region. To the north lay a vast marshy area.

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