Market Square Meerhout

Listeners of Radio 2 chose this triangular heart of Meerhout in 2006 as the coziest square in the province of Antwerp. However, it was not always cozy here. During the Great Market Fire of 1679, more than 30 houses and the St. Trudo Church went up in flames. The lord of Meerhout then had a simple well – the so-called pensenpoel – constructed in the market. The collected rainwater served primarily as a drinking place for livestock and a breeding pond for fish. It became a healthy breeding ground for bacteria, and by the early 19th century, the sand covered the stinking pond. On its foundations, a kiosk appeared that was renovated in 1895 so that music companies could joyfully welcome the first tram (Turnhout-Zichem). The tram disappeared, and the kiosk succumbed to angry storm winds in 1939, but the music companies still hold lively gatherings every summer at the kiosk, which was restored after World War II.

The notables replaced the pond in the 19th century with a pump topped by a meters-high obelisk in commemoration of Belgian independence. Café visitors from Meerhout kept the pump well-watered by using it as a public toilet. This earned the residents of Meerhout the nickname 'the men of the thick pump.' The proud market residents did not find this amusing. The almost intact pump disappeared after public protest in 1896. In its place now stands a well that looks like it has come straight out of the Efteling fairy tale of Frau Holle.

In the past, Meerhout had a successful pig and butter market. Now, market vendors gather every Thursday morning.

Willytou(r)