De Kempen (The Campine)

 

De Kempen or The Campine is a region situated in the north-east of Belgium and in the south of The Netherlands. In Belgium, the region starts approximately at the axis Essen-Lier-Bonheiden (see map below), and stretches over two provinces in an eastern direction up to the border with Germany. Depending on the province, the region is also known as the Antwerp Campine, or the Limburg Campine.

Traditionally, the Campine has always been a region with a poor sandy soil covered with forest, fens and moorlands. Therefore, it was relatively thinly populated up to the late Middle Ages. In those days, it was a popular settling ground for monks seeking quite surroundings, and there are several monasteries. Industrialisation mostly attracted polluting or dangerous industries (ore processing, gun powder). The region also has many military domains, mainly because of its infertile and hence, cheap land. The advent of chemical fertilisers had a dramatic effect on the region and most of the previously unproductive soil that was fit for grazing by goats and sheep only, is now cultivated. The prosperity of the population increased, and the original Campine vegetation can now only be found in protected areas.



The work area of BSKempen in the Antwerp Campine. The municipalities in this area are part of one of three districts: Antwerp (Antwerpen), Turnhout, and Mechlin (Mechelen). The tables below give a summary of the population of these municipalities, based on population censuses up to 1920 (source: Wikipedia)

District Antwerpen

Municipality
Community
1806
1816
1830
1846
1856
1866
1876
1880
1890
1900
1910
1920
Essen Essen
1788
1758
2040
2501
2717
2974
3048
3251
3970
4552
6185
6525
Kalmthout Kalmthout
1897
1949
2258
2748
2889
3090
3325
3396
3625
4058
5015
5636
Wuustwezel Wuustwezel
1188
1541
1694
2123
2104
2226
2393
2493
2543
3113
4009
4554
Wuustwezel
Loenhout
1599
1558
1763
1737
1788
1861
1763
1806
1713
1764
1981
1946
Kapellen Kapellen
913
903
1445
2504
2453
2760
3031
3061
3489
4072
5282
6291
Brasschaat Brasschaat
2222
2803
2814
2900
3276
3221
3723
4046
5556
6807
Brecht Brecht
2350
2524
2823
3365
2541
2643
2739
2817
2981
3466
4001
4242
Brecht Sint-Job in 't Goor
237
286
311
316
363
403
444
438
477
525
797
886
Brecht Sint-Lenaerts
1162
1217
1314
1277
1503
2247
2737
3050
Schoten
Schoten
1138
1386
1477
1836
1937
2269
2679
3078
3612
4229
5568
6683
Schilde Schilde
736
916
1028
1179
1223
1238
1427
1532
1746
1900
2228
2393
Schilde 's Gravenwezel
627
650
794
826
837
825
741
776
825
848
906
896
Wijnengem Wijnegem
658
603
876
1088
1111
1251
1674
2007
2868
3016
4036
4447
Malle Oostmalle
952
963
1054
1201
1198
1129
1054
1056
1035
1152
1463
1623
Malle
Westmalle
753
834
977
1166
1274
1336
1305
1368
1444
1616
1978
2179
Zoersel Zoersel
738
794
906
1031
998
937
988
967
995
1059
1159
1184
Zoersel Halle
457
503
603
683
715
682
689
755
758
817
943
1054
Zandhoven Zandhoven
786
893
955
982
1020
968
985
1026
1107
1158
1239
1295
Zandhoven Massenhoven
203
242
250
295
286
276
284
324
331
354
453
474
Zandhoven Viersel
476
501
488
516
537
506
482
494
573
575
612
686
Zandhoven Pulderbos
518
576
605
709
710
738
650
641
728
738
820
876
Zandhoven Pulle
557
589
645
671
719
708
693
715
741
739
773
872
Ranst Ranst
1050
1244
1472
1383
1386
1389
1439
1505
1627
1700
2013
2058
Ranst Broechem
1223
1445
1578
1576
1638
1656
1736
1736
1779
1833
1981
1908
Ranst Emblem
713
722
824
955
955
954
1054
1086
1169
1159
1234
1385
Ranst Oelegem
1030
1009
1075
1096
1143
1127
1148
1242
1382
1547
1720
1725
Total
22587
24389
30163
35290
36518
38063
40361
42068
46744
52283
64689
71675

District Turnhout

Municipality
Community
1806
1816
1830
1846
1856
1866
1876
1880
1890
1900
1910
1920
Baarle Hertog Baarle Hertog
969
656
855
1007
934
905
940
934
977
1028
1221
1308
Hoogstraten Hoogstraten
1470
1346
1856
2288
2443
1942
1961
2038
2266
2709
2855
2877
Hoogstraten Meer
1269
1216
1418
1538
1506
1620
1680
1696
1680
1634
1735
1738
Hoogstraten Meerle
1098
1023
1090
1299
1389
1407
1259
1298
1293
1491
1708
1784
Hoogstraten Minderhout
429
391
455
472
479
617
692
722
759
830
890
865
Hoogstraten Wortel
560
445
588
779
666
639
639
640
625
885
967
924
Rijkevorsel Rijkevorsel
1052
1038
1190
1449
1528
1533
1789
2036
2327
3185
4112
4439
Merksplas Merksplas
1197
1120
1244
1526
1599
1628
1552
1655
2042
3164
3576
3059
Ravels Ravels
720
631
700
780
770
856
955
1007
1004
1207
1777
2033
Ravels Poppel
893
727
844
938
986
915
832
841
807
807
941
1005
Ravels Weelde
1016
1091
1123
1162
1097
1133
1117
1114
1216
1189
1417
1514
Beerse Beerse
720
745
853
1059
1105
1086
1275
1317
1560
2394
3482
4037
Beerse Vlimmeren
251
226
246
335
381
415
418
432
443
475
579
682
Vosselaar Vosselaar
489
537
631
866
910
1006
1039
1076
1093
1333
1630
1822
Turnhout Turnhout
10198
10495
12493
14396
14979
13590
15743
16670
18747
20887
23742
24202
Oud-Turnhout Oud-Turnhout
2824
2710
2677
2756
3077
3709
3860
Arendonk Arendonk
2425
2444
3230
3715
3610
3594
3435
3260
3621
4356
5108
5045
Lille Lille
962
970
1039
1128
1162
1143
1093
1088
1055
1132
1185
1353
Lille Gierle
930
932
940
969
1046
1064
1045
1034
1135
1183
1289
1400
Lille Poederlee
663
583
692
693
720
739
677
674
724
698
715
835
Lille Wechelderzande
629
400
452
556
563
537
525
548
557
574
635
707
Kasterlee Kasterlee
1438
1514
1692
1957
1938
1904
1797
1755
1731
1791
2036
2110
Kasterlee Lichtaart
1394
1338
1475
1572
1597
1646
1631
1607
1683
1702
1810
1851
Kasterlee Tielen
852
772
860
973
1010
1008
1010
1009
1014
1057
1186
1328
Retie Retie
1956
1745
2363
2639
2659
2633
2635
2581
2639
2896
3486
3552
Dessel Dessel
1707
1560
1721
1938
1782
1743
1815
1910
2099
2167
2719
2934
Vorselaar Vorselaar
1308
1359
1603
1784
1901
1936
1812
1780
1914
2061
2387
2958
Grobbendonk Grobbendonk
804
859
951
1211
1313
1301
1344
1420
1608
1661
1910
2444
Grobbendonk Bouwel
465
445
527
566
576
629
596
605
718
760
935
1014
Herentals Herentals
2733
2817
3280
4315
4570
4610
4493
4838
6007
7304
8995
10145
Herentals Noorderwijk
1036
1080
1104
1115
1166
1158
1170
1203
1303
1392
1513
1562
Herentals Morkhoven
442
323
538
528
553
540
578
577
592
631
663
682
Herenthout Herenthout
1665
2544
2137
2402
2532
2489
2554
2537
2634
2761
3273
3515
Olen Olen
1177
1270
1573
1844
2035
2039
2030
2001
2128
2319
2630
3077
Geel Geel
5993
6202
7671
10234
10713
10129
10265
10468
12026
13070
15458
16692
Meerhout Meerhout
2534
2845
3237
3633
3659
3664
3871
4043
4363
4531
5362
5871
Mol Mol
4135
3879
4723
5220
5510
5461
5665
5884
6311
7514
9962
11564
Balen Balen
2413
2527
3004
3390
3469
3398
3416
3623
4107
5061
6435
7195
Balen Olmen
1047
1084
1299
1451
1443
1448
1506
1511
1507
1511
1614
1717
Westerlo Westerlo
1847
1991
2279
2535
2667
2675
2657
2718
3105
3383
3962
4218
Westerlo Tongerlo
1011
1316
1475
1706
1919
1936
1908
1864
1982
1993
2244
2376
Westerlo Zoerle Parwijs
410
372
427
500
565
574
566
604
645
612
772
751
Westerlo Oevel
599
663
771
989
1052
1011
1035
1032
1055
1066
1271
1448
Laakdal Veerle
1195
1308
1375
1535
1558
1561
1521
1516
1512
1630
2003
2060
Laakdal Varendonk
158
157
179
209
208
172
205
183
213
220
270
313
Laakdal Vorst
1467
1519
1764
1992
2059
2141
2204
2265
2309
2544
2824
3035
Laakdal Eindhout
522
612
745
953
1019
1005
1050
1045
1066
1052
1199
1371
Hulshout Hulshout
605
594
645
813
834
941
1038
1059
1138
1169
1372
1420
Hulshout Houtvenne
385
424
470
532
514
544
582
610
612
657
741
818
Hulshout Westmeerbeek
458
501
531
546
589
627
621
577
659
727
883
948
Herselt Herselt
3424
3404
3883
4504
4758
3354
3480
3720
3919
4133
4774
4965
Herselt Ramsel
1425
1588
1641
1623
1746
2014
2114
Total  
73120
74040
86241
100541
104041
104895
108019
110943
120909
135359
159976
171537

District Mechelen

Municipality
Community
1806
1816
1830
1846
1856
1866
1876
1880
1890
1900
1910
1920
Nijlen Nijlen
1348
1381
1638
1882
1871
2021
2004
2037
2233
2622
3117
3647
Nijlen Bevel
327
336
334
419
450
502
514
532
573
582
684
735
Nijlen Kessel
1212
1366
1679
1923
1938
2003
2001
2064
2047
2372
2898
2904
Lier Lier
9816
11397
13153
13849
14608
15128
16103
17133
20133
22656
25869
25380
Lier Koningshooikt
1903
2011
1950
2098
2178
2383
2419
2636
2887
2939
Berlaar Berlaar
3485
3645
2925
3185
3209
3377
3594
3726
3941
4512
5433
6028
Berlaar Gestel
139
185
200
201
193
170
169
177
211
206
203
209
Heist op den Berg Heist op den Berg
5627
6166
6847
5640
5624
5818
5077
5130
5310
6030
7414
7918
Heist op den Berg Wiekevorst
820
938
988
1102
1133
1202
1243
1279
1289
1361
1516
1603
Heist op den Berg Booischot
2126
2080
2300
2327
2477
2552
2727
3182
3302
Heist op den Berg Hallaar
886
912
1011
1062
1213
1319
Heist op den Berg Itegem
1087
1169
1229
1412
1474
1513
1854
1863
2100
2218
2632
3022
Heist op den Berg Schriek
1183
1507
1538
1848
1768
1777
1811
1889
2014
2251
2669
2795
Putte Putte
2451
2566
2733
2947
3033
3150
3518
3658
4068
4501
5070
5335
Putte Beerzel
1048
1025
1254
1334
1391
1434
1569
1618
1774
1942
2314
2469
Bonheiden Bonheiden
923
1022
1265
1496
1528
1555
1644
1763
1969
2200
2680
2860
Bonheiden Rijmenam
1194
1543
1916
1953
1919
1937
2035
2014
2239
2359
2688
2788
Total  
30660
34246
39602
43328
44169
45985
48527
50655
55883
62237
72469
75253