Eksaarde

Lokeren
Municipality
City Hall in Lokeren
Flag Coat of arms
Lokeren Location in Belgium
Location of Lokeren in East Flanders
Coordinates: 51°06′N 03°59′E / 51.100°N 3.983°E / 51.100; 3.983Coordinates: 51°06′N 03°59′E / 51.100°N 3.983°E / 51.100; 3.983
Country	Belgium
Community	Flemish Community
Region	Flemish Region
Province	East Flanders
Arrondissement	Sint-Niklaas
Government
• Mayor	Filip Anthuenis ( Open-VLD)
• Governing party/ies	Open-VLD, SAMEN
Area
• Total	67.50 km2 (26.06 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2016)
• Total	40,626
• Density	600/km2 (1,600/sq mi)
Postal codes	9160
Area codes	09
Website	www.lokeren.be

Lokeren (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈloːkərə(n)]) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Lokeren proper and the towns of Daknam and Eksaarde. It is located on the Durme, a tributary of the Scheldt, and is the second most important city of the Waasland after Sint-Niklaas. Mayor Filip Anthuenis ( Open-VLD) was elected for a third mandate during the elections on 14 October 2012. Horse sausages are officially recognized as a regional specialty of Lokeren.

Archaeological finds on the Lokeren territory prove that this area was populated in Neolithic times. A Roman road ran along the Durme river. The name Waas was given to this area by the Romans from the Germanic root Wasu meaning "marshy land". The first mention of the name Lokeren, however, dates from 1114. Unlike the older settlements, the new village came to be built on the right bank of the Durme. By the middle of the 12th century, it had become an independent parish, with agriculture and flax as the two main drivers of the economy. The textile industry would remain important until well into the 20th century.

In 1555, Charles V gave Lokeren the right to hold a market. In the 16th and 17th century, the whole Waasland was in the line of fire between Protestant Netherlands and Catholic Spain, often with terrible consequences for the local population. After the French Revolution, the area was made part of the new Département de l'Escaut, with Lokeren at the head of a canton. This did not last long as the department was split in 1800 and Lokeren made part of the arrondissement of Dendermonde. Napoleon Bonaparte promoted the town to the status of city in 1804.