Kaprijke

Kaprijke
Municipality
Kaprijke town hall
Flag Coat of arms
Kaprijke Location in Belgium
Location of Kaprijke in East Flanders
Coordinates: 51°13′N 03°36′E / 51.217°N 3.600°E / 51.217; 3.600Coordinates: 51°13′N 03°36′E / 51.217°N 3.600°E / 51.217; 3.600
Country	Belgium
Community	Flemish Community
Region	Flemish Region
Province	East Flanders
Arrondissement	Eeklo
Government
• Mayor	Filip Gijssels
• Governing party/ies	SAMEN
Area
• Total	33.71 km2 (13.02 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2016)
• Total	6,321
• Density	190/km2 (490/sq mi)
Postal codes	9970, 9971
Area codes	09
Website	www.kaprijke.be

Kaprijke (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈkɑprɛi̯kə]) is a municipality located in the Belgian province of East Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Kaprijke proper and Lembeke. On January 1, 2006, Kaprijke had a total population of 6,128. The total area is 33.71 km² which gives a population density of 182 inhabitants per km².

The name Kaprijke comes from Gallo-Roman name "Capricum" which means "Land of Caprius". That it used to be the site of a Roman garrison can still be seen at the square in front of the old town hall.

During the 14th and 15th century, the cloth industry flourished in Kaprijke. However, during the period of religious strife during the 16th century, the merchants and cloth makers withdrew to safer locations. Following the resolution of the problems, the merchants and weavers did not return, leading up to the decline of the city of Kaprijke into a rural village during the 17th and 18th centuries.

Kaprijke is known for its beautiful castle built in 1550, Hof ter Kruisen. It was commissioned by Andries of Baviere and finished in 1628.

In 1976, Kaprijke merged with another town called Lembeke, for a total population of around 6200 people.

Kaprijke is divided into two towns. 1: Kaprijke proper and 2:Lembeke

Kaprijke, church: parochiekerk Onze Lieve Vrouw Hemelvaart

Lembeke, church: parochiekerk Sint Egidius