Malle

Malle
Municipality
Flag Coat of arms
Malle Location in Belgium
Location of Malle in the province of Antwerp
Coordinates: 51°17′N 04°41′E / 51.283°N 4.683°E / 51.283; 4.683Coordinates: 51°17′N 04°41′E / 51.283°N 4.683°E / 51.283; 4.683
Country	Belgium
Community	Flemish Community
Region	Flemish Region
Province	Antwerp
Arrondissement	Antwerp
Government
• Mayor	Harry Hendrickx (DBM)
• Governing party/ies	DBM, CD&V/N-VA, Open Vld
Area
• Total	51.99 km2 (20.07 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2016)
• Total	15,158
• Density	290/km2 (760/sq mi)
Postal codes	2390
Area codes	03
Website	www.malle.be

Malle (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɑlə]) is a municipality located in the Campine region of the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the villages of Oostmalle and Westmalle. On 1 January 2013 Malle had a total population of 14,950. The total area is 51.99 km² which gives a population density of 288 inhabitants per km².

The origin and meaning of the word Malle is uncertain: on the one hand it could refer to an extended plain, border or stop, but more likely it refers to a place which was used by the Franks for legal matters. A Mallum was a general court session presided by the count. In Celtic, the name O Maoileoin, means a devotee of St. John.

A record of the name Malle emerges for the first time in 1194, when the bishop of Kamerijk donated the altar of Malle and Vorsele to the Chapter of Our Kind Lady of Antwerp. Originally Oostmalle, Westmalle and Zoersel were joined into one domain: Malle, which was part of the County Toxandria.

The origin of Oostmalle dates back to the Roman era, when a settlement was built along the Roman road from Trajectum ad Rhenum (Utrecht) to Bavay (now approximately the Lierselei and the Hoogstraatsebaan).

During the Middle Ages (476–1492), Oostmalle was part of the Duchy of Brabant, governed by lords like Jan Van Hesselbeke and Jan Volckaert (around 1300). The lower feudal rights belonged to the House of Breda, the higher rights belonged to the Duke of Brabant.