Mortsel

Mortsel
Municipality
Aerial view of Mortsel
Flag Coat of arms
Mortsel Location in Belgium
Location of Mortsel in the province of Antwerp
Coordinates: 51°10′N 04°28′E / 51.167°N 4.467°E / 51.167; 4.467Coordinates: 51°10′N 04°28′E / 51.167°N 4.467°E / 51.167; 4.467
Country	Belgium
Community	Flemish Community
Region	Flemish Region
Province	Antwerp
Arrondissement	Antwerp
Government
• Mayor	Erik Broeckx (NVA)
Area
• Total	7.78 km2 (3.00 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2016)
• Total	25,551
• Density	3,300/km2 (8,500/sq mi)
Postal codes	2640
Area codes	03
Website	www.mortsel.be

Mortsel (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɔrtsəl]) is a city and municipality close to the city of Antwerp located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality only comprises the city of Mortsel proper. On January 1, 2006 Mortsel had a total population of 24,427 people. The total area is 7.78 km² which gives a population density of 3,138 inhabitants per km². This is the highest population density of any municipality in the Flemish Region (Flanders), and second-highest (to Saint-Nicolas) outside the Brussels-Capital Region.

The city consists of the areas Mortsel-Dorp, Oude-God and Luithagen. Mortsel is bordered by Antwerp (districts Wilrijk, Berchem and Deurne), Borsbeek, Boechout, Hove, and Edegem.

Mortsel was the scene for one of the major collateral damage tragedies of World War II. On April 5, 1943, the bombing of the Minerva car factory, then used to repair Luftwaffe planes, was the target of a big bombing raid by the Allies. Unfortunately the target was largely missed and a residential area hit instead, resulting in the deaths of 936 civilians, including 209 children, exceeding the civilian death toll of the Guernica raid which modern estimates put at 400.