ALOST, alast, Flemish Aalst, alst, Bel gium, an historic town of East Flanders, on the river Dendre, about half-way between Brussels and Ghent. It was formerly the capital of the county of Aalst, which passed in 1056 into the possession of the counts of Flanders under the name of Keizer-Vlaanderen. The Dendre divides the town into two unequal parts. Pop. (1912) 35,130. Over a thousand years ago Alost became a walled town; a grandson of William the Conqueror was killed under its walls in 1128. The main object of attraction is the fine old Gothic church of Saint Martin's which was commenced toward the end of the 15th century and was intended to be a copy of the cathedral at Amiens.. The scheme was apparently too ambitious for the available resources, for not only in the tower missing, but the nave was built only half its proposed length. The edifice contains a re markable painting by Rubens, *Saint Roth interceding for the Plague-stricken,* which is said to have been painted in eight days to the order of the town about 1625-30. The first printing press in Belgium was set up in Alost. the birthplace of Thierry Maertens, one of the claimants to the honor of inventing the art of printing. Maertens appears to have worked under Gutenburg at Mayence, and returned to Alost in 1475. Until recent years the people of Alost used to keep up the ancient practice of sword-dancing, almost identical with that in vogue in Scotland. Tradition ascribes the
dance to have come down from the Nervii; increased industrial activity in Alost led to its falling into disuse. Due to the great trade in hops and various manufacturing industries, no town in Belgium had made greater progress during the past 30 years than Alost.
The European War brought dire tragedy upon the town. On 11 Sept. 1914 an engage ment was fought there between the German invaders and Belgian troops. Civilians were taken prisoners; their money was confiscated; a number were shot or bayoneted, and others were driven in front of the German troops as a screen against the Belgian army. The Bel gian left athrmiced from Termonde and Lierre and recaptured Most 26 Sept. 1914. "During their retreat the Germans fired 12 houses . . . and three civilians were shot dead in the street . . ..a heap of nine dead civilians were lying in the Rue de /Argent' (Bryce Report). The Germans bombarded and captured Alost again on 29-30 September, and wreaked terrible vengeance on the unfortunate citizens for the repulse they had suffered at' the hands of Belgian soldiers. See BRYCE COMMITTEE, RE PORT OP.