ANTWERP, Belgium, canital of the prov ince of the same name, situated about 50 miles from the open sea and 25 miles north of Brus sels, in a level tract on the right bank of the Scheldt, which is there about 2,200 feet broad and has a depth at ebb-tide of from 30 to 40 feet, with a rise at spring-tides of 12 or 14.
Since 1905 new docks and granite quays with every modern improvement have greatly added to Antwerp's reputation as one of the finest harbors and one of the busiest commercial ports in the world. The volume of its exports averages annually from 6,500,000 to 8,000,000 tons in recent years, valued at from $360,000,000 to $450,000,000, while the imports average slightly above the same amounts — the largest of the imports being grain. The chief manu facturing industries of Antwerp comprise tex tiles, brewing, distilling, diamond-cutting, sugar refining, cigars and tobacco. Modern Antwerp is one of the most attractive of improved European cities. It still retains a few of its historical buildings.
The Cathedral of Notre Dame, dating from the 14th century, is its most noteworthy edifice, the largest and most beautiful Gothic structure in the Low Countries, with a tower over 400 feet high. Its area is 70,060 square feet and it contains Rubens' paintings, 'The Descent from the Cross,' 'Elevation of the Cross' and The Other important buildings are the church of Saint Jacques, begun in 1491, the Hotel de Ville, the Bourse, the Museum, the old Meat Market, the Archers' Guildhall and the restored Steen, part of the old 10th century castle, now occupied as a museum of antiquities. Fine boulevards mark the sites of ancient city walls and ramparts which were gradually extended and improved until they attained a circuit of over eight miles with a system of eight outlying forts for defenses. After the Franco-German War of 1871-72 this system was strengthened by a second extended line of 15 forts which by 1913 were considered to have made Antwerp one of the strongest fortified cities in the world.
Antwerp is the birthplace of a number of distinguished men in various departments, as the painters Vandyck (b. 1599), Teniers the elder (1582), Teniers the younger (1610), Jor daens (1594), Frans Floris (1520), Gonzales Cocques (1618); the philologist Gruter (1560), the geographer Ortehus (1527), the engraver Edelinck (1649), and, among more modern celebrities, Van Materen the historian, Ogier the dramatist, and Henri Conscience the novelist. Rubens was born at Cologne, but his family belonged to Antwerp, and he was educated, re sided and died in the latter city.
Antwerp was probably founded some time before the 8th century, when the Antwerpians or Ganerbians, as they began to he called, were converted to Christianity. In 837 the town fell into the hands of the Northmen, who kept possession of it for about 60 years. It was
erected into a marquisate of the Holy Roman Empire by Henry II in 1008, and as such was bestowed by Henry IV, in 1076, on Godfrey of Bouillon. About the beginning of the 12th century it had considerable commercial prosper ity; and in the 13th its municipal institutions took definite shape. It is worthy of notice that the law of 1290 contained provisions identical with those of the Habeas Corpus Act of Eng land, maintaining the inviolability of the citi zen's dwelling and acknowledging the right of every man to be judged by his peers and to have a voice in the imposition of taxes. As the result of such security and freedom the com merce of the city rapidly increased. English wools for the great manufactories at Louvain, Brussels, Tirlemont, Diest and Leau were im ported through Antwerp; and English mer chants, who formed a "factory" there in 1296, received special protection by charters (1305, 1341, 1346, 1349) from the Dukes of Brabant. Between 1488 and 1570 was the time of the greatest prosperity which Antwerp was destined to attain for several centuries. The discovery of America in 1492, and of the passage to India in 1497, produced a great change in all Euro pean navigation, permanently altering the old courses of commerce. While in consequence of this the cities of the Hanseatic League had withered, and Venice, Nuremberg and Bruges were sinking into decay, Antwerp was rapidly growing wealthy, but in 1576 it was taken by the Spaniards and given up to a three-days' pillage. It was vainly besieged by the Duke of Aleneon in 1583; and after a very obstinate defense it fell before the assaults of the Duke of Parma, whose triumphal entry took place 17 Aug. 1585. Its glory departed; its commerce was ruined; its inhabitants were scattered. The Dutch in their jealousy endeavored to complete its ruin by building forts on the river to inter cept the passage of ships; and finally, by the peace of Westphalia in 1648, the Scheldt was definitely closed. In 1794 the city fell into the hands of the French, who opened the river and made Antwerp the capital of the depart ment of Deux Nethes. It continued in French possession till 1814. Matters of dispute be tween Belgium and Holland being settled by the treaty of 1839, Antwerp continued peace fully to advance in prosperity until the outbreak of the great European War in 1914, when dur ing the German invasion, the city was subjected to Zeppelin raids and the forts underwent a bombardment of 10 days and were reduced to ruins. The Belgian army with their British allies withdrew and, without any form of sur render, the Germans entered and occupied the city 9 Oct. 1914, subsequently levying oppressive tribute on the inhabitants. Population (exclu sive of suburbs) 312,000; with suburbs, 399,000.